HGH testing not imminent for NFL

Howard Simmons/New York Daily News

Giants' union rep Zak DeOssie says an agreement for HGH testing probably won't happen for another two years.

With Major League Baseball poised to take a dramatic step in its long war against performance-enhancing drugs, the NFL is still battling its players union over testing for human growth hormone, something the sides agreed to in principle two years ago. Since then, talks over specifics have dragged on, and the NFL Players? Association has often been painted as a roadblock.

That, said Giants union rep Zak DeOssie, couldn?t be further from the truth.

?That?s a huge misconception,? DeOssie told the Daily News on Sunday. ?We?ll do whatever they need and we are totally on board in giving our blood (for HGH testing). But we need to know that we have the best people testing it, that there?s no false positives.

?These are legitimate concerns with respect to our livelihood, so what?s the harm in us asking for the best and a mutually agreed upon standard??

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At the moment there is no agreement on that standard, even though the NFL and the NFLPA included HGH testing in the collective bargaining agreement they signed back in 2011. The two sides have agreed to test every player this summer ? a ?population study? ? to establish a ?normal? level of HGH for NFL players and are ?in active discussions . . . on a full resolution of any remaining issues,? an NFL spokesman said.

One of the issues, the league said, is the ?role? of the population study, which was insisted upon by the NFLPA and has been blasted by some experts as a stall tactic ? including David Howman, the chief of the World Anti-Doping Agency, who called the NFLPA?s position ?extremist? back in March.

DeOssie said the NFLPA is not stalling, but he believes any agreement on testing and discipline ?probably won?t happen for another two years.? He said the union considers HGH testing ?a good thing,? but wants to make sure it?s done the right way and that the players who aren?t using PEDs are protected.

?There?s no room for cheating in this game,? said DeOssie, the Giants? long-snapper and a seven-year veteran. ?And we?re happy we are moving forward. We are also happy that the league has decided to take a sample testing from every single player to get the most accurate blood sample regarding HGH testing for our workforce. Do we think it?s going to happen this year? No. It probably won?t happen for another two years. There?s still a lot more standards out there that have to be established and that we have to mutually agree upon.

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?But we?re willing to do whatever tests we need ? as long as it?s fair and the guidelines are clear.?

Several Giants were strongly in favor of HGH testing, but agreed there are details that still need to be worked out.

?I?m all for making the game as clean as possible,? said guard Chris Snee. ?As long as they find the right way. I heard they wanted to do (blood-testing) on game days, and that?s the last thing I want to think about ? getting my blood taken ? on game days. But I?m sure they?ll come up with an agreement. I?m all for making this game clean.?

DeOssie said the back-and-forth on the subject between the NFL and NFLPA is ?just a game we play? and he assured that when it comes to eliminating all PEDs from football, the players are fully on board.

?I don?t feel any push-back from our players about adopting this new HGH testing,? DeOssie said. ?We want it. We want the cheating out of the game.?

Source: http://feeds.nydailynews.com/~r/nydnrss/sports/football/~3/6zpLEkSzH68/story01.htm

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