Sports and Courts

Anti-Doping Policies: Which Sports Has the Best?

sportsandcourts — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 23:32:10 +0000

According to the Wall Street Journal it’s the International Boxing Federation. Check out the chart. The NFL barely gets a passing grade and the NBA and MLB both flunk.

Starcaps Case: Should Congress Get Involved?

sportsandcourts — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 02:27:10 +0000

It certainly seems like it could simplify matters if Congress created federal laws that would help to unify enforcement of performance enhancing drug policies in the NFL. The other idea would be for the NFL to figure out a way to work it out under the collective bargaining agreement. The latter idea could actually be more efficient.

NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell visited with Congress today to see if he can convince lawmakers to create legislation that would support the drug policies of the league.

Goodell fears that scenarios like the one playing out in Minnesota could repeat themselves in states throughout the country.

Each state has its own law and players can challenge the NFL’s drug policies according to the laws of the state they happen to play in, since there is no uniformity.

The “StarCaps” case involves Minnesota Vikings players Pat Williams and Kevin Williams along with three players from the New Orleans Saints who tested positive for taking StarCaps- a diuretic that contains bumetanide. Bumetanide, is a banned substances since it has properties that can mask steroid use. .

The NFL moved to suspend the players. The Williams players are fighting the proposed suspension as a violation of their rights governing Minnesota workplace drug laws.

Not Worth Betting On

sportsandcourts — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 15:45:40 +0000

Bombshell tell-all books are all the rage these days but in this instance looks like Triumph Books and Random House are more concerned about getting sued than making money.

Convicted NBA referee Tim Donaghy’s book deal about officiating and betting in the league has been canceled over concerns about legal backlash. His agent seems optimistic that Donaghy’s views will hit bookstore shelves one day soon though. He says 5 other publishers are interested in the book.

NBA Fans Got Punked?

sportsandcourts — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 12:31:53 +0000

That’s an interesting way of putting it. In his op-ed piece in the New York Times, Buzz Bissinger says that in hindsight requiring players to be one year removed from high school before being allowed to enter the NBA was a bad idea. For that reason he says we got punked.

Bissinger says there’s no proof that it’s helped the players mature emotionally or academically, so they might as well be allowed to face the big stage and the multi-millions right out of high school rather than the putting them and us through the charade of going to college for a year.

I agree. I have tremendous respect for the concept of a student-athlete. I also believe there is a reason why that hyphenated term puts student first and athlete second. The revolving door of having basketball players show up on college campuses for a year just to satisfy an NBA rule trivializes the academic experience. If high school graduates have the talent and desire to go to the NBA they should be allowed to go straight to the NBA. If the NBA is worried about their maturity then they should hire more sports psychologists to work with the league, not use the hallowed halls of higher education as short-term baby sitters.

Mid-season Murder

sportsandcourts — Sun, 25 Oct 2009 00:41:21 +0000

UConn Head Football Coach Randy Edsall can’t seem to find a team to look to for help in dealing with the murder of a player in the middle of the season. He’s looking for the right way to help his players cope with the killing of cornerback Jasper Howard. He might not have found a source of inspiration at the college level, but he might want to turn to the Washington Redskins who lost defensive back Sean Taylor on November 27, 2007 when he was shot by intruders at his Miami area home. He might contact Joe Gibbs to see how he helped the Redskins deal with such an untimely death. There’s no easy time to deal with a murder… pre-season, mid-season or post-season. It’s all senseless.

NFL Investigates Braylon Edwards, LeBron Stews

sportsandcourts — Tue, 06 Oct 2009 18:49:56 +0000

While it seems like LeBron James and Braylon Edwards have some history that goes deeper than just this story about Edwards possibly punching LeBron’s friend at a nightclub the fallout could be serious. No charges have been filed yet, but that could always change. The NFL is investigating and any threat of fighting or actual fighting could earn Edwards some discipline.

A Fresh Start For Michael Vick

sportsandcourts — Mon, 28 Sep 2009 13:36:26 +0000

It wasn’t a splashy return to regular-season action in the NFL, but for Michael Vick his first game in almost three years means that nights in stir in a federal prison are really behind him.

He has to rehabilitate his image with the passage of time. But let’s face it: there are some animal lovers who will never be happy. There were 25 protesters outside the stadium who believe it’s not possible to forgive the man and move on. If doing time, rededicating his life to God, and actively doing community service involving anti-dogfighting campaigns are not enough to earn him the right to a fresh start, then I don’t know what would be.

Burress Faces Weapons Charges

sportsandcourts — Mon, 01 Dec 2008 15:02:54 +0000

Giants WR Plaxico Burress is taking a page out of Pacman Jones’ handbook— being a magnet for trouble. He’s spent an awful lot of time this season in the limelight for several fines and a suspension. Friday he shot himself in a nightclub with a loaded .40 caliber handgun he was carrying. I’ve got questions for Burress:

1. Why would you carry a gun (loaded or otherwise) into a nightclub where there are usually a lot of people and someone else could easily get hurt?

2. If it was to the point that you felt that you needed protection, why were you in that particular nightclub? Aren’t there other nightclubs in New York City where you would have felt safe?

3. Even if you were mistaken about the gun laws in New York, your Florida gun permit had expired in May (according to the New York media). So didn’t you at least think you had to have a current permit to be carrying a gun in a public place?

This morning Burress turned himself in and he’s been charged with two felony counts of second degree criminal possession of a weapon. He was released on $100,000 bond.

His unwise choice could cost him three and a half to fifteen years of his life.

Michael Vick Pleads Guilty to State Dogfighting Charges

sportsandcourts — Tue, 25 Nov 2008 22:16:41 +0000

Michael Vick received a 3-year suspended sentence after pleading guilty to state dogfighting charges today. That puts him a step closer to freedom. Soon he’ll be eligible to move from the federal prison in Leavenworth, Kansas to a halfway house.

It’s been a long year for him and his family. He’s scheduled to be released from prison on July 20, 2009. Fortunately he’s still young. He 28. He’s obviously remorseful. He’s not someone who perpetually attracts police intervention into his off-field activities. I believe he deserves to be reinstated to the NFL.

Adam Jones Reinstated…Again

sportsandcourts — Thu, 20 Nov 2008 18:33:18 +0000

Cowboys cornerback Adam Jones may not necessarily have 9 lives but he seems to have something pretty close to that number.

The NFL is giving him yet another chance to prove himself. He’s been reinstated again. An alcohol-related scuffle on October 7th that required police intervention caused him to be suspended again.

He can’t play until December 7th. The conditions of his reinstatement have not been announced. I can’t imagine those conditions would involve more chances for him to get into trouble.