Cushing out 4 games for Steroids

[barrett]

http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=5172060

Uh-oh.

[Roy P]

http://bleacherreport.com/tb/b42Xb


I wonder if Darryl Sharpton can play the SAM? I bet Jamar Chaney could. ;)

[nunusguy]

Bob McNair was complaining about the lack of national attention for his Texans. I'm thinking he's now gonna get some media, though obviously not the way he probably had in mind.
All the rumors about Cushing in this area - turns out there was fire with all of that smoke. Obviously his entire rookie season with the awards and all is tarnished by this disclosure.

[TexanJedi]

A couple of things, first being no excuses. Whether he took steroids or something on the league's banned list is not clear, many jump to the conclusion that he took steroids. Could be but either way he is tarnished and it hurts the team. Too bad he did not play for the Vikings where the rules seem to not apply. I guess Bentley will take over at Sam and wouldn't you know we have a tough first 4 games. This is great news.:rolleyes:

[Roy P]

I suppose Diles could play the SAM and Marcus Freeman could play the WILL. At least, that's a combo I'd be wanting to see.

Looking at Cushing, I merely assumed he was taking HGH or some other fancy supplement that wouldn't be detected by the steroids test. I thought all of these questions would have been answered before drafting Cushing. That's why I was leaning towards Clay Mathews over Cushing - just seemed like a more legitimate player who didn't use performance enhancing drugs.

We all jumped on the Cushing bandwagon once he started playing well. It just seems out of sequence that we have learned about this issue at this juncture. Did he start AFTER we drafted him? Was it after the regular season?

[Keith]

That's why I was leaning towards Clay Mathews over Cushing - just seemed like a more legitimate player who didn't use performance enhancing drugs.
Tut, I won't say that taking Matthews would have been a poor idea, but not for this reasoning though. Matthews (and Cushing) had the rumors of a failed steriod test at the Combine (both were never confirmed). Matthews sorta came out of nowhere for USC to becoming such a highly sought after prospect; Cushing was more legit in that he was the multi-year starter as I recall.


I'm sure this news probably comes as no surprise, sadly, to A LOT of people. And if it was a surprise to the Texans, then shame on them. I think more than anything the team is going to miss his gameday attitude. DeMeco, Pollard, and yes even you Mario are going to need to be loud and strong from the first snap in Week 1. This first game against the Colts, at home, is so crucial to the team this year.

[Mike]

We will never know what he took or why. For all we know, it could have been something that is on the banned list that he took trying to heal up. Let's not make assumptions.

Whatever it is, this really hurts the team.

[Fonz the Boss]

One thing I dont like is cheaters..... Especially on my fav team. Also, Diles will replace Cushing and Adibi will replace Diles.

[TheMatrix31]

Stupid...stupid....stupid....stupid....STUPID!

[nunusguy]

I had reservations about Cushing from the moment he was drafted, as I would have had for Matthews because I just don't think a team should use such a high pick on a 4-3 LB. And since everyone knew of the rumors about both Cushing & Matthews juicing, I assumed the Texans would easily ascertain if they were for real or not ? Guess not though, because it now appears Rick Smith & crew fumbled the ball badly on checking out this guy.
So is our highest expectation at this point for Cushing that he can just stay on the field and play in a reasonably competant manner, or maybe even just legitimately win the starting SAM job ? I mean without the dope, this guy could be very, very average.

[HPF Bob]

I agree. The concern shouldn't be for the four games he'll miss but what sort of player we'll see when he comes back. Maybe he'll be happy with his fat contract and just coast through the rest of it like he put one over on the NFL.
I hope not but I could see it happening.

[barrett]

Incredibly stupid decision by Cushing.

I also think it is classic revisionist history from everyone saying they had 2nd thoughts on drafting him. I had 2nd thoughts too, but they were about whether he could play. Everyone who had those doubts has been proven wrong. It's sad to try to rewrite that missed call now in the light of this news.

As for whether he can play going forward, who knows. Plenty of guys have been popped for PEDs in the NFL and then played at the same level after without ever testing positive again. Whether they stopped juicing or just got better about the timing/what they were taking, I can't say.

Either way, I'll wait to judge until we see him play again. For one thing I know he made a ton of very instinctual plays all over the field and showed a great football mind that had nothing to do with steroids.

For the Texans' sake, I hope the same guy is on the field for games 5-16 as was on the field last year.

[Blitzwood]

I don't think Cushing is stupid enough to take steroids in the PRO's, I'm of the thinking it was another banned substance like a nutritional supplement or a diuretic of some kind, so until we know further, I'm gonna withhold judgment. Knowing Cushing, he'll probably release a statement where he outlines what he ingested.

As for hindsight, I still think Cushing was the best choice for us last year at our selection as he assimilated into the SAM LB so effortlessly. As someone mentioned earlier, I too would have preferred Jamar Chaney, since I feel he can play all three positions respectably. I thought the Sharpton pick was a reach for a supposed ST's player, but I guess we'll all have to wait and see. There is going to be some serious competition in training camp this year for the LB's and DB's.

[Arky]

Eh, well, I think there's not much anybody can do at this point. I think over time, fans might probably get an idea on exactly what he tested positive for.....

The guy is such a "Spartan" in his eating and training you have to wonder how much he was effected by whatever it was that was in his system.... I guess we'll find out...

I suppose the silver lining is that now he has a better shot at remaining 100% healthy for 12 games instead of 16......

[nunusguy]

For the Texans' sake, I hope the same guy is on the field for games 5-16 as was on the field last year.

I fail to see how we can even hope for that guy since obviously Cushing himself must have thought he couldn't be him without the dope ?

[barrett]

I fail to see how we can even hope for that guy since obviously Cushing himself must have thought he couldn't be him without the dope ?

We can hope for that guy pretty easily.

First, we have no idea what he tested positive for. Second, we have no idea why he took it. Injury recovery is the most common reason guys take steroids in the current pro sports world. It is still clearly cheating, but slightly less on the performance enhancing side. Third, we don't know when he took it and when he didn't.

The bottom line is like I said in my other post. MANY football players get caught using steroids and then play at the same level without ever recording a 2nd positive test. There is not a history of NFL PED busts that would suggest a guy turns into a shell of himself after a positive test. Most continue on with little change.

[nunusguy]

Texans linebacker Brian Cushing issued a statement Saturday about his four-game suspension imposed by the NFL for a violation of its drug policy.

The statement, issued through his agent Tom Condon, reads:
"I was substance-tested randomly by the NFL during the 2009 season. The results of those tests indicated the presence of a non-steroidal banned substance. The League acted to suspend me based on those results, which I challenged in my appeal of the suspension. I believe we presented compelling evidence during the appeal process to challenge the test results, and I disagree with and am disappointed by the suspension. Bound by the decision of the League, I regret the situation it presents to the Texans’ organization, my teammates, and our fans. My dedication to a championship season in 2010 continues undeterred."
Cushing will miss games against Indianapolis, Washington, Dallas and Oakland.
http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/sports/fb/texansfront/6996420.html

[Bigtinylittle]

My guess: they caught him using a masking agent.

Actually, I think a lot of NFL players use steroids. Based on comments I'm seeing on blogs, I must be in the minority.

[HPF Bob]

Cushing doesn't strike me as someone who knows the word "undeterred", much less capable of using it in a sentence. I'm guessing an agent wrote this for him.

[WMH]

Cushing doesn't strike me as someone who knows the word "undeterred", much less capable of using it in a sentence. I'm guessing an agent wrote this for him.

That was some funny shit......

Ya know, as sad as it is, I am not really pissed he was a juicer, I mean really, is anyone THAT surprised by this? I am pissed because we are going to lose him for 4 freaking games.....Indy and Dallas included in that bunch. Personally, I don't buy into the whole role model crap. These dudes bash each other for our entertainment, and are paid EXTREMELY well for doing so. Whatever they do with thier bodies is their business, not mine. Just don't get caught!

Side note - Shawn Merriman (sp) was in the same boat as Cush, busted during his rookie year, and he has turned out OK. My hope is he can find something that is legal to keep that roid rage going.

[Joe Joe]

This just plain sucks. He was the playmaker for the Texans defense. Here's to hoping the Texans find a way to perform like they did late last year without him.

[popanot]

Side note - Shawn Merriman (sp) was in the same boat as Cush, busted during his rookie year, and he has turned out OK.Disagree... Merriman hasn't been the same player since he got popped and the Chargers were shopping him around this offseason. Was his fall off/fall out because of the roids or because he's a jerk?? I don't know for sure, but there was definitely a drop-off in performance after the suspension. The Merriman of today is still probably better than a lot of the LBs in the league, but he's nowhere close to what he used to be.

[WMH]

Disagree... Merriman hasn't been the same player since he got popped and the Chargers were shopping him around this offseason. Was his fall off/fall out because of the roids or because he's a jerk?? I don't know for sure, but there was definitely a drop-off in performance after the suspension. The Merriman of today is still probably better than a lot of the LBs in the league, but he's nowhere close to what he used to be.

No where near where he used to be, but better than most LB's in the league......ok, I'll take that.

Julius Peppers is another that got popped during his rookie year, and he turned out pretty decent too.

Color me optimistic, but I am hopeful that Cush will be that guy we used to know.

[gunn]

Disagree... Merriman hasn't been the same player since he got popped and the Chargers were shopping him around this offseason. Was his fall off/fall out because of the roids or because he's a jerk?? I don't know for sure, but there was definitely a drop-off in performance after the suspension.


Or maybe it was because of knee surgury? But lets not let facts get in the way

[popanot]

Or maybe it was because of knee surgury? But lets not let facts get in the waySo you know for a FACT it was ONLY because of the knee and had absolutely NOTHING to do with him getting off the roids? I'm sure the knee was a factor, but it might not be the ONLY factor. You don't know for sure. I highly doubt it was because of the knee that the Chargers wanted to ship him off. Like I said, it may be he's jerk, it may be the roids, it may be something else... My comment was we don't for sure the cause, but there was a drop-off and he's not the same player he was since he got popped for the roids. Whether it was the roids, knee or whatever, we don't know for sure. We don't know in Merriman's case and we won't know in Cushing's case either until he comes back and plays for awhile absolutely clean.

[Joshua]

According to profootballtalk.com, Cushing's failed test was in September -

http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2010/05/10/cushing-failed-drug-test-in-september/

[nunusguy]

So the NFL knew back then and surely informed the Texans & Cushing of the those results at that time. And he plays all year and wins the DROY & is selected to the PB in part by the players vote. I'd say its gonna be a long time before he gets that vote from the players (or fans) again.
The system is obviously screwed up - punishment should be swift, not deferred.

[kravix]

So the NFL knew back then and surely informed the Texans & Cushing of the those results at that time. And he plays all year and wins the DROY & is selected to the PB in part by the players vote. I'd say its gonna be a long time before he gets that vote from the players (or fans) again.
The system is obviously screwed up - punishment should be swift, not deferred.

I am not 100% on this, but I believe the rules are a player is required to test regularly after the first pop for any substance and only a second positive test gets them immediate punishment.

[gunn]

So you know for a FACT it was ONLY because of the knee and had absolutely NOTHING to do with him getting off the roids? I'm sure the knee was a factor, but it might not be the ONLY factor. You don't know for sure. I highly doubt it was because of the knee that the Chargers wanted to ship him off. Like I said, it may be he's jerk, it may be the roids, it may be something else... My comment was we don't for sure the cause, but there was a drop-off and he's not the same player he was since he got popped for the roids. Whether it was the roids, knee or whatever, we don't know for sure. We don't know in Merriman's case and we won't know in Cushing's case either until he comes back and plays for awhile absolutely clean.

No... The FACT is that he did get injured during the 2007 season and missed nearly all of the 2008 season. He's played a whole 2 seasons since being suspended for steriods. One coming off a major knee surgury and the other directly following the suspension which he had 12.5 sacks in 15 games. I wouldn't exactly call that a drop in production. Did you expect teams to not gameplan against him? Did you expect him to average 17 sacks in 12 games?

[TexanJedi]

I won't defend Cushing's positive test, he says (according to Adam Schefter) it was a blood thinner but if it is against the rules it's wrong. Now what that does I don't know, but he did test positive way back in September. What seems ridiculous to me is the reaction, in particular by the AP, self aggrandizing MMA wannabes who report on football on the side, and internet "journalists". They will now re-vote on the AP DROY and All-Pro for outside linebackers. This conclusion reached after one weekend of evidence gathering. Will they retroactively vote on Merriman's award? How about Peppers? I could care less about the award itself, but at least get all the facts and then fine if you think after that he was wrongly awarded then strip him and give it to the runner-up, but it makes no sense to me to have him remain a candidate and re-vote. If this guy is clean, and I hope he is, he will have one massive chip on his shoulder for the rest of his career. But hey he did 'roids, I read it on the internet.

And as a league we should celebrate rapists, witnesses to double murder who won't "snitch", players who assault women, and hit people with their cars, but if you are popped for anything at all we don't need the facts or particulars you are radioactive. At this rate LT should make the NFL's 100th anniversary team alongside OJ. Perhaps that is a bit much but this whole thing is being blown out all reasonable proportion it seems to me.

[Warren]

I am not 100% on this, but I believe the rules are a player is required to test regularly after the first pop for any substance and only a second positive test gets them immediate punishment.That's how it is for recreational drugs, which is a separate program than the one for performance enhancers. For juicers the first positive test gets four games, the second is eight, etc.

[barrett]

I won't defend Cushing's positive test, he says (according to Adam Schefter) it was a blood thinner but if it is against the rules it's wrong. Now what that does I don't know, but he did test positive way back in September. What seems ridiculous to me is the reaction, in particular by the AP, self aggrandizing MMA wannabes who report on football on the side, and internet "journalists". They will now re-vote on the AP DROY and All-Pro for outside linebackers. This conclusion reached after one weekend of evidence gathering. Will they retroactively vote on Merriman's award? How about Peppers? I could care less about the award itself, but at least get all the facts and then fine if you think after that he was wrongly awarded then strip him and give it to the runner-up, but it makes no sense to me to have him remain a candidate and re-vote. If this guy is clean, and I hope he is, he will have one massive chip on his shoulder for the rest of his career. But hey he did 'roids, I read it on the internet.

And as a league we should celebrate rapists, witnesses to double murder who won't "snitch", players who assault women, and hit people with their cars, but if you are popped for anything at all we don't need the facts or particulars you are radioactive. At this rate LT should make the NFL's 100th anniversary team alongside OJ. Perhaps that is a bit much but this whole thing is being blown out all reasonable proportion it seems to me.

People don't like cheaters. If Cushing cheated (like it appears) then people aren't going to like it. The number of free passes given to felons has nothing to do with it and cannot be used as an excuse for Cushing.

As for evidence gathering and waiting for the facts, he failed the test in September, prepared and gave his appeal, and was denied by the people who considered all of the evidence and his appeal.

So while I am not looking to crucify the guy, don't try to turn him into a martyr for a clear act of cheating.

[TexanJedi]

People don't like cheaters. If Cushing cheated (like it appears) then people aren't going to like it. The number of free passes given to felons has nothing to do with it and cannot be used as an excuse for Cushing.

As for evidence gathering and waiting for the facts, he failed the test in September, prepared and gave his appeal, and was denied by the people who considered all of the evidence and his appeal.

So while I am not looking to crucify the guy, don't try to turn him into a martyr for a clear act of cheating.

Well I never excused Cushing and certainly did not call him a martyr. It ticks me off he took something at some point and got popped for it. I don't like cheaters either don't get me started about McGuire Bonds Sosa. Cushing's penalty is a 4 game suspension, fine. My problem is not with his suspension, though the league should consider a way to speed up the process, I admit we are not privy to the exact nature of the testing and appeals process but getting suspended a year after testing positive seems weird. What I don't like is what the AP, feeling pressured I suppose, is doing at this point. If you feel justified take the award away, after having waited a little more than a weekend to check things out, and give it to the runner up (Byrd in this case).

Again my problem is not with the league per se it's more with some of who cover it and sing the praises of many players who really are less than honorable citizens (to put it kindly) and the rush to judgment and the illogical re-vote in this case. I can't see how Cushing wins a second vote but how does it make any sense to have him remain a candidate if they think he is a cheater?

[popanot]

No... The FACT is that he did get injured during the 2007 season and missed nearly all of the 2008 season. He's played a whole 2 seasons since being suspended for steriods. One coming off a major knee surgury and the other directly following the suspension which he had 12.5 sacks in 15 games. I wouldn't exactly call that a drop in production. Did you expect teams to not gameplan against him? Did you expect him to average 17 sacks in 12 games?4 sacks in 14 games last year. Maybe I should lower my expectations a bit from the 17 sack average... I'm not sure what you don't understand about my comment that it could have been injuries, getting off the roids, Tila Tequila not giving it up, gameplanning or all of the above, but that's one lousy year for a past Pro Bowler and DROY and certainly looks like a drop off in production to me. And like I said, teams weren't exactly jumping at the opportunity to aquire a Pro Bowl LB. I think we would have at least heard some rumors of teams being interested even if SD's asking price was way too high. Anyway, if Cushing comes back and has that sort of production, what do you think people will blame? Gameplanning? I'm obviously hoping the kid is (or gets) clean and comes back as productive as he was. Time will tell.

[nunusguy]

It's my understand that Julius Peppers won the DROY award even though the voters knew he was dirty during his rookie season. OK then will Cushing get the same support for his revote this year ? I seriously doubt it, though there might be more votes for him than we'd expect ?
It was 7 or 8 years ago when Peppers received the award, and attitudes have changed substantially since then. Besides the league and probably also the media don't like the idea of Congress getting into this, which is of course a real possibility in these times.
But bottom line is I'm not optimistic about the player we get back on the field in October and thereafter. You know he'll be clean then or he's out for a whole season from what I understand, and that's just too much to risk ?
And I gotta think he wouldn't have put himself in such peril where he had so much to lose if he didn't have a really important reason to use the dope ?

[Joshua]

If it is true that he tested positive in September, I think it is reasonable to assume that he was not taking any banned substances for the remainder of the season. For one, it would be career suicide which surely he understood. Second, while I'm not positive, I think the amount of testing goes up after a positive result so I would assume the league was testing him more frequently throughout the rest of the season. If so, this is further proof that the player we all saw and loved from October through December was likely clean at that time. Doesn't excuse what he did but does give me some confidence that when a "clean" Cushing comes back in October, he won't have much drop off in production.

That's the only good news I can squeeze out of this. The September positive raises another question though. He tested positive basically his first month with the team. Everyone knew the rumors about Cushing coming out. I'm really surprised the Texans didn't take a very hands-on approach to him and his training regiment to get to know what he was doing and to make sure everything he did complied with the regs. However, it is clear that one of two things happened. Either the Texans didn't monitor his program and grill him about what he was taking or they did and Cushing lied. Neither is very comforting.

[kravix]

Evidently he popped for HCG, evidently reported by Shefter on ESPN. Commonly used at the end of steroid cycles. I’m no doctor but from what I have heard and researched, there is no real reason for him to have taken it.

As for the AP revote on DROY and All Pro. I am fine with it. Peppers, Merriman, and Williams were all voted in by the AP after popping. The difference is that the voters knew about it prior to voting and decided that the drugs weren’t enough of a factor to not vote on them. With Cush, none of the voters knew prior to the vote. As his DROY was almost unanimous, I have a feeling he will retain the DROY and All Pro, just not by the same margin.

Since he popped in September and stayed clean the rest of the season, and yes the NFL ramps up their testing on players who have popped, I have no doubt that he will come back this year and play just as hard and just as well as he did in October-December.

It is kind of sad that people are now shouting their "vindication" about taking Cush over Mathews or anyone else. In December all of these "vindicated" people were as excited as anyone else. The young man made horrible decision, I am disappointed in him but I am not going to write the guy off. I did plenty of stupid things when I was his age, the question is whether or not he learned from this.
It does suck that we are losing this key defensive piece, but on the bright side we will get to see how good our depth is. That is the difference between good teams and great teams, depth. Great teams can pull from their bench and hardly miss a beat. It does not matter if he is out for injury or suspension, we would still be going to the bench. These first four games will be an indicator of how far this team really has come under Kubiak and Smith, as well as an indicator of how good a DC Bush is.

[Joel]

called it.

and you guys pissed all over me.

[Bigtinylittle]

The most interesting thing to me is that Cushing: 1. Apparently took steroids
and 2. The NFL did not detect the steroids because they were not in his system at detectible levels WHEN HE TOOK THE TEST.

As I have written previously, I think a very healthy percentage of NFL players have taken either steroids or HGH during their pro careers. Cushing's mistake was probably being too agressive in his regimen. Which I guess is not surprising, because his whole approach to his diet, etc. is very agressive. So is his play on the field.

[edo783]

From Adam Schefter: (Last line is pretty interesting)

MORE DETAILS IN CUSHING CASE
A source familiar with the Brian Cushing case has revealed more details to ESPN NFL Insider Adam Schefter. A positive test occurred in early September, and Cushing tested negative for any substance twice before he was ever alerted that he had initially tested positive (both within days of the initial positive test). And after being alerted of the positive test Brian was tested randomly numerous times throughout the season and never tested positive. In addition, the test was positive for slightly elevated levels of hCG (a non-steroidal substance - hCG is a hormone produced naturally by the body). The level that he tested positive for was so low that it would not have been considered a "positive" test even a year ago.

[kravix]

From Adam Schefter: (Last line is pretty interesting)

MORE DETAILS IN CUSHING CASE
A source familiar with the Brian Cushing case has revealed more details to ESPN NFL Insider Adam Schefter. A positive test occurred in early September, and Cushing tested negative for any substance twice before he was ever alerted that he had initially tested positive (both within days of the initial positive test). And after being alerted of the positive test Brian was tested randomly numerous times throughout the season and never tested positive. In addition, the test was positive for slightly elevated levels of hCG (a non-steroidal substance - hCG is a hormone produced naturally by the body). The level that he tested positive for was so low that it would not have been considered a "positive" test even a year ago.

wth... two negative tests within days, and then bamm a positive one that is so low it wouldnt have counted last year?

This stinks of either a deficieny of the drug testing or a flat out broken policy.

[barrett]

called it.

and you guys pissed all over me.

Where did you call it? I seem to remember a thread where you made a thinly veiled reference to steroids and then when people got upset you whined about how you never actually said steroids.

So did you call it or not?

Either way I'll congratulate you on predicting Brian Cushing's downfall. You are obviously very proud of yourself.

[nunusguy]

Now Cushing's coverup seems as bad as the crime. Why can't they all be like Andy Pettitte? When he got caught, he admitted it, asked for forgiveness and resumed his career.
Players underestimate how much fans want to forgive them. They want to put them on pedestals. A player enhances his appeal by looking vulnerable and seeking forgiveness.
http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/sports/justice/7001055.html
*************************************
I know most of you guys can't stand Justice, but that just means you're playing right into his hands because he's of course a provocateur.
But I totally agree with his take of what Cushings strategy should have been when he was busted dirty, but I'm guessing the strategy he did use was
based on advise he got from the same guy who told him the dope he was on would be undetectible to league testing.
I've now moved to the place where I'm more interested in the Texans mind set on taking Cushing with their first round pick last year ? Were they just plain incompetant in their efforts to discover he was a doper, or were they more of the same mindset of Cushing himself in the sense that they thought
he could go undetected in testing ? It would be surprising to me if McNair was willing to take him knowing he was a doper and wanting him bad enough even if his use was discovered and revealed ?

[nunusguy]

NEW YORK -- Houston Texans linebacker Brian Cushing has won a revote and will keep The Associated Press NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year award he won in January.

http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=5183620

[Nconroe]

wth... two negative tests within days, and then bamm a positive one that is so low it wouldnt have counted last year?

This stinks of either a deficieny of the drug testing or a flat out broken policy.

And they were likely testing him quite often from the combine on through to now, with only one bleep test result. So, likely he wasn't cheating during the season.

Hcg is not a steroid and it is not illegal, you can buy it over the counter at health food stores. It is sometimes a mask for steroids and sometimes might have a legitmate use, thus on NFL banned list of substances. It can and does appear at low levels naturally in our bodies.

Cushing apparently also passed a lie detector test on this.

I hope it is a big lesson learned for the young man and his career continues very successfully. I think he will be doing well for Texans for many years into the future.

And, I agree with the vote to let him keep his DROY award. It will continue to as a story and suspicions atleast till suspension ends.

Wonder what his next question and answer session with the media will reveal, will he convince everyone he has come clean?

[WMH]

NEW YORK -- Houston Texans linebacker Brian Cushing has won a revote and will keep The Associated Press NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year award he won in January.

http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=5183620

What a colossal waste of time........

But hey, we sure have been in the "news" alot ;)

[Arky]

Seen over in the chron.com comments:

I guess the Texans can use this in their media guide: "Brian Cushing, two time defensive rookie of the year".

:D

[NBT]

So the league thought the Hcg masked the use of steroids, is that it? Because if Hcg is naturally occurring, then how can they suspend on just that? No matter what, I still think Cushing is the best thing that has ever happened to our defense. We need him o0n the field.

[kRocket]

Apparently the league thinks it is a serious offense! Raping a 20 year girl only brings a 4-8 game suspension (probably 6).

[TexanJedi]

So the league thought the Hcg masked the use of steroids, is that it? Because if Hcg is naturally occurring, then how can they suspend on just that? No matter what, I still think Cushing is the best thing that has ever happened to our defense. We need him o0n the field.

Well I am no doctor but from reading so many stories on this, an elevated presence can indicate a substance being used to kick start a testosterone cycle. HcG was detected in very low levels but apparently any detection at all is considered not normal, the reasons range from a health problem or part of a steroid taking regimen or from smoking pot, not to mention the other uncomfortable possibility.

This whole thing was a pointless rush to judgment, the re-vote I mean, Cushing will serve that suspension without pay for this positive test. But why the insistence on doing this so soon? Anyway, there are no winners here: the media, Cushing, the league et al.

What I want to know is how does the test work? Is it one urine test examined once? Is there any accounting for a false positive? Is there any redundancy? That and the year wait for a decision on an appeal is too long. I hope they will come up with a better system, both in terms of accuracy (maybe adopt the blood testing model used by the Olympics but even that is not perfect), and the speed of the appeals and punishment procedures. They can do this in the next CBA but will they? I can't imagine either side willing to budge on this, they will be too busy arguing over money.

[superbowlbound]

I've seen the words "slightly elevated levels" in several articles. I'm curious as to exactly how they establish a baseline for naturally occurring chemicals in the body and exactly how big of a spike there has to be. I was talking with my boss about it yesterday, and she said that her doctor buddy told her that HCG can spike by doing nothing more than having an orgasm. Considering that the increased presence was so minute that it wasn't enough for a positive test last year, this seems like a pretty plausible explanation. He's a young, rich athlete that's also a physical specimen. Dude's ripped. It wouldn't surprise me if the guy gets laid at the gas station. Seems like a plausible explanation to me. Who hasn't gotten laid minutes before heading in to work?

[NBT]

So he says he didn't ingest or inject anything into his body, that he was told the only other way Hcg could show up is by having tumors?

[Big Texas]

I have no reason to defend Cushing other than the fact that I am a Texans fan like everyone else here.

My problem with the numerous people calling 610 and 790 saying that "he's a cheater and needs to own up to it" is that they are blatenly calling him a bold faced liar. Has there been some recent information that has given you that impression that he should not be trusted or taken at his word?

If TO says no I wont be a cancer in your locker room. Then you can be suspicious. But what has Brian done to deserve the attack hes getting besides holding a press conference and telling you something you didn't know. He suspected he had tumors. Uncommon but still possible.

McClain came on the radio today and said that he was tested for tumors regularly. He just did not want it to get out. Whats wrong with that?

I will end it by quoting ND Kalu "If he is a bold face liar, shame on him, but until we find that out we can only take him at his word"

[Arky]

Eh, so he's not the world's greatest public speaker or communicator...

My guess is that he's on a first name basis with the staff at the local GNC, owns a GNC credit card and took something that briefly flashed him positive...

I'm ready to let it go. He will serve his 4 game punishment. The main thing is to never test positive again.... I don't think we will see a drop in his production...

[nunusguy]

I don't think we will see a drop in his production...
I'm sorry, but I gotta call that just what it is which is wishful thinking.
If Cushing (or anybody who uses this stuff) doesn't get a premium for their field performance and/or more durability & resilience from this stuff which they use at great peril (Cushing is out 4 games and out 4 game paydays for his first conviction), why would than even mess with it in the first place ?
The only reason I can think of is that get a big, big benefit in performance.

[barrett]

I'm sorry, but I gotta call that just what it is which is wishful thinking.
If Cushing (or anybody who uses this stuff) doesn't get a premium for their field performance and/or more durability & resilience from this stuff which they use at great peril (Cushing is out 4 games and out 4 game paydays for his first conviction), why would than even mess with it in the first place ?
The only reason I can think of is that get a big, big benefit in performance.


I have already pointed this out a number of times but lets try one more time.

There are plenty of guys who test positive in the NFL for PEDs.

Most continue on with the same performance and don't test positive again. I would guess they are simply more careful on the timing, etc... of what and when they use. But either way it is the case most of the time for guys to go right along like nothing happened.

It is far more rare for guys to test positive and then have a big production dropoff.

And yet you have repeatedly stated as fact, that Brian Cushing will not be anywhere near the player he was before. And your reasoning every time is that he would not have taken it if he was good enough in the first place. But nothing supports your ideas and they aren't rooted in fact. You have no idea what he took (other than the non-ped he was caught with that indicates other PEDs were earlier used), when he took it, what for (injury recovery?), how long he has used, etc... You are just blanketing the whole thing to skip over what you don't know (the details of his use) and ignore what you do know (the overwhelming history that says guys are the same after a positive test as before).

You can hope for him to fail because you don't like cheaters (a reasonable stance for even the most loyal fan, and one I would not disagree with too much), but you can't just state as fact that Cushing will never be the same player again. Nothing supports it.

So I will wait and see what happens when he comes back and I will hope he's the same guy, and while I may be wrong, it is certainly not unsupported wishful thinking.

[Arky]

.... which is wishful thinking.


It's just an opininion based on what I've seen from Cushings work ethic, dedication and style of play. PED use or not, these things won't change.

Barrett makes good points, in fact, one could make a case that he might have better numbers in the future now that he is acquiring NFL experience and is maturing as a player. With Cushing, I think the bigger concern is him staying healthy... I think last year, he was knicked up the whole year... I think if he can stay on the field, the numbers will be there (IMHO, of course)..

[dadmg]

My primary concern with Cushing when we took him was that he was frequently nicked up in college, with an assortment of minor injuries. If he was using steroids to recover from these injuries, and the timing of his positive test (right after his training camp injury) suggests that, than how healthy will he be in the future if he can't rely on steroids to recover? Cushing is plenty talented, but I can still see him being a potential bust if he can't stay on the field.

[nunusguy]

I have already pointed this out a number of times but lets try one more time.

There are plenty of guys who test positive in the NFL for PEDs.

Most continue on with the same performance and don't test positive again. I would guess they are simply more careful on the timing, etc... of what and when they use. But either way it is the case most of the time for guys to go right along like nothing happened.

It is far more rare for guys to test positive and then have a big production dropoff.

And yet you have repeatedly stated as fact, that Brian Cushing will not be anywhere near the player he was before. And your reasoning every time is that he would not have taken it if he was good enough in the first place. But nothing supports your ideas and they aren't rooted in fact. You have no idea what he took (other than the non-ped he was caught with that indicates other PEDs were earlier used), when he took it, what for (injury recovery?), how long he has used, etc... You are just blanketing the whole thing to skip over what you don't know (the details of his use) and ignore what you do know (the overwhelming history that says guys are the same after a positive test as before).

You can hope for him to fail because you don't like cheaters (a reasonable stance for even the most loyal fan, and one I would not disagree with too much), but you can't just state as fact that Cushing will never be the same player again. Nothing supports it.

So I will wait and see what happens when he comes back and I will hope he's the same guy, and while I may be wrong, it is certainly not unsupported wishful thinking.
I'm a big Cushing fan. So is my wife who happens to also be a Cancer survivor (over 5 years now - knock on wood), but when she and I watched his presser together the other day she's like, '"c'mon Cush, stop with the BS about the tumors because with that crap you don't go out and run around a football field and play for a season in the NFL at PB-level". OK ?
And no I don't like cheaters, but certainly neither do I want him to be a cheater. The guy was already one of the most popular players on the Texans roster, if not the single most popular. He was certainly one of my favorite players.
Can't deny that all the reports about Cushing, the rumors, his history aren't
a factor. And then I'm very reluctant to think that the league would pop him with such a severe penalty, especially it being his first infraction, without giving him every opportunity to clear himself, without giving him the benefit of the doubt if innocent ?
But I will continue to be a Cushing fan, which means I will hope he was and does remain clean and continue to play at the level he did in 2009. Got my doubts, but more than anybody I hope I'm wrong.

[barrett]

I'm a big Cushing fan. So is my wife who happens to also be a Cancer survivor (over 5 years now - knock on wood), but when she and I watched his presser together the other day she's like, '"c'mon Cush, stop with the BS about the tumors because with that crap you don't go out and run around a football field and play for a season in the NFL at PB-level". OK ?
And no I don't like cheaters, but certainly neither do I want him to be a cheater. The guy was already one of the most popular players on the Texans roster, if not the single most popular. He was certainly one of my favorite players.
Can't deny that all the reports about Cushing, the rumors, his history aren't
a factor. And then I'm very reluctant to think that the league would pop him with such a severe penalty, especially it being his first infraction, without giving him every opportunity to clear himself, without giving him the benefit of the doubt if innocent ?
But I will continue to be a Cushing fan, which means I will hope he was and does remain clean and continue to play at the level he did in 2009. Got my doubts, but more than anybody I hope I'm wrong.

I agree with you that if there was a chance of him being innocent, he would have come out ok through the appeals process. I don't doubt for an instant he was taking something. I also don't understand why so many fans want to just explain it away simply because he wears a Texans uniform.

My only point is that we have no indicators yet as to what kind of player he is going to be from week 5 onwards. Past steroid cases tell us he should be about the same and I'll hope for the best.

[edo783]

My only point is that we have no indicators yet as to what kind of player he is going to be from week 5 onwards. Past steroid cases tell us he should be about the same and I'll hope for the best.

Actually, I think you do have your answer already. He played nearly the whole season, getting tested very frequently after he tested positive and as the season went on, his play actually improved. Given that, I suspect this next season will see little drop and may actually see improved play as he will more experience and I suspect that he will have more than a small chip on his shoulder to show he is clean and OK.

[barrett]

Actually, I think you do have your answer already. He played nearly the whole season, getting tested very frequently after he tested positive and as the season went on, his play actually improved. Given that, I suspect this next season will see little drop and may actually see improved play as he will more experience and I suspect that he will have more than a small chip on his shoulder to show he is clean and OK.

I don't think you can take his performance in the months after he was using as an indicator of how he will perform after being completely clean for over a year (we assume).

We have no idea the how, why, when, or even what regarding his steroid use. We just know something was there. Now we can wait and see what happens going forward.

Like I said, most guys perform the same before and after a positive test. Hopefully Cushing is like that. I know that his football instincts were a big part of his success last year and those will be unaffected. I am willing to hope for the best and I see no reason not to.

[nunusguy]

Like I said, most guys perform the same before and after a positive test.

Care to provide a couple of examples ?

[NBT]

What about if he actually does have a testicular tumor, and that is what is producing the hCG in the tests? The doc says that kind of tumor is usually very agressive. If he gets tested some more and he actually does have tumors, then he may never play again.

[barrett]

What about if he actually does have a testicular tumor, and that is what is producing the hCG in the tests? The doc says that kind of tumor is usually very agressive. If he gets tested some more and he actually does have tumors, then he may never play again.

But he was informed of the test results in September and would have known shortly there after what they meant. I am assuming he would have been tested immediately after if he truly was not aware of how the result occured.

[barrett]

Care to provide a couple of examples ?

Julius Peppers is an obvious example. He tested positive as a rookie and then went on with no problems after that. Luis Castillo is another. I'd have to look at who has actually tested to list more specific names, but I also can't recall anyone testing positive and then falling off in production in a big way.

I assume that most of the time the guys either were using them for a set purpose the first time (injuries) or they just got better at hiding them in the future. But I can't think of anyone in the 2000s who was an obvious steroid creation who just disappeared after the positive.

[Joel]

shawne merriman.

[nunusguy]

shawne merriman.

Yup, that's very troubling to think his performance and on-field presense might fall off as much as Merrimans did ? Let's face it though, it could be that.

[painekiller]

Yup, that's very troubling to think his performance and on-field presense might fall off as much as Merrimans did ? Let's face it though, it could be that.

Merriman also has a major knee injury. His decline coincided with the positive test and the knee injury.

IMO it's hard to separate the things.

[barrett]

Yup, that's very troubling to think his performance and on-field presense might fall off as much as Merrimans did ? Let's face it though, it could be that.

This is totally false and I don't know where you guys are coming up with this idea.

Merriman before the positive test had 10 sacks and the ROY in 2005. This was the year he tested positive.

Then he sits out 4 games during his 2nd season and still gets 17 sacks in 12 games AFTER the positive test in 2006.

Then he comes back the following year with 12.5 sacks and a career high 68 tackles in 2007. Obviously he had no fall off after his positive test.

THEN HE TEARS UP HIS KNEE. He misses 15 games in 2008. He returns in 2009 and gets just 4 sacks.

You are seriously twisting facts when you claim Merriman fell off after the steroid suspension. He clearly did not and only fell off 3 years later after a blown out knee.

[nunusguy]

This is totally false and I don't know where you guys are coming up with this idea.

Merriman before the positive test had 10 sacks and the ROY in 2005. This was the year he tested positive.

Then he sits out 4 games during his 2nd season and still gets 17 sacks in 12 games AFTER the positive test in 2006.

Then he comes back the following year with 12.5 sacks and a career high 68 tackles in 2007. Obviously he had no fall off after his positive test.

THEN HE TEARS UP HIS KNEE. He misses 15 games in 2008. He returns in 2009 and gets just 4 sacks.

You are seriously twisting facts when you claim Merriman fell off after the steroid suspension. He clearly did not and only fell off 3 years later after a blown out knee.
So you're saying Merrimans dramatic decline in production was due more to a knee injury than his discontinued use of the juice ?
At any rate, one again I hope you're right about Cushings return to 2009 form when he's back on the field ? I know I had reservations about his pick,
but his first year turned out OK (I guess ?), so hopefully I'm wrong again about my expectations for his performance in his second year when he comes off of suspension.

[nunusguy]

No stranger to performance-enhancing drugs himself as an admitted former steroid user during his playing days, former Denver Broncos linebacker Bill Romanowski was critical of suspended Houston Texans linebacker during an interview on SIRIUS radio today.
"Now, as far as Brian Cushing(notes), here's the deal: The only way you can get that substance that he took, hCG, in your body is to inject it, okay?" Romanowski said. "So let's get that clear. So his sob story on TV was, I'm just going to say, was a total lie, okay? … Do you think when he was getting injected in his ass that he didn't know what was going on? Well, bullcrap. Let's get real. Be honest about it, Brian.
"I'm sorry you got caught but be honest about it. What that substance is is a substance from pregnant women's urine and what it does is when you have taken a cycle of steroids it turns your system back on from being shut down. It is very, very common in bodybuilding. That is a bodybuilding supplement, or a bodybuilding drug, where when these bodybuilders go on massive doses of steroids for months at a time, they will take that drug to turn their normal system back on and get it working again."
http://sports.yahoo.com/nfl/news?slug=nfp-romanowski_urges_cushing_to_come_clean_html-2010521