Congress might intervene in steroid testing

[WSFAN35]

RALEIGH, N.C. -- A member of the House committee that held hearings on steroid use in March says Congress may feel compelled to get involved in testing major league players for banned substances.

 

"At this point I think [the chances are] getting better and better because of baseball's inability to police their own players," Rep. Patrick McHenry, R-N.C., said Saturday on the ESPN program "Outside the Lines."

 

Witnesses before the House Government Reform Committee included Rafael Palmeiro, who adamantly denied using steroids but later failed a drug test. He has said he never intentionally took steroids and he doesn't know what caused the test result.

 

The Baltimore Orioles slugger began serving a 10-day suspension last week and will be eligible to return to the lineup Thursday.

 

The House committee won Palmeiro's permission last week to obtain documents from Major League Baseball about the steroid test that led to his suspension. That information will be used to investigate whether Palmeiro committed perjury.

 

"I think [commissioner] Bud Selig and the players' association as well should allow us to have full disclosure when it comes to this matter, and all of these drug testing matters," said McHenry, a freshman congressman. "It's important to the integrity of the game. We're talking about our national pastime and who our kids look up to as heroes."

 

Major League Baseball has penalized its players for positive steroid tests since 2004. Selig wants more stringent testing by an independent authority and harsher punishments for steroid users, including a 50-game suspension for a first offense, 100 games for a second and a lifetime ban for a third.

 

The quality of the players under suspicion raises the importance of assuring that baseball is clean, McHenry said on the program.

 

Palmeiro is one of four players in major-league history with 500 homers and 3,000 hits. A celebration of his 3,000th hit -- which came after the positive drug test but before the results were released -- was planned for this week but canceled at his request.

 

"The reality is this: This Palmeiro situation, we wouldn't be talking about it if it were some second-string left fielder from the Colorado Rockies," McHenry said. "We're talking about the Hall of Fame and whether or not you can be there with Willie Mays and Hank Aaron."

 

McHenry was dismayed by some of the March 17 testimony, specifically that of retired slugger Mark McGwire. McGwire has denied using steroids but repeatedly dodged the question while testifying under oath, saying: "I'm not here to talk about the past."

 

"I walked into that hearing a fan of Mark McGwire and walked away greatly disappointed," McHenry said. "His reactions to the questions that day just seemed to be stonewalling."

 

Palmeiro, he said, made a more favorable impression at the time.

 

"It turns out that maybe the reason why he was so good is that maybe he wasn't telling the truth," McHenry said.

 

 

 

Seriously, give me a f***in break. Congress doesn't have anything better to do than to intervene in a professional sport's drug testing policy? Is it really their concern? I personally think that in the grand scheme of things, professional sports don't mean squat, and I don't understand why Congress is adding this to the top of their priority list.

[Milkman delivers]

Seriously, give me a f***in break.  Congress doesn't have anything better to do than to intervene in a professional sport's drug testing policy?  Is it really their concern?  I personally think that in the grand scheme of things, professional sports don't mean squat, and I don't understand why Congress is adding this to the top of their priority list.

 

Well, considering steroids are illegal and the fact that professional athletes are role models, I think it's a big concern. Don't kid yourself. When athletes make millions of dollars by using illegal drugs (that are immoral and harmful), younger people have more reason to use them, too. If you have a choice to be better and make millions upon millions of dollars, or to just feel better about yourself (also a big concern with adolescents), a lot of people will take that chance.

[WSFAN35]

Well, considering steroids are illegal and the fact that professional athletes are role models, I think it's a big concern.  Don't kid yourself.  When athletes make millions of dollars by using illegal drugs (that are immoral and harmful), younger people have more reason to use them, too.  If you have a choice to be better and make millions upon millions of dollars, or to just feel better about yourself (also a big concern with adolescents), a lot of people will take that chance.

 

Any by Congress getting involved in MLB's policy, kids are going to be less likely to take steroids. I find that laughable. The kids that are going to do it are going to do it regardless. I just think that Congress has a lot more pressing matters than getting involved in this.

[Milkman delivers]

Any by Congress getting involved in MLB's policy, kids are going to be less likely to take steroids.  I find that laughable.  The kids that are going to do it are going to do it regardless.  I just think that Congress has a lot more pressing matters than getting involved in this.

 

Knowing that Congress is watching over your sport like a hawk wouldn't stop people from doing them? Knowing that you can actually punished wouldn't stop people? Alright.

[Steff]

Seriously, give me a f***in break.  Congress doesn't have anything better to do than to intervene in a professional sport's drug testing policy?  Is it really their concern?  I personally think that in the grand scheme of things, professional sports don't mean squat, and I don't understand why Congress is adding this to the top of their priority list.

 

 

Thanks to the anti-trust agreement... yes, it is their business I would say. Baseball screwed themselves by not doing something more and doing it sooner.

 

As for your question will them stopping the pro's from doing it help stop the kids from doing them... maybe ask the parents of the kid who killed himself because he wanted to be like his hero Mark McGwire and started taking roids when he was 15...

[Punch and Judy Garland]

The momentum is clearly heading toward stiffer penalties and an independent testing agency and congress wants to mov ein now to take the credit for something that is going to happen anyways.

[kev211]

Any by Congress getting involved in MLB's policy, kids are going to be less likely to take steroids.  I find that laughable.  The kids that are going to do it are going to do it regardless.  I just think that Congress has a lot more pressing matters than getting involved in this.

If congess got involved steriod use would fall dramitically to wear in 5-10 years nobody uses them. Then kids would see there major league role model dosent use steriods why should I.

[Balta1701]

If congess got involved steriod use would fall dramitically to wear in 5-10 years nobody uses them. Then kids would see there major league role model dosent use steriods why should I.

No, that's not what would do it...what would do it would be the fact that Congress would apply the olympic rules to any steroid suspension if they wrote the law - in other words, outside testing and if you're caught with them you get a 2 year suspension.

[YASNY]

Thanks to the anti-trust agreement... yes, it is their business I would say. Baseball screwed themselves by not doing something more and doing it sooner.

 

As for your question will them stopping the pro's from doing it help stop the kids from doing them... maybe ask the parents of the kid who killed himself because he wanted to be like his hero Mark McGwire and started taking roids when he was 15...

 

If you are talking about that father that appeared before Congress with the players on March 17th, that was Burt Hooten's brother.

[Steff]

If you are talking about that father that appeared before Congress with the players on March 17th, that was Burt Hooten's brother.

 

 

There were 3 fathers and 1 mother. Not sure whch one it was, but the one that said his son idolized Mark and started taking andro to be like him, which led to other steroids.