A New York Times report has suggested that MLB (Major League Baseball) and union officials may have misled the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform regarding the amount of steroid use among players.

The Times revealed that officials appearing before the House Committee presented figures that demonstrated that baseball’s two-year-old testing program had substantially reduced the number of positive tests for performance enhancing drugs.

Deputy Commissioner Rob Manfred said the testimony of Major League Baseball officials was completely accurate.

Tags: Major League Baseball, MLB, Performance enhancing drugs, steroid ring, steroid use

Posted in Steroid Cycles, steroid nation, Steroids and Anabolic Steroids, Steroids in Baseball, Steroids in Sports

We’ve reported about the huge steroid ring in St. Landry Parish some months ago, in which over 100 people are believed to be involved in. The Sheriff’s Office of St. Landry Parish in July this year has identified local high school football players and business professionals as suspected anabolic steroid users.

Local authorities have conducted a seven-month investigation based on reports of steroid use in the area as well as in the surrounding parishes. The investigation has initially netted four suspects and yielded what is considered to be the largest ever steroid seizure in the area. It was reported that at least $15,000 worth of steroids – about 60 bottles of anabolic steroids in liquid form and at least 600 dosages in pill form – were found by authorities. Many of the drugs are believed to have been bought online or from Mexico.

Then in August, two more arrests have been carried out in connection with the investigation. St. Landry Parish Sheriff Bobby Guidroz believes there will be more arrests coming up as detectives keep a close eye of at least 100 persons of interest.

“It is a very close-knit group of people who use anabolic steroids, and it is very difficult to infiltrate,” Guidroz said. “The closeness of the groups makes it a little harder to get information. But we’re not giving up.”

It has been reported that steroid use and distribution takes place at local gyms and detectives have zeroed in on Eunice, Opelousas, Krotz Springs and surrounding areas.

The four people who were arrested in July were 21-year-old Ty Johnson of Eunice; 23-year-old Holly Fontenot of Eunice; and Adrian Savoie and Terri A. Kirkpatrick, both of Opelousas.

Vicente Richard of Opelousas was arrested Aug. 19. Richard, 37, is now facing charges of distribution of Schedule III controlled dangerous substances, criminal conspiracy, possession of drug, paraphernalia and possession with intent to distribute Schedule III controlled dangerous substances.

Jamal B. Joseph, 22, of Opelousas, was arrested the same day and faces similar charges.

Tags: anabolic steroids, arrests made for steroid use and distribution, local gyms, St. Landry Parish, steroid ring, steroids

Posted in steroid nation, Steroids and Anabolic Steroids

Carl Lewis and Victor Conte are two prominent personalities who have been engaged in running – the former running on the athletic track, the latter running a steroid ring. These two ‘runners’ suspect sprint superstar Usain Bolt’s performance at the recently concluded Beijing Olympics could not only be due to his diet of homemade yams but to steroids and other performance enhancers as well.

Conte has recently expressed his misgivings about the impressive performance of athletes coming from the Caribbean countries like Jamaica. Conte’s suspicion is based on the fact that these countries lack or have inadequate testing programs for steroids and performance-enhancing drugs. This is also the basis of Lewis’ skepticism; that unlike the United States, Jamaica has humungous task ahead regarding its anti-doping policy.

“I’m proud of America right now because we have the best random and most comprehensive drug-testing program. Countries like Jamaica do not have a random program, so they can go months without being tested. No one is accusing Bolt, but don’t live by a different rule and expect the same kind of respect. How dare anybody feel that there shouldn’t be scrutiny, especially in our sport?”

Understandably, Lewis’ comments has raised some hackles in Bolt’s country, particularly Herb Elliot, Jamaica team doctor and a member of the IAAF antidoping commission. Elliot stated that the US was circulating “condescending crap” at the Olympics. “They still think we don’t know anything down in Jamaica,” he said.

In 2003, Lewis was one of the athletes whose names appeared in the documents provided by Dr. Wade Exum to Sports Illustrated. Exum was the United States Olympic Committee from 1991 to 2000.

The American athletes, numbering to about 100, failed anti-doping screenings and should have been disqualified from participating in the Olympics but were nevertheless got clearance to compete. The documents said Lewis tested positive three times prior to the 1988 Seoul Olympics for three banned stimulants – pseudoephedrine, ephedrine, and phenylpropanolamine. He was banned from said Olympics and was suspended for six months. Lewis denied he consciously used the banned substances, a claim which USOC had believed and prompted them to clear Lewis for future competitions.

Tags: Carl Lewis, drug testing program, Jamaica, lack of random testing in Jamaica, steroid ring, Usain Bolt, Victor Conte

Posted in steroid nation, Steroids and Anabolic Steroids, Steroids in Olympics, Steroids in Sports