Jordan Matechuk publicly apologized to the Canadian Football League, the Hamilton Tiger-Cats franchise and his friends and family a few days after pleading guilty to the possession of anabolic steroids and marijuana. Matechuk was arrested after customs officials busted him in possession of 543 steroid tablets and 263 milliliters of injectable steroids. His attorney advised him to avoid answering questions while his legal case was still pending. Matechuk, hoping to rehabilitate his image, nonetheless decided to answer a few questions in an interview with the Associated Press. [Read more…]
Jan
23
Overreaction to Steroid Scandal Destroys College Football Dreams
Two former University of Waterloo football players who transferred to another college in order to fulfill their dreams of playing college football were denied eligibility. The former Warrior football players had to seek another college football program after the Waterloo Warrior program was shut down for a year after a steroid investigation. The harsh sentence for the football team has been criticized for punishing innocent players who were not involved in doping. The overreaction to the steroid scandal will unfortunately keep players Matt Vonk and Steve Ples from playing football next year. [Read more…]
Jan
20
NFL Gives Advance Notice for Steroid Tests?
The National Football League (NFL) has masterfully handled the public relations of their drug testing program. The NFL has largely escaped the steroid scandals that have engulfed Major League Baseball (MLB) in the past decade. It isn’t because NFL has eliminated steroids from football. It isn’t because steroid use is lower in football than baseball. It’s simply a matter of PR that has created the perception among the general public and sportswriters that the NFL’s Policy on Anabolic Steroids and Related Substances is effective and steroid use isn’t a problem.
Maybe giving football players advance notice of steroid tests helps minimize any problematic failed steroid tests as well. The Wall Street Journal recounts an incident last week during the Green Bay Packers – Philadelphia Eagles playoff game where a reporter observed a player receiving advance notice of a steroid test from the team’s head trainer [Read more…]
Jan
14
Football Player Sentenced for Crime that Led to Waterloo Steroid Scandal
The former University of Waterloo football player that committed the crime “that ultimately brought down his former team in a steroid scandal that made international headlines” was sentenced to a 9-month conditional sentence of house arrest. [Read more…]
Jan
13
The Sport of Football Itself is More Dangerous Than Anabolic Steroids
The dangers inherent in the sport of American football itself may be more dangerous than anabolic steroids. Such as statement may seem preposterous given the information overload of media messages demonizing steroids in sports.
Yet, the steroid hysteria that has permeated the sports media in the past decade has made a mockery of the concept of relative risk. Few people deny that anabolic steroids have serious side effects but the emphasis on steroids has led many people to overlook, ignore or discount serious risks present in sports. [Read more…]
