Steroid Nation

Mikel Astarloza, 16th stage winner in the 2009 Tour de France, suspended for preliminary positive EPO test

As found at The Sports Network (here), the 2009 Tour de France, does snare a doping athlete, who could be considered a relatively elite rider.  Mikel Astarloza, who finished 11th in the 2009, and won the 16th stage, dropped a positive urine apparently containing EPO.

Mikel Astarloza, who finished 11th in the 2009 Tour de France, has been provisionally suspended after an "adverse analytical finding of recombinant EPO" was found in his urine sample in an out-of-competition test on June 26, the UCI announced Friday.

Astarloza, who won the 16th stage of the Tour on July 21, will be suspended for two years if his B sample also tests positive.

His only major cycling win was in 2003 in the Tour Down Under. He is currently a member of the team Euskaltel-Euskadi.

The Tour, won buy Alberto Contador (with Lance Armstrong 3rd) appeared to be enjoyed a relatively dope-free race this year.

New York Times writer Michael Schmidt has the dope on dopers: Exposes Ortiz, Ramirez, Sosa, and others

The huge David Ortiz, Manny Ramirez story breaking today was the work of Michael Schmidt of the New York Times.   Schmidt has recently penned stories on the juicing of Sammy Sosa, David Ortiz, and Manny Ramirez.  He appears to be on a  hot streak.  To Editor and Publisher:

Despite being only 25 and a New York Times reporter for less than two years, Michael S. Schmidt has already earned a spot as one of the paper's best sports investigators.

In June, he broke the story that slugger Sammy Sosa was on the infamous list of 100 baseball players to test positive for performance-enhancing drugs in 2003.

Today, he added two more names -- Manny Ramirez and David Ortiz -- to the list in a bombshell story that already has Boston Red Sox beat writers talking.

A former Times news clerk who first came to the paper in 2005, he freelanced for a year and returned in 2007 as an "intermediate" reporter. His beat: off-the-field news. Translated: steroids and other bad stuff.

"I had a duty to look into it," he says of his success in finding three of the biggest names on the list. "I had to at least put in the effort."

Schmidt set out with a plan to track down the 2003 list...here is one more excerpt, with the remiader on the web sire:

Schmidt says he increased his pursuit of the 2003 list after Sports Illustrated in February revealed that Alex Rodriguez was one of the names. "After that, people would always ask me 'when is the list going to come out?'" he recalls. "I never had a good answer. I started to realize there was a real  interest people had in this."

David Ortiz and Manny Ramirez allegedly both on 2003 MLB steroid/dope list: Taints 2004 World Series

If reports on the expanding list of offenders in the 2003 Baseball pilot doping/steroid study hold true, even more MLB history will need to be 'rewritten', asterisked, excised, or ignored.  Reports ( Bloomberg, UPI) today say both David Ortiz and Manny Ramirez made the 2003 special pilot study steroid list.

Manny Ramirez and David Ortiz were among 104 players testing positive in 2003 for performance-enhancing drugs, The New York Times said.

The information came from unnamed lawyers who spoke to the newspaper Wednesday.

The 2003 survey contained a condition that the results would remain  anonymous.

Ramirez and Ortiz were teammates with the Boston Red Sox when the tests were done the year Boston ended an 86-year streak in which it had not won a World Series.

Other players previously linked to the 2003 list, based on leaks, were Barry Bonds, Jason Grimsley

, Alex Rodriguez, David Segui and Sammy Sosa, with 97 names remaining still undisclosed.

Ramirez, now would appear to be a repeat offender.  Ortiz, the Big Papi of the Red Sox, appeared to rejuvenate his career with the Red Sox following rather undistinguished years toiling within the Twins organization.  Ortiz, who was suspected by many within the baseball community of bulking up to boost the numbers. 

            "I'm not talking about that anymore," Ortiz told the newspaper's Web site.             "I have no comment."

One wonders why the biggest stars in the game did not take head of the testing...Sosa, Bonds, Ortiz, Ramirez.  These were (operative word 'were') Cooperstown Hall of Fame shoe-ins, who are now reduced to drug cheats with good stats.

Ortiz and Ramirez led the Red Sox into the 2004 World Series, which now seems to be one more drug-infused charade.

2007 Giro d’Italia champion Danilo Di Luca drops positive urine for CERA EPO

The New York Times reports that 2007 Gyro de Italia champion Danilo Di Luco tested positive for CERA EPO during this year's race (surprise).

CERA EPO is Continuous Erythropoiesis Receptor Activator (CERA) as form of Erythropoietin (EPO).  The kidney naturally produces the hormone EPO, which stimulates red blood cell proliferation.  CERA is a larger molecule that is not eliminated by the kidneys as easily as 'regular' EPO, t his making it a longer acting up-regulator of RBC production.

The attraction of doping athletes for CERA appears to be the thought that a new molecule would slip through the detection process...doping control....giving the athlete a PED boost.  Athletes will try to get by with cheating as long as they think the cheating is undetectable.

The Italian cyclist Danilo Di Luca, the 2007 Giro d’Italia champion, tested positive for the blood booster CERA twice at the Giro d’Italia in May, the International Cycling Union said in a statement on Wednesday.

Di Luca, the runner-up at the Giro, is the leader of the LPR Brakes-Farnese Vini team, a squad that was not invited to participate in the Tour de France. At the Giro, Di Luca finished 41 seconds behind Denis Menchov.

The cycling union said it provisionally suspended Di Luca, 33, after a Paris laboratory found traces of CERA in his blood.

“These adverse findings were a direct result of a targeted test program conducted on Mr. Di Luca using information from his biological passports blood profile, previous test results and his race schedule,” the cycling union said.

Neither of Di Luca’s backup blood samples has been tested for traces of CERA, an anemia-fighting substance that is a new generation of the drug EPO, which is banned by the World Anti-Doping Agency.

Both EPO and CERA stimulate bone marrow to produce more oxygen-carrying red blood cells, but CERA is longer lasting and requires fewer injections.

Antidoping rules say Di Luca has the right to have both samples retested in his presence or in the presence of a representative.

He will remain provisionally suspended until the Italian Cycling Federation holds a hearing to determine whether Di Luca had violated antidoping rules.

This year’s Tour, which ends Sunday in Paris, has not had any positive doping tests.

UFC "Affliction: Trilogy, now "Afflication: Steroids" after Barnett tests postive for juice

The Ultimate Championship Fighting (UFC) suffered a  blow when another contender turns out to be a pretender.  Former heavyweight champ Josh Barnett tried to stack the odds in his favor with some anabolic steroids;  the California fight  commission may be unfunded, but isn't  unfounded.  (link here)

Former heavyweight champion Josh Barnett tested positive for steroids and was scrapped from the main event of the "Affliction: Trilogy" show on Wednesday, less than two weeks before he was scheduled to fight Fedor Emlianenko in Anaheim, Calif.

The California State Athletic Commission denied Barnett a license to fight on the mixed marital arts card after a drug test taken June 25 came back positive for anabolic steroids.

The commission learned of the results Tuesday and immediately denied Barnett a license. 

"Our primary concern is for the health and safety of fighters," David Thornton, interim executive director of the California State Athletic Commission, said in a statement.

"Anabolic agents and other banned substances put the users of those agents at risk, as well as their opponents. The commission simply will not tolerate their use."

A message left with Affliction vice-president Tom Atencio was not returned.

Barnett appears to be a chronic juicer, as well as a man in search of the truth:

Barnett (24-5) also failed a post-fight drug test in 2002, after he defeated Randy Couture to win the UFC's heavyweight title.

Barnett's license to fight was suspended by the Nevada State Athletic Commission after a hearing in which he denied having used performance-enhancing drugs.

Clean the sport of 'roids and liars...everyone would be better off.

Posted by GRG51 on 07/23/2009 | Permalink

Former heavyweight champion Josh Barnett tested positive for steroids and was scrapped from the main event of the "Affliction: Trilogy" show on Wednesday, less than two weeks before he was scheduled to fight Fedor Emlianenko in Anaheim, Calif.

The California State Athletic Commission denied Barnett a license to fight on the mixed marital arts card after a drug test taken June 25 came back positive for anabolic steroids.

The commission learned of the results Tuesday and immediately denied Barnett a license. 

"Our primary concern is for the health and safety of fighters," David Thornton, interim executive director of the California State Athletic Commission, said in a statement.

"Anabolic agents and other banned substances put the users of those agents at risk, as well as their opponents. The commission simply will not tolerate their use."

A message left with Affliction vice-president Tom Atencio was not returned.

Barnett appears to be a chronic juicer, as well as a man in search of the truth:

Barnett (24-5) also failed a post-fight drug test in 2002, after he defeated Randy Couture to win the UFC's heavyweight title.

Barnett's license to fight was suspended by the Nevada State Athletic Commission after a hearing in which he denied having used performance-enhancing drugs.

Clean the sport of 'roids and liars...everyone would be better off.

Ethics of pediatric sports doping

The Sports-Leader carries a short academic piece on the ethics of sports doping.  An excerpt is found below:

The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) issued a document in April 2005 on performance-enhancing substance use in sport (1). It inquired about many statements concerning the supposed anti-doping fight and how it may be successful.

The document disputes that children need to be taken into account for a more restrictive moral and ethical anti-doping structure to be effective and recognised that the adolescent group naturally feels indestructible and regularly disregards any implication that performance-enhancing substance use may create a health risk or hamper their suitability for sport (1). Also, adolescents are extremely anxious about their self-image (1)...

The motives for using these substances may be different but a mixture of the above reasons exists in why most athletes take performance-enhancing drugs (2). Doping can be seen as an easy alternative to hard training programmes by some adolescents because the rest of the competitors are in a setting of equal and fair play. However, it is through hard work and perseverance in sport that “the virtues of dedication, perseverance, endurance and self-discipline (4)” help build up an adolescent’s character

Reggie Jackson opines on steroid users in the baseball hall of fame: Keep 'em out

Reggie Jackson, a shirttail cousin of the embattled juicer Barry Bonds, give us his opinion on baseball 'roiders introduced into the Cooperstown Hall of Fame.

"...I am hoping that those guys that get caught don't get into the Hall of Fame."

There is plenty of wiggle room in Jackson's statement of make excuses for Cousin Barry.  However, it must gall the veterans to see the steroid-enhanced stats put up by the McGwires and Bonds of the recent baseball past.  To Bloomberg:

Reggie Jackson, a two-time World Series most valuable player, said there's no room in baseball's Hall of Fame for those who have used steroids.

"It bothers me," Jackson, 63, said in an interview with Bloomberg Television. "A lot of Hall of  Famers are very offended by this. I am starting to get affected and I am hoping that those guys that get caught don't get into the Hall of Fame." Jackson, who played for the New York Yankees from 1977 to 1981 and now serves as a special adviser to the team, also said he misses the old Yankee Stadium. The Yankees moved from the ballpark that was home to 26 World Series championship teams, including two of his own, to their new venue across the street.

"I never really saw the new stadium when they were building it," Jackson said. "I hung out at the old one. I had a difficult time leaving it. The last day I went out with a couple of friends and we walked around the stadium and I sat in the center field block with the fans and others and got a little teary-eyed."

Jackson, known as Mr. October after making history at the stadium as the only Major League Baseball player to hit three home runs in a World Series game, said he bought his old locker and the Yankee Stadium sign that was on top of the ballpark.

Interesting that Jackson has reversed  his stance on 'roids to a degree...to the degree that he supported Cousin Barry in the past.

Minnesota Vikings Williams's trump NFL drug policies; Other leagues come to NFL's defense

As noted over the weekend, a local Minnesota judge blocked the 2008 drug suspension of the two Minnesota Viking lineman Kevin and Pat Williams.  (To the AP)

A judge has blocked NFL plans to suspend Minnesota Vikings players Kevin Williams and Pat Williams.

Hennepin County District Judge Gary Larson on Thursday granted the players' motion for a temporary restraining order. That keeps the NFL from suspending them until their case is decided.

That may be a while. The judge also scheduled a hearing for July 22 on whether he should put state court proceedings on hold while a federal appeals court considers other issues in the case.

The defensive tackles tested positive last summer for a banned diuretic that can mask the presence of steroids, though they've never been accused of taking steroids.

The NFL had intended to enforce the Williamses' four-game suspensions at the start of the upcoming season.

Other professional leagues have now supported the NFL in attempting to discipline the Viking duo:

U.S. Olympic officials, Major League Baseball and other professional sports organizations are getting into the NFL's fight with two Minnesota Vikings linemen who were suspended for violating the league's anti-doping policy.

MLB, the National Basketball Association and the National Hockey Association asked Monday for permission to file paperwork in federal court in support of the NFL, which wants to suspend the players for four games. The U.S. Anti-Doping Agency filed a similar motion on its own.

Kevin Williams and Pat Williams, who are not related, have never been accused of taking steroids. The two linemen tested positive last summer for a banned diuretic, bumetanide, that can mask the presence of steroids. They took the weight-loss supplement StarCaps, which contained the diuretic but wasn't listed on the label.

The leagues contend their own drug testing programs would be affected if the linemen are allowed to fight their four-game suspensions in state court. USADA argues uniform rules are needed "to ensure a level playing field."

Jeremy Mayfield may be fighting speed, on and off the track

Top NASCAR driver Jeremy Mayfield was suspended form competition in early May.  However NASCAR releases almost no information on drug suspensions.  Mayfield, rumored to be positive for amphetamine fires back today.  Story at ABC News:

Suspended Sprint Cup driver Jeremy Mayfield has broken his silence, vehemently denying allegations of drug use and adamantly defending himself from recent NASCAR claims in an exclusive interview with ESPN.

It is Mayfield's first extensive public response since being suspended indefinitely from NASCAR competition on May 9, when NASCAR said he failed a random drug test the previous week in Richmond, Va. NASCAR later confirmed an ESPN The Magazine report that Mayfield had tested positive for methamphetamine.

A federal appeals court issued an injunction last week that lifted Mayfield's indefinite suspension. NASCAR appealed that ruling on Monday. Mayfield has not returned to the track.

Mayfield feels he was not given due process; he's mad and he's not taking it anymore:

"Every time there's an action [by NASCAR], there's going to be a reaction. From here on out," Mayfield said in a phone interview Wednesday from his home in Statesville, N.C. "I try to be nice. I try to be respectful to them. I try to do everything right. But I'm not getting drug through the mud no more."

Mayfield repeated his stance that he never took methamphetamine. He also said he no longer consumes alcohol, largely due to the fact, he said, his father was a "bad alcoholic." Asked if he had ever taken illegal drugs, Mayfield responded, "What are you calling illegal? I've drank beer. I don't drink beer at all anymore. I don't drink. Don't do anything."

He said he feels as though NASCAR is attempting to make an example of him.

"I feel like that's exactly what they thought I was going to be. Exactly. To a 'T,'" Mayfield said. "Now, all the sudden, Brian's [France, NASCAR's chairman] coming back saying, 'Well, we have positive tests all the time.' Well, if it's a zero-tolerance policy, how in the hell do you have people testing positive all the time?

"Then he comes back and says there's a list. I forget what big word he used -- an exhaustive list of drugs. Everybody in the world has asked him why the drivers don't have a list. What did he say? Now there's a list -- an exhaustive list. Right? Where's it at?

"It's bull----, man, and somebody needs to stand up and see through this. There's experts out everywhere saying the same thing I'm [saying]."

Mayfield points out inadequacy in the NASCAR drug testing policy:

To drive home his point, Mayfield cited quotes from a pair of drug experts, Dr. Gary Wadler of the World Anti-Doping Agency and Travis Tygart of the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency. Both have recently questioned NASCAR's policy of not releasing its list of banned substances.

"I sit here listening to Brian [France] on a daily basis, defending their policy and talk about how thorough, accurate and fair it is. Then you turn right around and look at what, say, like, Dr. [Gary] Wadler, for example. Quote: 'Their policy is way, way behind those of other sports.'

Should be interesting to see where this challenge goes; NASCAR has not  been challenged successfully over time.

UK 800M champ Jemma Simpson looking for redemption, and weighing in on doping

After suffering stress fractures in her foot, British 800M runner Jemma Simpson is looking to get back on track during the UK's upcoming national trials.  A article in the Times documents her comeback. We look at her doping attitudes.

In Simpson's event -- the 800M -- Russians form a major component of the competition, and a major part of the doping contingent.  Her opinion:

It may be this optimism that informs her opinions about doping. The 1,500 metres, which is likely to be her ultimate destination, has been destroyed by Russian drug cheats. The IAAF, the world governing body, is awaiting the Court of Arbitration for Sport to decide whether to indulge Russia’s cynicism and backdate bans to free the cheats to compete at the World Championships in Berlin next month. With 29 Russians banned for doping, isn’t that depressing?

“No, it’s good,” Simpson said. “The more they catch, the better. You talk about it with other runners and you have suspicions, but you can’t let it affect you. It’s not a level playing field, but the more positive tests there are, the more likely we are to have a clean Games in 2012. You need the stigma. Japan never seems to have a problem and I think that’s probably because it would be considered a terrible thing there. That’s the way it has to be.”

What?  A country with honor?  Heresy.  And how about Dwain Chambers?

But what of Britain, given Dwain Chambers is vying for a place in the Great Britain team today? “I honestly don’t think British athletes are doping,” Simpson said. “Our controls are so strict now. It’s not the culture.”

She avoited that questions quite well...

Tour de France 2009 now detects Synacthene (ACTH) in dope testing

One of the stealth drugs to enhance cycling performance over the years , Synacthene (or Synacthen) will be detectable in the 2009 Tour de France.  Synacthene is ACTH or Adreno-cortical stimulating hormone.  The drug would stimulate the adrenal grand to pour out cortisol, a natural steroidal hormonal with multiple physiological effects.

Anecdotal evidence from cyclists using the drug say if used correctly the substance decreased last race inflammation, and improves performance; however street talk alos says that if used inappropriately the drug can decrease cycling efficiency.  Who knows..there ar no scientific studies of the agent.  To SBS:

Anti-doping authorities have perfected a new test capable of detecting the drug Synacthene and it is currently being used by doping controllers at the Tour de France, sources have told AFP.

The substance, a synthetic hormone also known as ACTH, has up to now proved virtually impossible to detect and evidence has been limited to allegations made by ex-users.

The new test has been perfected by specialists at the Anti-Doping Laboratory in Cologne and was tried out experimentally at German cycling events last year before being approved by the International Cycling Union (UCI) as part of its new battery of anti-doping measures.

"It is based on urine samples but can also be applied to blood samples," said Professor Mario Thevis, who developed the system.

"We prefer, however, urine because there are larger volumes and more samples available."

"Of course, Synacthene was considered relevant and important, but blood testing was not as frequent at that time and the first method was based on blood specimens," Prof Thevis said.

"Moreover, the collection and storage conditions were critical: nowadays everything is harmonised."

Experts say Synacthene has typically been used in association with anabolic steroids and testosterone, the cocktail of drugs being injected directly into a racer's body to boost resistance to pain and to enhance performance.

According to anti-doping expert Dr Jean-Pierre de Modenard, there is evidence of the drug having being used for many years - not just in cycling, but also in football.

Dr. de Modenard hopes the discovery will help fill one of the remaining gaps in knowledge relating to illegal susbtances.

"To state that only one percent of controls turn up positive is hypocritical, and this has been the perfect example of what happens when there is a lack of data," he said.

More Beijing Olympians tested positive for PEDs; Report says 1500M champ Rashid Tamzi included

The AP carries a story today of positive doping tests in the rerun of samples taken from the 2008 Beijing Olympics.  Apparently a rerun for CERA EPO netted a few more PED cheats, including the men's 1500M gold medal winner. These results ave been hinted at for weeks. (Let's Run link too)

An official familiar with the results tells The Associated Press that backup tests came back positive for 1,500-meter champion Rashid Ramzi and four others accused of doping at the Beijing Olympics.

The athletes tested positive for the blood-boosting drug CERA in retests of their "A" samples earlier this year, with the results announced in April.

The official told the AP on Wednesday that the "B" samples have been analyzed and confirmed the positive findings. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because the results have not been announced.

The athletes face being stripped of results and medals.

The others are Italian cyclist Davide Rebellin, German cyclist Stefan Schumacher, Croatian runner Vanja Perisic and Greek walker Athanasia Tsoumeleka.

CERA EPO (the newer large molecule EPO) tends to be abused by endurance athletes.

Although this will not make as large a splash as Ben Johnson's Winny positive, an Olympic 1500 gold medalist positive for PED cheating is every bit as disgusting.

German speedskater on thin ice: Claudia Pechstein begins PED suspension

Olympic speed-skater Claudia Pechstein starts a two year ban based on blood doping, devined from her blood indices.  Considering Germany's awful past with doping, it is entirely  disconcerting for an elite German athlete to dope.  (AP)

Olympic speed-skating great Claudia Pechstein of Germany was banned for two years because of blood doping Friday and will miss the 2010 Vancouver Games.

The International Skating Union said Pechstein's blood profile indicated abnormal changes in a series of tests, in particular after the World Allround Championships in February. The governing body ruled after a two-day hearing.

The 37-year-old skater is a five-time Olympic gold medalist. She is banned until Feb. 9, 2011 and can appeal the decision to the Court of Arbitration for Sport.

Pechstein was stripped of her results in the 500-meter and 3,000-meter races Feb. 7 at the World Allround event, where she finished fifth and fourth, respectively.

Pechstein had hoped to compete in Vancouver for her sixth straight Winter Games. She won her first gold medal in the 5,000 in Lillehammer in 1994, and won at the same distance in Nagano in 1998 and Salt Lake City in 2002. She also won the 3,000 in Salt Lake City and was part of  Germany's winning team in the pursuit in Turin in 2006.

She also won two Olympic silvers and two bronze medals, including a third-place finish in the 5,000 at the 1992 Albertville Games, along with six world championship titles.

Manny Ramirez sneaks back from steroid suspension

As arguably baseball's biggest steroid suspension, Manny Ramirez accomplished an uneventful return to the LA Dodgers lineup on this 4th of July, 2009.  Appears that steroid and PED abuse is so prevalent that a large segment of the population just either doesn't care about cheating the game, or worse even encourages the bloating of players.  From Reuters:

Manny Ramirez made a low key return to the Los Angeles Dodgers line-up after serving a 50-game ban for a doping offense on Friday, the slugger going 0-for-3 during his team's 6-3 win over the San Diego Padres.

Playing for the first time since the suspension was handed out on May 7 for violating the Major League Baseball drug policy, Ramirez brought the Padres home Petco Park to its feet during his first at-bat, a first-inning walk.

The right-hander also grounded out twice and popped out before being replaced in left field by Juan Pierre in the bottom of the sixth.

"It was great. I was nervous at first but it was fine," Ramirez told reporters.

So many athletes abused PEDs and AASs that Ramirez should not become the poster boy for 'roiders; on the other hand it is amazing that baseball gave up a premier player...something the sport could not effect for Sosa, McGwire, and Bonds.

"It was great. I was nervous at first but it was fine," Ramirez told reporters.

"I want to thank my fans. I think they drove from (Los Angeles) just to watch me play and it was unbelievable. This team can do a lot of great things without me. I'm just trying to follow those guys."

With a large contingent of Dodger supporters making their way to the sold-out stadium of 42,217 fans, Ramirez was welcomed warmly for the most part with the applause drowning out the boos.

His much anticipated return included a pre-game news conference in which he apologized to fans and team mates but refused to answer questions about the banned substances that evoked his suspension.

"I don't want to get into (that)," Ramirez told reporters.

"I don't want to talk about my record. I just want to talk about the game. It was tough but it's over.

"I'm moving on."

Manny should move on, but baseball shouldn't.

Boston police involved in steroid scandal

Police everywhere appear to abusing steroids.  New York, Florida, Texas, Phoenix, Cleveland to name a few municipalities.  Now Boston police are involved in a steroid, drugs, and hooker scandal.

Police officers, like everyone else, sometimes behave badly. Eight officers were suspended after a three-year investigation into steroid use by the BPD, FBI and the U.S Attorney. Four other cops were suspended for visiting the "Boom Boom Room", a Hyde Park brothel. The steroid-related suspensions range from 5-80 days. The Herald said Commissioner Ed Davis confirmed a grand jury is investigating the "Boom Boom Room". Extensive details on both matters are available at BPDNews.com. [Boston Herald]

The Boston Herald carries more info:

The stepbrother of murder victim Imette St. Guillen is among seven decorated officers suspended without pay for admitting they previously abused steroids as far back as 2001, Boston Police Commissioner Edward F. Davis somberly announced yesterday.

“There’s an emerging trend in law enforcement regarding the use of steroids,” Davis said in culmination of a three-year internal probe. “Unfortunately, we were on the leading edge of this. Luckily, it’s not very widespread.”

2003 Major League Baseball steroids list: fact or fiction

Apparently a list of 104 players testing positive during the 2003 MLB preliminary steroids testing, surfaced on the net yesterday.  There is no way of knowing the authenticity of such a compilation of names.  It could be fantasy, or it could be a leak -- which did not find outlet through a credible source.

If such a list were available, then why did Senator Mitchell not discover the document during his well-financed, thorough investigation?

Links are found here (Rotoworld) and here (The Big Lead)