The MLBPA issued a statement saying:
We have previously told you there is no reason to believe a supplement bought at a U.S. based retail store could cause you to test positive under our Drug Program. That is no longer true. We have recently learned of three substances which can be bought over the counter at stores in the United States that will cause you to test positive. These three supplements were purchased at a GNC and Vitamin Shoppe in the U.S.If this is true, then J.C. Romero should not be held accountable for his actions. At least not as directly. His superiors told him supplements bought in stores are legal in MLB, why should he think twice about a supplement purchased at a GNC? Now, I understand that a punishment may still be in order, but when MLB says that they are willing to drop the penalty to 25 with an admission of guilt, when he is not directly guilty to his knowledge, that's horseshit. As a Phillies fan, I would like for him to have admitted guilt, but if everything that was said was true, I understand as a human why he refuses to do so. Just for your knowledge, while MLB bans numerous substances, nothing close to steroids can be bought in stores such as GNC. While the whole steroids/ HGH argument is a whole other argument, I think things that can easily be bought in stores across America should be legal in sports. After all, tobacco and alcohol (which have clear and undeniable ill effects on the user's and other's health) as well as other substances are not banned by use of major leaguers, why should things that I can buy (and do buy) be banned?
3 comments:
I just saw ESPN's bottom line announcement regarding Romero's suspension. All I have to say is, thank you Peter Gammons for writing a seemingly fair article on this topic while your employer posts a completely biased 2 sentence brief.
ESPN is a disgrace
hes getting suspended for negligence, after he took his over the counter product to two different nutritionists (one of which he had been working with since he joined mlb), and an mlb employeed strength coach who all said it was ok. he also immediately stopped taking the prodcut (which had no label warning of a possible postive test) as soon as he tested positive. maybe i dont know what negligence means?
It's kind of ironic that the official governing body of America's pastime is applying explicitly unconstitutional laws to punish an innocent Puerto Rican. Fuck Bud Selig, Congress and the Players Association. They're all at fault. Free JC.
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