NFL, Players Union Disagree on Validity of New HGH Test
As the NFL and the NFL Players' Assocation attempt to reach a new CBA agreement in order to prevent a lockout of the 2011 season, the future of testing for human growth hormones remains a serious issue.
The issue of testing stems from the NFL’s new blood-based testing while the union questions the validity of this test.
The NFL PA is led by Kevin Mawae, longtime centre for the Tennsessee Titans. Mawae claims he is aware of developing tests, one that could detect the use of HGH for up to 14 days. The NFL’s current test only measures up to two days and Mawae sees it as being “not completely reliable.”
"The testing of HGH is a CBA (collective bargaining agreement) issue that has been discussed on a number of different occasions," Mawae said in an e-mail. "The PA and the players of the NFL will always be in favor of fair and competitive play without the use of performance-enhancing drugs."
The current CBA agreement expires in March and the two sides need to work out an agreement before then to prevent a lockout. The issues in the agreement revolve around salary cap issues, free-agency and finances. Now, the testing of performance enhancing drugs is taking on a key part in working out an agreement between the two sides.
Detection period in question
The league has supported blood-based testing saying the current blood test is reliable while the new test could add another way of catching HGH users in the NFL.
"I don't necessarily subscribe to the view that the short detection window by itself renders the (current) test inadequate," said Adolpho Birch, the NFL’s overseer of the drug policy "It does provide a deterrent effect. A longer window is helpful and will do a lot to provide better detection. I don't know if it's a game-changer, per se, but it is important."
The US Anti-Doping Agency believes that the NFL’s current blood test is reliable and the new test could be sufficient to ending further research. The players have long preferred urine-based tests and wish to continue research in developing a urine test to detect HGH users.
"In a perfect world, a urine test would be far easier for us to deal with and administer than a blood test," Birch said. "The problem is, we thought there was some chance a urine test could be developed. That's increasingly looking less likely. The practical reality is, we need to focus on a test that works, and the test that works is blood."
Tough talk on PEDs, HGH
Mawae has vouched for the notion that there’s no room for performance-enhancing drugs in the NFL.
"Quite frankly, players who use PEDs cheat themselves, cheat their peers, and cheat the game," he said. "We are well aware of the efforts in developing a reliable test for HGH, and to this point, understand that the test that is available is not completely reliable."
The NFL and the NFL PA have roughly eight months to reach an agreement or risk a work stoppage in 2011, which would not benefit anybody. Players have attempted to acquire pay raises for this season in case disaster happens and there is no season in 2011. Many players are being advised to save up their money now until a new agreement is reached.
A lockout would hurt the league and leave the fans in agony as the most popular sport in America can’t afford to not showcase football for a whole year. It is surely in the best interest of both sides to reach an agreement and as is the case in any agreement, a compromise on these issues will have to be reached.
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