"The Tour seems to be missing the key component of an affective testing program--transparency."
Rex Hoggard at GolfChannel.com explains why the revelation of Bhavik Patel's PED violation was not only unsatisfactory, but strangely lacking in the primary detail: what PED was used.
Since we learned that information in the Doug Barron case, why not in this one?
Although the Tour’s original PED manual in 2008 stated, "... the PGA Tour will, at a minimum, publish the name of the player, the anti-doping rule violation, and the sanction imposed,” for a performance-enhancing violation, that policy was amended in January 2009 when “the anti-doping violation” wording was removed from the policy.
However subtle the reworded policy may seem, it only serves to further extend a cloak of secrecy that has defined the anti-doping program since its inception.
Geoff
"What's going to be key is a full understanding of the differences, how that impacts a clean player and making sure a clean player has an opportunity to be successful," United States Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) chief Travis Tygart told Reuters. "The WADA code has things like the beta-2s (agonists that are used to treat asthma and other pulmonary disorders) that are going to be different than what the current (PGA Tour) list looks like. "So we are going to have a full and fruitful opportunity to educate those athletes that may fall under our jurisdiction, just like we do with the NBA (National Basketball Association) players who come in to play in the Olympics."
Reader Comments (12)
"Sanctions on players may include:" -- followed by a list of items including 'Ineligibility.' Note the word MAY.
Then: "In applying these sanctions in a particular case, the Program Administrator and the Commissioner’s designee may, except for Drugs of Abuse, look for guidance to International Anti-Doping Standard."
Then, the best part: "In rendering his decision in a particular case, the Commissioner may depart from the sanction guidance in the International Anti-Doping Standards as he deems appropriate in a particular case."
In other words, Finchem can overlook anything he wants to overlook. And, remember baseball's massive suspensions last year didn't come because of drug testing, but rather because of the Biogenesis records. Terez Owens has reported that Finchem has seen the list of golfers that were Biogenesis customers, and that Woods was on that list.
Is it any wonder Vijay is bringing a lawsuit?
[Not to mention, the PGA Tour only tests urine, not blood, which limits what they can discover. And drugs in urine are easily masked by those in the know, such as, oh, I don't know, a certain Canadian doctor unlicensed to practice medicine in the U.S.]
I don't know about the Golf HOF, but wasn't it Nigel Tufnel who said...''If there is still sex and drugs, I guess I can live without the rock and roll.''
WADA dilemna enema.
Lanny said it. Tim selectively does what he darn well pleases, and poor old Doug Barron was a throwdown user, with genune medical need, but the timing was such that Tim needed a patsy.
Go get 'em VJ
:)
Digs +1 "Lanny said it. Tim selectively does what he darn well pleases, and poor old Doug Barron was a throw-down user, with genuine medical need, but the timing was such that Tim needed a patsy."
"Rules? There's no rules in a knife fight. Some one count 1-2-3 go!" Finchem or Butch Cassidy??
Poor Doug Baron.
Digs +1 "Go get 'em VJ "
Digs +1 "Lanny said it. Tim selectively does what he darn well pleases, and poor old Doug Barron was a throw-down user, with genuine medical need, but the timing was such that Tim needed a patsy."
"Rules? There's no rules in a knife fight. Some one count 1-2-3 go!" Finchem or Butch Cassidy??
Poor Doug Baron.
Digs +1 "Go get 'em VJ "