With NFL owners planning to insist that any new labor deal include an agreement to test players’ blood for use of human growth hormone, one doping expert says it’s ridiculous that players would oppose HGH tests.
“I’d be very disappointed if the NFL does not get in lock with the rest of the world -- and this goes for baseball as well -- and employ blood testing,” performance-enhancing drug expert Dr. Gary Wadler told Alex Marvez of FOXSports.com.
The biggest impediment to HGH testing has always been that HGH -- unlike anabolic steroids -- cannot be detected in a urine test. Football players (and many athletes in other sports) have objected to having blood drawn for HGH testing.
But Wadler said there’s no reason for players to oppose getting blood drawn.
“Any concerns the athletes have of a needle,” Wadler said, “it’s almost comical to think a 300-pound athlete is afraid of a little needle prick.”
If the players strongly oppose HGH testing because drawing blood is too invasive, they need to clearly articulate why. It won’t play well with the public to have the owners supporting a crackdown on performance-enhancing drugs, and the players opposing testing.
