There is no arguing that San Diego Charger linebacker Shawne Merriman is a great defensive player. But there is also no arguing that Merriman failed a NFL mandated steroid test and was suspended for 4 games as a result.
Merriman’s failed test for the steroid Nandrolone is tantamount to cheating and as a result Merriman unfairly affected the outcome of every game in which he played. This is why Jason Taylor is exactly right when he says that recognizing Merriman’s achievements during the season in which he was suspended sends the wrong message.
When confronted with his failed drug test Merriman trotted out the old bromide that’s been used by all the busted steroid cheats; “I failed the test because I unwittingly used a tainted over-the-counter supplement.” Merriman has stated that he can’t name the brand of supplement because “there’s a high, high, high possibility that (he’ll) be going after the manufacturer.”
This is plain nonsense.
Merriman says he failed the drug test due to a tainted supplement that he was taking for over a year and a half, a legal, over-the-counter supplement that anybody could purchase at a health food store. If this supplement caused Merriman to be suspended and lose money - while damaging his professional reputation - there’s no reason that he couldn’t have called a press conference on the very day he found out that he tested positive so he could tell the world the name of the product that ruined his season.
Merriman could have – should have – immediately gone public with the name of this supplement so he could have warned others as to the potential danger that lurks within the supposedly legal, readily-available supplement. Wouldn’t you want to know if you were taking a supplement that might be harmful? Wouldn’t you want to know if your supplement was dosing you with an illegal, anabolic steroid without your knowledge?
Article comments
1 - Zach Baker
I applaud Taylor for saying what he did. But why is there a double-standard for baseball? I don't want to defend baseball, but the media reaction to Merriman has been different than, say, Bonds or McGwire. People still talk about how great he is without saying the obvious: That he cheated, and is perhaps still cheating.
Again, I'm not defending McGwire or Bonds, and baseball has brought a lot of the scrutiny (if not all of it) on itself by not taking action.
But the ho-hum response to Merriman, or rather, the lauding of his abilities, gives me pause.
2 - Zach Baker
I applaud Taylor for saying what he did. But why is there a double-standard for baseball? I don't want to defend baseball, but the media reaction to Merriman has been different than, say, Bonds or McGwire. People still talk about how great he is without saying the obvious: That he cheated, and is perhaps still cheating.
Again, I'm not defending McGwire or Bonds, and baseball has brought a lot of the scrutiny (if not all of it) on itself by not taking action.
But the ho-hum response to Merriman, or rather, the lauding of his abilities, gives me pause.
3 - sal m
zach:
i agree with you.
part of the problem is that there is still a great deal of ignorance in the media as to exactly what these substances are and how much of an impact they have on individuals and the game.
the conspiracy theorist in me says that the use of these drugs is so prevalent and that those that cover the sport and who run the sport are aware of it and treat it as a necessary evil.
i kind of look at it in the same way we look at the speed limit. whether 55 or 65 hardly anyone observes the limit and only those who blatantly speed get caught. it's not exactly the same situation, but close enough.
4 - Matthew T. Sussman
I don't see the big deal -- he's clearly off steroids.
5 - Howard Owens
I'm a life-long Charger fan. I even like Shawn Marriman.
That said -- good post. Best response I've seen, and best explanation of why it's wrong, I've seen.
6 - the haze
There is no such thing as sports anymore. It's entertainment,pure and simple. The blame lies directly on the people who fill the stadiums and arenas and buy the shirts and hats etc,etc.Our society has become an oozing cauldron of chest thumping,in your face, me first, just win baby terminator doll. I could not imagine playing against a T.O. and have him pull one of his stunts. You might as well toss the flag ref cause I'm gonna light his ass up next chance I get if not right then!Your major sports have become no better than pro wrestling with their dumb shit antics,Christ! you have idiots who make a tackle and jump up and beat their chest and their losing the goddamn game! What do think Vince Lombardi would do if one of his players did that? and their reasoning is: the fans want it.Well guess what? Their right! The fans are the culprits,plain and simple. I said it before and I'll say it again,if they ever have a pay per view execution, there wouldn't be an empty seat in the house and the dineros would be spilling over like T.O.'s mouth.What have we become?......where have you gone Joe DiMaggio?
7 - sal m
i like the haze...the haze speaks truth...the haze is quite clear...
8 - Kye
Hey look...stats are stats shawne merriman paid the price for what he did and still leads the league in sacks
9 - sal m
hey look, the benefits that come from steroid use preceeded and last well beyond the length of time that encompasses a four game suspension. anything that he does this year is questionable and his stats are inflated due to his use of nandrolone.
10 - The Haze
Ahhh to be young and insane Kye,and lets not forget all the adoration and money he's makin'.When he's done with his football career he can always do pro wrestling.Now there's a real sport!"our nation turns its lonely eye to you".....
11 - Moe
There are supplements in the market which contain steroid ingredients. Most NFL players take them, but they probably didn't take it repeatedly like Shawne Merriman. You have to admit, Shawne is a powerful guy and I'm sure he works out a few times a week. He wants to be the best linebacker ever to play in the NFL, and he's doing his best to achieve that status. The reason he dropped the appeal is because he put his team first before anything. Jason Taylor, he just said that BS because he was too desperate to become the Defensive Player of the Year. He made them accusations, you know why?? Because Shawne Merriman plays at a level he was unable to reach all his career. Shawne Merriman is on his second year and look at what the man is producing. He played at a similar level his rookie year. Did he get any steroids accusations?? No. So now you hear something, you get so amped and write mess. Think first about the entire situation. If you want to talk about Barry Bonds about steroids, join the millions and talk about him. But Shawne, he's a humble guy and he was just as good as he is now even during his time in Maryland. He's only getting better.
12 - sal m
there certainly are NOT legal suppplements that contain nandrolone - aka Deca Durabolin - which is a substance that is restricted under the Controlled Substances Act.
there is no way a legal, over-the-counter supplement contains an injectable, illegal steroid.
as mentioned above, if this was really the case the FTC and other governmental authorities would remove this product from the shelves and the company responsible for this product would be subject to prosecution.
merriman has not gone public with the name of the supplement because there is no such product, and if he gave the name of a legit product he would likely be sued for making defamatory comments.
13 - The Haze
I like sal m....sal m speaks the truth....sal m is quite clear.
14 - Moe
He doesn't want to call no one out. He's humble. His teammates love him. His fans love him. He's one of a kind, and a stud in the NFL. He was accused of taking an ingredient of steroids, which he likely have gotten from a supplement you can even buy from GNC. My intelligence tells me you're jealous of Shawne Merriman. Don't hate on him, he is probably one of the top 3 LB's in the league. Get over it, and stop writing trash about him. I'll end my note by asking you to think about what he produced throughout his entire career when he was never accused of using steroids. Can I please get a supporter?
15 - sal m
thanks for the comic relief...he's a great player, but he took steroids...he bought nothing at GNC that would get him suspended, and hasn't "called anyone out" because if he did it would start a criminal investigation...accept it.
to point out that someone took steroids and failed a drug test isn't jealousy, it's reality. making this situation sound like an honest mistake on behalf of the player isn't reality, it's fantasy.
16 - 45
It might not be the right way, but who tell me what to do with my body. People do things for a reason. I play football for Henry Clay and at the age of 15, I was thinking about taking steroids. It’s just the pressure to run a 4.5 40 yard dash, and benching 375 for the scout. At the moment I don’t think that I will go to a division 3 our better. So what do I do to give my self the best chance of getting some where? My friend toke steroids. He clocked a 4.9 40, but after one year and 3 month of taking steroids he was clock in at a 4.5 40. And he 280. I want to be the best that I can be, and it’s my last year. I bench 210, squat 315, and my 40 is burly a 5 flat. And I want to play middle line backer for the university of Miami, so what do I do. Get a new upgrade for my computer our just work hard to buy a newer version?
17 - Eli Manning
I wish I could agree that supplements don't have steroids in them , but a test by the NFL did find that 10% of those tested years back did in fact contain banned substances like Nadrolen (sp?)