Guilty Until Proven Innocent

Pictured above is a sticker from USADA showing a negative test result from my only drug test from this year.  I find it quite interesting that because of a few individuals, countries, and sport teams that every amateur athlete is guilty of doping until proven innocent. 

While I really have no animosity towards USADA or WADA. I really resent being put under more scrutiny then a level 3 Sex Offender. While there is no mercy from JackedUp towards dopers. It is a pity that the current situation penalizes all athletes, not just the ones who cheat. 

Before the 2006 Olympics probably sometime in 2004 I received an obnoxious call from a representative of USADA saying that I was in violation and was going to get a missed test violation.  I was a little perplexed at this point.  First one has to realize that nobody had informed me that I was on a testing protocol. Supposedly USADA sent me a form letter saying that I had to do such and such.  I had not received it.  The US Biathlon Association put me on the list without informing me. They backed down after some exchanges involving many parties.  

Since then I have had to give my whereabouts to USADA 24 hours a day, 365 days of the year. Or face being a convicted Performance Enhancing Drug User.  Now not only do you have to give them your general whereabouts but you need to give them a 1 hour window each day where they can come and get you. If you are not there then you are GUILTY.  

The onus is on the Athlete to not take any substance that includes anything banned. This last time when I got tested I had a Hempberry Protein Supplement additive, luckily Hemp Protein with ground up amazon acai berries is clean.
Ingredients: Organic hemp protein, superberry blend (organic mesquite pods, organic strawberries, organic blueberries, organic raspberries, organic cherries, organic pomegranates, organic Sambazon^® açai, organic goji berries, organic guar gum, inulin from chicory root), organic Fair Trade Certified evaporated cane juice, organic berry flavor.

While there is  no guarantee that there are no banned substances in this product, it seems as if it is clean. Phew. Imagine every thing that you eat, you have to worry about there being an unnamed banned ingredient. Then, Bam your GUILTY of doping. Yes,. Just as much as the athlete who takes steroids or blood dopes.  Bizarre actually.

While I understand that competing in  sports is a privilege not a right. I do not think that Athletes who have not cheated should be subject to any censure on there living.  It really does suck when I get off of work and am driving to Lake Placid or somewhere, then realize "Oh my Gosh Forgot to inform USADA of my whereabouts.". You get this sinking feeling like Oh S@#t now I can get a missed test. This really sucks.

One would surmise that in this day and age that it would be very easy to come up with testing that would catch dopers and not have to make every athlete prove their innocence.  Such things as Hair tests, Buccal scrapings or some other test that they could do periodically that would cover a period of time prior.  Yet the athlete would for all practical purposes would still be guilty until proven innocent. 

What is the point of testing someone such as Lance Armstrong over 30 times in less then 6 months??? Is he guilty of something?? Does Someone have to punish him? What does that mean?? Is there some scientific reason for testing him so much? They have tested me once in the past year. 

Another scary thing about drug testing is that they does not have scientific peer reviewed tests for substances.  The powers that be use new unproven tests to prosecute athletes.  While there is good science behind there tests, some of the tests have been hardly validated or would pass peer revue or hard scientific scrutiny.  The said tests get challenged in a court of law judged by non- scientists.  What about false positives?? Sorry!! There tests are approved by them not  a third party such as the FDA. 

It is very scary to send my urine off for testing knowing that it is going to tested with unvalidated tests that could very well come up with a false positive. Thereby tarnishing my name.

Lets talk about accountability. Recently the NCAA sanctioned a Basketball Team for a Student Athlete whom cheated on the SAT years ago.  They really hit the school hard. Did the school cheat?? Did his Teammates cheat?? Did they have anything to do with it? I think not.

But consider Professional Baseball??

Look at the case of  Alexander Rodriguez . A-Rod currently of the New York Yankees. Is there any accountability??  

Professional baseball should sanction the team he was playing for with  huge fine and  removal of there record for the period mentioned.   He is a role model?? 

Then maybe the Teams would go after him and try to recoup there lost money.

The New York Yankees, with an owner who was a previous vice president for the USOC does not sanction him at all.  Where is there accountability.  Is it all about money?? 

It is crazy. Thats what it is. At the very least A- Rod should be banned from all sports for 2 years.  

I could go on for as long as there is time about past doping allegations and proven cases where the IOC does not go back and correct the Record Book.  

Well in conclusion I continue to do my best to comply with USADA's whereabout protocol and get on with it.

All the People that I have dealt with  USADA have been helpful and nice so far. I understand that they are trying to make sport a better place.  

A great Book to read is Steroid Nation. It is a book about some athletes taking steroids to improve performance.  It is an eye opening inside view on the doping culture.