NBA players anger Congress

[slugking50]

http://msn.foxsports.com/nba/story/3619996
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NBA players not cooperating; bill coming soon

Associated Press
Posted: 4 hours ago

WASHINGTON (AP) - None of five NBA players invited to testify to Congress about steroids has agreed to appear yet, and the House Government Reform Committee has concerns about the league's drug-testing policy, a panel spokesman said Monday night.

Dave Marin also said that panel chairman Tom Davis, ranking Democrat Henry Waxman and Sen. John McCain will introduce a bill this week governing steroid testing in U.S. sports.

NBA commissioner David Stern and players' union director Billy Hunter have agreed to appear Thursday at the panel's third hearing on steroids, after Major League Baseball in March and the NFL last month.

"The chairman at this point is a little bit disappointed that we don't have a player confirmed for Thursday," said Marin, spokesman for Davis, a Virginia Republican.

"It seems to me that they have more bark than bite. It seems to me that they are better at talking the talk than walking the walk," he added.

"All of the players that were invited are players who have made public statements about the lack of steroid use in basketball and about the need to share that message with kids. ... It's our hope that the players' association will be more aggressive in locating a player or two who can make it on Thursday."

NBA Players Association spokesman Dan Wasserman declined comment.

Marin wouldn't say who the five invited players are, other than to describe them as current players whose teams are not alive in the playoffs.

The committee asked the NBA and other leagues to turn over documents about their steroid-testing programs. On Monday, Davis and Waxman sent NFL commissioner Paul Tagliabue a letter requesting additional information about tests for testosterone and epitestosterone dating to Jan. 1, 1995.

A review of the NBA's documents turned up what Marin called "Shaquille O'Neal-sized holes" in the league's drug policy. He cited the rule that veterans are tested once a year during the preseason.

"One could argue that if there's a group of NBA players more likely to use steroids, it's the veterans who are more prone to injury," Marin said.

He wouldn't discuss in detail the legislation drafted by Davis, Waxman and McCain, saying only: "It has more teeth than other legislation that's out there."

The chairman of the House Commerce, Trade and Consumer Protection Subcommittee, Florida Republican Cliff Stearns, proposed the Drug Free Sports Act on April 26. His panel, which is conducting its own steroids inquiry, will hold hearings Wednesday and Thursday, with Tagliabue, Stern, Major League Baseball commissioner Bud Selig among the witnesses scheduled to appear. Selig said Monday he would support federal legislation calling for two-year bans for first-time steroid offenses unless the Major League Baseball Players Association agrees to toughen the sport's drug policy.

 

[VF21]

Congress needs to get its nose OUT of professional sports. This is ridiculous, IMHO. They have much bigger things to talk about and it really angers me that they're wasting their time and our tax dollars to continue this farce.

 

[vj9999]

I agree VF21. Professional sports, unless they are funded by the government have nothing to do with Congress.

Let the league and team owners deal with this stuff.

 

[sloter]

I don't agree. Drugs do not belong to sports, and that should be regulated. The league is not taking care of it because of its conflict of interests, but someone should.

 

[VF21]

The drugs they're talking about are already controlled by a myriad of laws that aren't being enforced. Instead of making MORE laws, the emphasis should be on enforcing the ones already in existence.

 

[thesanityannex]

The drugs they're talking about are already controlled by a myriad of laws that aren't being enforced. Instead of making MORE laws, the emphasis should be on enforcing the ones already in existence.

The only way they can enforce the ones that already exist is by making more laws that force the one already in existence to be enforced.

 

[VF21]

The only way they can enforce the ones that already exist is by making more laws that force the one already in existence to be enforced.

Oh geez. You enforce laws by making more laws? Yeah, that must be it.

When laws are enacted there are provisions that detail what is legal and what isn't. In addition, there are generally provisions that make it quite clear what the possible ramifications are of not obeying the law in point. With me so far?

If a law is suspected of being broken, it is up to ... brace yourself ... some branch of LAW ENFORCEMENT to either arrest or cite the alleged law breaker. Then, once that is done, the information is passed on to the prosecutor, who determines whether or not it is possible the law was broken AND whether or not charged should be filed. Still with me?

Once charges have been filed, the accused has various alternatives, among them paying a fine or fighting the charges.

NONE OF THIS requires additional legislation to enforce. It's all there.

It is against the law to possess most of the steroids being discussed unless under a doctor's care. It is also against the law for a doctor to prescribe those drugs for purposes other than they were originally intended. In addition, it is against the law to illegally manufacture such substances.

We do NOT need more laws. We need the leagues to enforce the laws by stricter testing, etc. And we need the leagues to make it clear they will deal with the violators in a manner consistent with existing law. We do NOT need more laws.

 

[LPKingsFan]

Exactly. Shouldn't the DEA be having hearings, not Congress?

 

[Yoda]

Congress needs to get its nose OUT of professional sports. This is ridiculous, IMHO. They have much bigger things to talk about and it really angers me that they're wasting their time and our tax dollars to continue this farce.

Agree and disagree.
Baseball was out of control and needed a "big stick" to fix it. Personally I like it that the government and society as a whole are putting the foot down and saying no to all sorts of illegal drugs.

On the other hand, they seem to be on a witch hunt, and in that sence they need to ge there nose out of sports.

 

[Bricklayer]

Agree and disagree.
Baseball was out of control and needed a "big stick" to fix it. Personally I like it that the government and society as a whole are putting the foot down and saying no to all sorts of illegal drugs.

On the other hand, they seem to be on a witch hunt, and in that sence they need to ge there nose out of sports.

I'm not sure of their excuse when it comes to the NBA or NFL etc. either. MLB has been a special protected entity actually protected by U.S. law (originally as "the great American game"), and in the past that was always the connection to Congress -- i.e. the special protection could be eliminated if baseball screwed up. But the other sports have never enjoyed that protection, so what Congress is doing mucking around with them is beyond me. If you had some sort of big scandalous issues in the other sports, maybe. But as it is it looks more like Capitol Hill either trying to take the heat off of baseball by implicating the other leagues as well, or just doing the normal score some political points thing by wasting everyone's time.

 

[quick dog]

No one has ever lost a dime betting on the propensity for the United States Congress to focus on irrelevent and trivial topics while the Nation has serious economic, social, and national-defense problems to address. It provides further evidence that incompetent individuals tend to focus on issues which they believe are within their limited mental capabilities.

Professional sports organizations are fully capable of policing the illegal drug situation should they decide to do so.

 

[Folsom Al]

NBA talks tough as sports commissioners go to Hill

WASHINGTON (AP) — The NBA wants to kick players out of the league for a third failed steroid test and double the punishment for a first offense, commissioner David Stern told a House panel on Wednesday, the latest example of a professional sport moving to tighten its drug policy in the face of congressional scrutiny.

Baseball commissioner Bud Selig, left, and Donald Fehr of the MLB Players Association joined fellow sports dignitaries on Capitol Hill.

By Charles Dharapak, AP

In a rare gathering of some of the most powerful people in American sports, Stern joined fellow commissioners Bud Selig of Major League Baseball, Gary Bettman of the NHL and Don Garber of Major League Soccer in testifying before the House Commerce trade and consumer protection subcommittee about steroid use and testing.

The heads of those leagues' player unions and a former chairman of the U.S. Anti-Doping Association also appeared at a hearing to discuss the Drug Free Sports Act. The legislation proposed last month by subcommittee chairman Cliff Stearns, a Florida Republican, would govern drug testing across American professional sports, aiming to bring them in line with the Olympics.

It would have the Commerce secretary oversee rules on drug testing and calls for a two-year suspension for a first offense and a lifetime ban for a second. Leagues that don't comply would be fined at least $5 million.

"This is not an opportunity to direct blame and to try and embarrass anyone," Stearns said in opening the hearing and describing his proposed law.

"I am not convinced that an effective solution to this problem can be found in a system that allows those with a vested interest in the performance of the players and leagues to simply police themselves," the subcommittee chairman added.

Not surprisingly, nearly all of the witnesses — the most glaring exception was Selig — objected to the bipartisan bill.

"A policy that is the product of agreement between management and labor will always be superior to one that is imposed from the outside," Stern wrote in his prepared testimony, echoing his union counterpart, Billy Hunter.

Several lawmakers praised Selig for proposing tougher penalties in baseball after his sport's drug policy was slammed for being too weak during an 11-hour hearing before the House Government Reform Committee, which is conducting a separate steroids inquiry.

"Mr. Selig, you've come a long way," said Rep. Fred Upton, R-Mich.

Texas Republican Joe Barton, chairman of the Energy and Commerce Committee, and other representatives stated their panel has jurisdiction over the steroids issue. Barton predicted "this will result in legislation in the very near future."

In his prepared testimony, Stern revealed proposals the NBA made to its players during ongoing negotiations to replace a labor deal that expires June 30. A first steroid offense would draw a 10-game suspension in an 82-game season, a second would draw 25 games, and a third would result in a player being "dismissed and disqualified from the NBA," with the possibility of reinstatement after two years under "exceptional circumstances." Currently, a first offense gets a five-game ban, a second gets 10 games, and a third gets 25.

Stern wants to increase the number of random tests for all players to four per season (only rookies face that many now), add one random offseason test, and add to the list of banned substances.

When its current drug policy was instituted in 1999, Stern told the committee, the NBA "had no evidence of even minimal use of steroids or performance-enhancing drugs by NBA players. Nor are we aware of such evidence today."

Two players are believed to have been suspended for steroid use since the NBA implemented its current policy in 1999.

The NHL — which canceled its 2004-05 season in a labor dispute — doesn't test for performance-enhancing substances at all, but Bettman and union head Bob Goodenow told the committee they plan to add random testing and discipline to a new collective bargaining agreement.

Selig reiterated that he would support federal legislation unless baseball's union agrees to toughen the sport's drug policy.

"I will continue to be a supporter of an appropriately tailored, uniform federal standard. I hope that we will have the opportunity to work with Congress in developing that standard," he told the committee.

Union leaders were particularly critical of the bill.

Major League Players Association executive director Donald Fehr told lawmakers that collective bargaining was the appropriate way to deal with employment issues, "even matters as controversial and politically volatile as random suspicionless employee drug testing."

Fehr lodged several other complaints about the bill, ranging from Fourth Amendment issues to a "problematic and confusing" section on appeals. He joined Stern, Bettman and Goodenow in calling the penalties too harsh, with Fehr saying: "A two-year suspension for a first offense would, as a practical matter, end the player's career in the vast majority of circumstances."

The same panel will hear from NFL commissioner Paul Tagliabue and NFL Players Association executive director Gene Upshaw on Thursday.

Also that day, Stern, Hunter, Washington Wizards guard Juan Dixon and Houston Rockets trainer Keith Jones are to testify before the House Government Reform Committee. The leaders of that committee plan to jointly announce their own proposed legislation with Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz.

"So why in the world did we ever get into a situation where steroids apparently were swallowed like M&Ms and adults winked at each other when baseball players started growing arms as big as tree trunks?" Barton asked. "However it happened, I'm glad that it finally seems to be changing."

 

[loopymitch]

Who are the 5 players they want to appear? Chances are some of them, if not all have games to play and obviously that's going to take priority.

 

[Just_Lurkin]

Congress needs to get its nose OUT of professional sports. This is ridiculous, IMHO. They have much bigger things to talk about and it really angers me that they're wasting their time and our tax dollars to continue this farce.

exatly, there's a war on drugs, gang violence escalating, the failing public school systems and which problem congress chooses to take on? Pro athelete steroid use.

 

[VF21]

Someone has mentioned wanting to know who the 5 players are that didn't appear.

Two players are believed to have been suspended for steroid use since the NBA implemented its current policy in 1999.

I'm more interested in who the above-mentioned two players might be.

 

[slugking50]

Someone has mentioned wanting to know who the 5 players are that didn't appear.



I'm more interested in who the above-mentioned two players might be.

Matt Geiger and Don McClean(sp?) were the 2 names I heard from Koz the other night.

 

[thesanityannex]

Oh geez. You enforce laws by making more laws? Yeah, that must be it.

When laws are enacted there are provisions that detail what is legal and what isn't. In addition, there are generally provisions that make it quite clear what the possible ramifications are of not obeying the law in point. With me so far?

If a law is suspected of being broken, it is up to ... brace yourself ... some branch of LAW ENFORCEMENT to either arrest or cite the alleged law breaker. Then, once that is done, the information is passed on to the prosecutor, who determines whether or not it is possible the law was broken AND whether or not charged should be filed. Still with me?

Once charges have been filed, the accused has various alternatives, among them paying a fine or fighting the charges.

NONE OF THIS requires additional legislation to enforce. It's all there.

It is against the law to possess most of the steroids being discussed unless under a doctor's care. It is also against the law for a doctor to prescribe those drugs for purposes other than they were originally intended. In addition, it is against the law to illegally manufacture such substances.

We do NOT need more laws. We need the leagues to enforce the laws by stricter testing, etc. And we need the leagues to make it clear they will deal with the violators in a manner consistent with existing law. We do NOT need more laws.

i think you missed my point. new laws would not be needed if the league would actually enforce the ones already in affect, which they have not and will not. and thanks for the definition of a law, it may help me on my upcoming bar exam.