The NFL has a huge problem on its hands whether or not any sports journalists care to really report on the matter. For the past several years there have been plenty of signs that the NFL has an out-of-control performance-inhancing drug problem. Erratic on- and off-field behavior, instances of infections, certain kinds of injuries, failed drug tests, suspensions, and drug use have become commonplace over the past three decades, with both big-name players and bench-warmers from every team and at every position being caught for being drug cheats.
On top of the failed drug tests there's the issue of growing and faster professional football players. Guys are getting bigger, quicker and stronger every year. Some experts, like Dr. Charles Yessalis of Penn State University feel that the problem of PED use starts at the college level and that what we know about PED usemis just the tip of the iceberg. Over the past 25 years the average size of NFL linemen has increased by 90 pounds, and Dr. Yessalis and others — myself included — are of the opinion that off-the-field training, nutrition and legal modes of supplementation cannot be given credit for the ever growing NCAA and NFL players.
When you look at the totality of events, the infections, the bizarre conduct, and the failed drug tests, it's hard to make a case that the league doesn't have a bigger PED problem than Major League Baseball. The fact that the public may not care isn't the issue and doesn't change the facts and indications that the NFL is sitting on a powder keg.
The BALCO Laboratory scandal served as notice that there was a coordinated doping effort at the highest levels of sport and kicked off the era that blew baseball's cover with regard to steroid use. As this "Diuretic-gate" story develops, the NFL could be facing their BALCO moment.
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