College Steroid Testing - Its about Time!

If this indeed occurs, testing, I appauld this decision and think it is about time.....Doing testing might be the thing that saves a young person's life down the road and it will help to even out a playing field that is currently a lopsided situation due to steriod use.

Good idea. Let's all continue to contribute to the reduction of privacy rights of U.S. citizens by submitting to drug tests without cause. Amendment 4 of the Bill of Rights protects us from unreasonable searches of our bodies & property. Without cause (evidence) I suggest that we not engage in this practice.

I feel that a student athlete, on scholorship, is equal to an employee of that institution. The school/university/college is spending money so that the student plays and represents their school in a manner befitting that institution. I personally feel the institution has every right to test these students because it is their right as an employee and drug/steroid use can also become a huge liability for the school as well as to the athlete...........

So,,,,,,,,,,with that being said dbg_fan are you also against drug testing in the workplace?????

One more comment on this subject:
I believe that testing should not be feared unless there is reason to be feared.....so bring on the tests...................

Link that might be of interest:

http://www.taylorhooton.org/index.asp

I'm with you on this one OBN... I am certainly pro ACLU and cringe whenever I hear of infringement upon our civil liberties; however, if a college is paying for one's education, I feel they have the right to test. Also, I am sure that the colleges will word the scholarships so that the student will consent to be tested if he/she accepts the funds.

Good idea, IMHO...

IT IS ABOUT TIME !!!!!!! I know I am not the only one whom feels this way. I too am also sick and tired of the playing fiels not being fair because of the JUICE. Face it, SCOUTS first appealing feature on a young athlete is his size. While others that are doing it the hard way ( the right way) go un noticed. I understand that if they have what it takes they will get the looks BUT not at first... heads turn the other direction in alot of areas.. because of ENHANCED SIZE. Sometimes I think we say screw ability ... LOOK AT THE SIZE OF THAT KID. Shame on us!!!

quote:

So,,,,,,,,,,with that being said dbg_fan are you also against drug testing in the workplace?

Without cause? Yes. And I will not submit to them.

The scenario you describe & support above does not affect the safety of the general population, so mandatory testing here is simply an intrusion of privacy.

BTW, your student athlete is NOT even close to being on par with a university employee. NCAA regulations spell that out pretty clearly. Another example is the difference in meal per diem when the team travels. Coaching & SID staff eats a little better than the team does, sometimes.

momandcpa and surething,
I ditto your sentiments....

dbg_fan: I would think that since a student athlete is getting paid to play it is much like an employee, it is an analogy.

Ok, on the workplace and testing so you are saying that if you don't think there is a just cause a company has no right to have testing in place.........SCARY as I have known several people that can hide alcohol and drug use very well and due to that fact there would be no way a business/coach would ever know they were under the influence unless they had been tested.

Now, that scares me because I would hope that in some/most of the businesses that I am putting my personal safety in their hands that those companies/businesses mandate/use testing on each and every employee whether it is random or regular, i.e. the airlines, medical field, mass transit of any kind, restaurants, theme park employess are just a few I can name....I wouldn't want to think that it had to be just "if we think you might be under the influence" I would rather it be you better not even think about it because we test and that is our checks/balance. You want the job or not???? Because there are others out there that are wanting this job or this position on the team that are willing to do it clean and are willing to be tested.

And don't forget that companies have to protect themselves as well it is a little thing called "liability". They are paying the salary, they become the checks/balance in this case and they are protecting their own bu--s and hopefully in turn it protects me from an unsafe/unhealthy situation like an accident or Hep. C....

I don't even believe scholarship money has to be involved. When you seek to be part of a group or team, then it is reasonable to expect to encounter a set of rules. It is then your decision to make as to whether or not you can accept and abide by those rules. It is your choice - you don't have to do it. You are free to take your ball, go home and enjoy your privacy. Someone else (substance free) will be thrilled to step up and take your place.

redhead:
right on!

dbg-fan Can't decide if you are a using athlete or just feel very strongly about your RIGHTs.. Doesn't make much difference in what i am about to say.... ARE YOU NUTS?? How can you say it doesn't affect the safety of population... Lets say littlt jimmy is all juiced up and he and little Bobby are riding to game together and well Little Jimmy 's heart explodes from the Juice........ I'll stop there... don't need to mention the others on the same HWy that may be lose a mother ,father child because of the accident......... THIS **** IS ILLEGAL FOR A REASON !!!It greatly affect our population !!!

Train ~ Does your 'good source' know where this information is documented or is it still in the works?

I'm with OBN, Mom, Red, and surething on this one. If the testing was going to be done on the random athlete roaming the parks I could see where dbg's infringement of rights were being violated, but if Train's statement is/becomes valid, then kudos to the powers that be.

Seems to me, the only reason an athlete wouldn't want to be tested would be because they are USERS not because it's against their constitutional rights. The athletes that are being drafted/signed are excited about their opportunities. They're ready to play ball. If they're clean, then being tested is nothing to them. JMO.

collikar

also send me a PM on how your summer is going, hopefully all is well and much success has been the norm.

I would expect all of you to support a national law that restricts the ignition system of your automobiles to disable the starter in your engine until you have passed a breathalyzer test attached to the ignition system in your vehicle. Test everyone all the time. There is no reasonable cause for this search. 99% of us drive legally with a blood alcohol content of zero. It is just the right thing to do. (BTW, these systems exist. They are used in NM in vehicles owned by citizens convicted of DUI.)

We (myself included) all feel very strongly about eliminating steroids & other illegal performance enhancing substances from athletics. It is my opinion that unwarranted searches is not the proper approach to a solution.

Consider the legal precedent you are agreeing to set. Using this policy as precedent, what is the next item of privacy that you'll be asked to reveal? Shall we register our local IP addresses with state & federal authorities and install web monitoring software that registers each & every site we visit with a centralized federal server? Shall we submit records of the phone numbers of dialed and received calls on our home phones to federal authorities under the guise of homeland security? Oh wait - we already do that!

Thanks for your contribution Mr. Gore.

You have the same view as most who are not living by the rules. Everything is a right. Congratulations.

Now talk baseball or go watch CNN.

There is no compliance without consequence.
How do we find out? Do we trust that they will be honest with us like Bonds, McGwire and Giambi?

IMO this will not be the definitive answer to the epidemic as testing is currently too sporadic and easily beatable. The players do certain cycles of the steroids; they can complete a cycle, reap the physical rewards and still flush the traces from their system over 2-6 months.

The pros and colleges need to adopt a zero tolerance attitude toward this problem in a uniform manner. Right now drug/steroid testing goes on at many DI schools but do they test the big-time athletes? Not usually. It's the walk-ons and redshirts that undergo most of the random testing and those guys know it's coming.

There needs to be some teeth in the consquences and it needs to be evenly distributed across the board. I am not educated on this new suggestion of testing before scholarship but until I see otherwise I would have to assume it's just another patch to placate the masses - but it's better than nothing.

You do not have a right to play D1 baseball. If you choose to play, then submit to a test. You never have to take the test and you can exercise your rights -- don't play.

The real problem is kids getting caught even with testing. I hear if the kid takes water based steroids (not oil based), work out with them in the off-season and stop taking them 6 weeks before testing they won't show up. Is this right? Can the test be beaten? Anyone out there know for sure?

This was too good to pass on. First I want to thank each participant for the passion of this thread. That is why this country is a great place to live.

DBG – I like the balance you bring to the table of not letting big brother get too big. He is big enough from a privacy stance and we are stuck with the tab of paying for it.

On the other hands, rules are rules. The problem is the rule and the ability to enforce the rule. Do you remember when Barney pulled you over for doing 65 in 55 and said he was doing it for your safety? The rule existed and he had the ability to enforce it. Now you can freely drive 65. I want my money back. Just kidding.

The key here is a rule has been set to disallow the use of steroids. I believe it is in the athlete’s best interest not to partake. Without the ability to test is like taking away all of the radar guns and expecting Barney to figure a way to prove if you were a little too fast.

No one is forcing anyone to do anything. When I took my current job, I had to pass a drug test. Nobody forced me to take this job and nobody forced me to take a drug test. If I did not want to take the test, I could seek employment somewhere else. If all are in agreement that juice is bad then non-discriminatory mandatory testing should be a piece of cake.

We do not let kids graduate from high school unless they pass a standardized test because it is in the students best interest to prove a) the student has a baseline education and b) the teachers are teaching to a set level of standards.

Testing is a way of life. In this case, it is a ticket for admission to the show.

Collikar...source seems to be right on with many things that have happend. In fact, he was the one that first told me Matlock was coming back to HS baseball which I told him to submit to a drug test!!

dbg_fan....its time for this change and if your not for it keep taking the roids because eventually you will be caught.

Van...I love your man. Did you vote for GORE?

I just wish all pro sports would stop giving 2nd, 3rd, 4th chances to pro athletes. Look at the LB for the Bengals (I believe) that was suspended for only 4 games for using an illegal substance to enhance his body. Is 4 games really that bad? I cant wait to hear who else Canseco added to the list of users. I am sure everyone heard that Steve Howe died with amphetamines in his body during his accident. IF MLB would have helped that guy he might have been alive today. Giving 7 chances IMO is not helping.

DBAT GM...why not speak to all the other great Texas summer baseball programs and start a mandatory steroid testing program before or during the season and set standards that other states might follow? If we do it now...I am afraid we will ruin some careers for 06ers and 07's.

quote:

Originally posted by Train:
DBAT GM...why not speak to all the other great Texas summer baseball programs and start a mandatory steroid testing program before or during the season and set standards that other states might follow? If we do it now...I am afraid we will ruin some careers for 06ers and 07's.

Although there are many that start using in HS (IMO more prevalent in football) most baseball players start post-HS under the pressures that seem to escalate in college ball. The cost of testing by summer programs like select baseball, AAU basketball or 7-on-7 football does not seem cost effective nor would there be any uniform manner of testing without regular policing by a governing body.

Now, if some non-profit business or organization stepped up that provides testing for athletes there might could be some way to get amateur sports organizations involved. A tall order to be sure without a specific governing body but not impossible.


By the way Train....will you be at the Tigers 17-DBAT 18 game tonight @ Kelly? Would love to put a face with a name. Stop by the dugout and say hello - might even buy you a hotdog!!!

quote:

Van...I love your man. Did you vote for GORE?

No Train. I had a write in vote for Ingram.

I will even admit that I agree with you. How's that?

FanOGame and baseballpapa make the most convincing argument supporting controlled substance testing as a prerequisite for participation in college athletics. As stated by baseballpapa, playing a school sponsored sport is not a right; it is a privilege. As the governing body for (some) college athletics, the NCAA can institute a policy requiring blood/urine tests to screen for banned substances.

This is a slippery slope down an increasingly steep hill. What are the testing authorities obligated to report? To whom are the results to be reported? HIPAA legislates the privacy of patient information. The same government that may legislate the requirements of controlled substance testing among professional and college athletes is not legally allowed to publish the results of the tests they perform!

Suppose that chemical evidence of illegal substances known to impair athletic performance are found in one of these tests. Are the testing authorities obligated to inform law enforcement? If consumption of this substance qualifies your student athlete for dismissal from school, is the school allowed to review these tests and apply the results as evidence against the student? And if the NCAA & colleges can insist that athletes must submit to these tests, why are other students not required to submit to tests for illegal substances, or for the overindulgence of legal substances?

This is not as narrow a topic of discussion as you all want it to be.

Coach V - the politically aware will recognize my opinions in matters surrounding personal privacy and constitutional rights as opinions influenced by conservative political discourse, not by Gore liberalism.

Let me know what ya'll think about it after your son suffers the indignity of someone watching him piss in a cup.............

And, my advice is to learn what drugs the tests are designed to detect.

One test does not detect all illegal drugs.

And, one fact noted on the NCAA.org site is that of about 10,000 tests that were performed, only about 100 tested athletes tested positive.

Your are all willing to test my or someone elses son.

I'd like to know the results of your son's test......

And, dbg, I appreciate your perspective, a lonely position, anymore....

The average cost (according to House Bill 861) of a steroid test is $105 per test. Why not institute it as a lab fee just like any other college program currently has, and charge the student?

It's voluntary, but required to take the "class"

It is not required prior to admission, but could be paid for at semester registration, and given twice during the year, at a randomly selected time.

It could be added to student loans, for those needing the financial assistance.

As a parent of a college age student athlete, I know I have paid for labs, books, and required materials for other college courses, without complaint.

As a parent of a college age baseball player, I have paid more for a glove, and/or bat, than the cost of one year's worth of 'steroid lab' fees.

My right to swing my arm ends where your nose begins. Your right to a private body metabolism ends where the foul line begins.

JMHO.

As far as the "indignity" of submitting to a urine test - well, my son (now 17) took about 8 of them last year in high school. He was randomly chosen and passed every test. In fact, those administering the test do not stand and watch you go. They are outside the stall with you on the inside. He is extremely modest and quiet in a crowd, and yet he was not permanently damaged by the testing. I can tell you that after giving birth three times, you really understand what it means to have your privacy invaded - just the same - I was happy to have my OB-GYN on the receiving end.

quote:

my son (now 17) took about 8 of them last year in high school.

Frankly, you should be indignant about that.

It was a random selection - he has nothing to hide. I see no reason for being indignant. There are topics of much greater gravity in this world that get me fired up.

I can't believe, WE as adults are even having to explain why we feel this should be a mandatory testing............... How many of our boys and girls are going to be making a living from baseball or any sport for that matter? Isn't their health future health the upmost of importants? I could right a book on the problems steriod use causes for the one using, the team mates of the one using , the family of the one using and the innocent that are affected by ones use. It is not fair, not healthy and just plain AGAINST THE LAW!!!!! why would any parent that loves their child allow such a thing? Oh wait don't tell me parents don't know.... You don't have a child that is 145 his entire high school years and then one day 2-3 months later he is a giant..... PARENTS WE MUST QUIT TURNING OUR HEADS and thinking little Jimmy is working out and it just took 4 years for him to blossom. Maybe if we try to start thinking about more about their health and happiness and less about what scout is going to call us we will have a much better future in sports. HARD WORK, SELF DICIPLINE and HEART is all you need.

quote:

Originally posted by surething:
I could right a book ...

Not without an editor.

quote:

Originally posted by Iscream:

quote:

Originally posted by surething:
I could right a book ...

Not without an editor.

That's a good one! lol

I think one of the big problems in this world is all the people who think they have "rights". I'm tired of hearing about our "rights".

OK, there!

How many of you baseball parents, coaches, fans, etc. drank a few in the parking lot after a game.... had a few too many as your players looked on .... then you got in your automobiles and drove "legally" drunk?

And you all are wondering why kids "decide" to use "drugs"?? Take a look in the mirror, folks!

(No smiley face on this one.)