McNair to NFL: Overturn Cushing suspension

WMH · #1 08-08-2010, 07:53 PM

Interesting......I sure hope ole Bob has his salesman hat on.....

From the Chronic: http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/...t/7145062.html

Texans owner Bob McNair is meeting with Roger Goodell on Monday to try to persuade the NFL commissioner to reduce or overturn linebacker Brian Cushing’s four-game suspension.

Cushing was suspended for the first four games this season because he violated the league’s policy against performance enhancing drugs by testing positive for hCG (human chorionic gonadotropin), a banned substance that can be used to mask steroids.

A person with knowledge of Cushing’s situation said McNair will present new evidence to Goodell the owner hopes will shorten or eliminate the suspension that is costing the linebacker games against Indianapolis, Washington, Dallas and the New York Giants.

Goodell suspended Cushing. Goodell also rejected Cushing’s appeal in February.

Cushing, who is able to practice during training camp and play in preseason games, denied using hCG when the suspension was announced. He said he didn’t know how the substance got into his body.

Cushing has convinced his owner. McNair said recently that he backs Cushing and believes he’s innocent. McNair has paid for some of Cushing’s recent tests.

Neither McNair or Cushing could be reached Sunday.

Since his positive test last season, Cushing has traveled around the country visiting specialists, including some in Houston, hoping to find a doctor who can prove hCG was produced naturally in his body.

Cushing’s agent, Tom Condon, said during the offseason that the linebacker started seeing doctors during the Texans’ open date in November and that he would continue to undergo tests to try to prove his innocence.

HCG is a hormone that can be produced naturally in men and women, including in the pituitary gland. It’s produced in pregnant women and has been used for weight loss and to stop the aging process.

ProFootballTalk.com showed in the offseason that the standard letter the league sends to players who test positive for hCG warns them that it can be a sign of tumors and that they should get tested.

Cushing was tested for tumors which can cause testicular cancer. Those tests were negative.

nunusguy · #2 08-08-2010, 08:16 PM

The fact that the commish granted him a hearing might be reason for hope ?
Or maybe it just means nothing more than he's going thru the motions to stay on good terms with one of the owners, basically one of his bosses ?

Arky · #3 08-08-2010, 08:56 PM

Whoa. Great news. McNair must think he has a good case. I'm not gonna believe it gets overturned till I sees it....

dalemurphy · #4 08-09-2010, 01:48 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Arky

Whoa. Great news. McNair must think he has a good case. I'm not gonna believe it gets overturned till I sees it....

I'm extremely excited by this news... here is what we have to say on the subject:

Texans Bull Blog

Nconroe · #5 08-09-2010, 08:09 AM

I agree with appreciating the integrity and good guy principles of Mr. McNair and Texans.

I guess they have enough medical analysis to make it very possible that Cushing did not injest any exta hcg and for sure did not take any steroids.

It is nice to see an owner who will standy up for his players when he believes it is the truth and right thing to do. ( and will help them win if 4 games is reduced)

Fonz the Boss · #6 08-10-2010, 04:38 AM

I hope it gets reduced to 2 games so he can play at home against Dallas.

kravix · #7 08-10-2010, 09:57 AM

While the new medical evidence Cushing has alluded to seems pretty far out there, I am no medical expert and will nto speculate on the validity of it.

As for Mr McNair... He believes Cushing 100% and he must believe in the medical evidence or he would not put his reputation on the line taking this to the League. McNair is not in the buiseness of posturing and showing good faith for his employee's. He may be a shrewed businessman but I dont believe he would invest this much time and effort into something he was not a holistic believer in. And I believe that in itself is reason believe.

Now if it ever comes out that Cushing is flat out lying, we can expect harsh retribution from McNair. I cant believe that Cushing would be dumb enough to deliberately take this as far as it is now knowing what could potentially happen if it was all a charade.

Big Texas · #8 08-10-2010, 01:31 PM

I agree Kravix. For him to be taking it this far must mean:

1) He is a HUGE LIAR!!!!

OR

2) He is telling the truth...

Normally if you know you have done something wrong and you get caught, you will lay low and just hope for things to blow over...Under no circumstance do you continue to argue over it after it no longer is headline news. On the other hand, if your dad is getting ready to punish you for something you know you did not do, you will do any and everything to prove your case. So maybe he didn't do it.

WHO KNOWS...

Fonz the Boss · #9 08-11-2010, 02:57 AM

Didn't Cushing say that the research took months to gather? If the NFL conducts its own investigation then maybe they can lift the 4 game suspension seeing as it will likely take months to gather the medical data.

nunusguy · #10 08-11-2010, 09:45 AM

It seems so unlikely that the league would even reduce this suspension by a single game because wouldn't that be an admission that their testing-program is somehow flawed which would possibly open up the league for untold liabilities, not the least of which could be legal ?
On the other hand McNairs total comittment to Cushing is clearly significant and meaningful and leads one to wonder if there's some real substance and validity to Cushings claims ?

WMH · #11 08-11-2010, 10:18 AM

Personally, I think Bob was setting the stage for when/if this happens again.

If what Cushing is saying is true, which Cusing would be the first person in the history of the world to be diagnosed with "Over-Trained Athlete Syndrome" then he has the history of appeals to avoid a year long extension, which would happen if he tests positive again.

If Cushing is full of $hit, which is the easier thing to believe, same story would apply. He/the Texans have some "medical" data to backup the fact that he is/was using a masking agent.

Football is politics folks, no doubt about it.

Fonz the Boss · #12 08-12-2010, 05:00 AM

If Cushing is full of $h!t I dont think he would be dumb enough to even try that masking agent thing anymore and bring up the medical data as his excuse if he gets busted again. If he serves the 4 game suspension with the so called medical evidence then he will still get a one year suspension for the next infraction anyways..... Not worth it

Joe Joe · #13 08-13-2010, 01:02 AM

Is hCG a masking agent? I thought it was used with steroids to prevent the testicles from shrinking by helping with natural testosterone production post steroid use. I guess it depends on what a steroid test actually tests.

Arky · #14 08-13-2010, 04:28 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Joe Joe

Is hCG a masking agent? I thought it was used with steroids to prevent the testicles from shrinking by helping with natural testosterone production post steroid use. I guess it depends on what a steroid test actually tests.

I think the word "masking" has been misused a lot lately. hCG is more like an "adjuster". It's meant to make the levels "normal" after a cycle of taking steroids. So, yeah, it is indirectly "masking" but it is a real stretch to think of it that way..... The way I understand it, your body would eventually come around (weeks? months?) and normalize after a cycle of taking steroids but the hCG just speeds the process up....

Still a lot of things about this situation that don't make sense or add up - #1 being, why take anything that will get you busted in a banned substance test? Too many particulars being kept from the public right now... For example, what is Mr McNair's evidence? Perhaps we will never know...

I think public opinion thinks he's a guy who tried to beat the system and failed a drug test. I tend to give him the benefit of the doubt - perhaps he's a victim of the system - a hard-training, heavy supplement user whose body betrayed him....

At this point, I think he's just gotta keep his mouth shut and serve the 4 game suspension. Whatever caused him to fail the drug test I don't think happens again....

kravix · #15 08-13-2010, 09:01 AM

Although the league may not overturn this suspension, all of the work and evidence brought forward in this instance may save Cushing a one year suspension next season if he pops again.

If there is a rare legit medical reason why Cush is making extra female hormones in his body it is much better to do some of the leg work now rather than wait till he is sitting out for a year.

Hindsight is 20/20, but I would rather sit here and shake my head at something that seems perposterous now rather than shake my fist and wonder why they didnt do everything possible to ensure a legitimate issue was addressed when it first came up.

Mike · #16 08-19-2010, 11:34 AM

No reduction of the suspension.

http://www.houstontexans.com/news/St...?story_id=6292

Nconroe · #17 08-19-2010, 01:38 PM

Well, I was hoping they had some really convincing medical evidence. Too bad. Not much else to say.

It seems we have some young LB who should do ok during the interim, atleast I hope so.

HPF Bob · #18 08-19-2010, 03:37 PM

It was a longshot. I hope this doesn't stick to McNair for a long time.

NBT · #19 08-20-2010, 12:06 PM

If, as Cushing affirms, the rebuttal to the commish's decision took months to formulate, then the decision to NOT overturn or reduce, sure came back in a hurry. Doesn't seem like due deliberation was given.

edo783 · #20 08-20-2010, 08:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by NBT

If, as Cushing affirms, the rebuttal to the commish's decision took months to formulate, then the decision to NOT overturn or reduce, sure came back in a hurry. Doesn't seem like due deliberation was given.

They just went through the motions. There was never any intent to over turn or even reduce it. That would open a can of worms that Goodell doesn't want to deal with.