The SBP Archives - Your less than frequent dose of SBP!

The recent NHL press release declaring that all 1,400 or so members of the NHLPA tested negative for drug use could be taken seriously if only for the fact that the league and the players don't take it at all seriously.

The news release was taken by some as complete vindication from the allegations of Dick Pound, President of the World Anti-Doping Agency, who claimed 1/3 of the players use some form of performance enhancing susbtance. Bill Daly, Kevin Lowe, Don Cherry and Ted Saskin are some of the stakeholders who applauded the findings.

Forgot the fact Bryan Berard was banned for two years from international competion for using a banned steroid. It was before NHL testing took place. Forget the fact goaltender Jose Theodore tested positive for using a dope-masking agent. He used it for his hair-loss problem. (Person 1: Hair loss?! He has thick, flowing locks! Person 2: Exactly! It works!).

While I don't take too kindly to Dick Pound's allegations simply because he has no evidence to support his claims, I can't give a rubber stamp to the NHL's testing practices, either. Simply put, it's a joke. They only test for certain performance enhancers. And their claim of random testing goes something like this: If you're a player in the NHL, you get a phone call stating you're going to be tested. They give the date of the test, usually in a week's time, and you go from there. Kind of easy to rid your system of whatever drug your using during that time, isn't it?

Testing during the off-season isn't allowed. Of course, this is the time where players are training for the upcoming season, when using performance-enhancers would be high.

When you think about it, Dick Pound's comments could be viewed as slander. Why wouldn't the NHL take Pound to court over it? Claiming 1/3 of your players is on the juice is a pretty bold statement. Perhaps if they did, they could be viewed as a pro sports league who doesn't take drug abuse seriously, or, taking Pound to court would force the league to put every player through testing as deemed appropriate by the courts and they would find something the NHL doesn't want uncovered.

Maybe there isn't a drug problem in hockey. Maybe the players are clean and just worry about their protein and carbohydrates. But until the testing is more stringent and the NHLPA's union consents to more honest and real testing, both sides haven't proven to me anything.