Lawyer: 3 Saints took no steroids

Lawyer: 3 Saints took no steroids

NEW YORK — The lawyer for three New Orleans Saints players facing suspension said Wednesday the NFL’s independent drug adminstrator acknowledged he did not inform NFL players that the supplement StarCaps contained a banned diuretic.

During the players’ appeals hearing, attorney David Cornwell said that Dr. John Lombardo’s testimony proved none of his clients — Deuce McAllister, Will Smith or Charles Grant — took steroids.

Cornwell said in an e-mail that Lombardo testified he learned in late 2006 that StarCaps contained Bumetanide, a diuretic considered a masking agent for steroids. Lombardo’s reasoning, according to Cornwell, is that “he feared that a specific warning regarding StarCaps could be used as a defense to alleged violations of the steroid policy that involved weight reduction products other than StarCaps.”

The league said the hearing was confidential.

“Public comments during the process are totally inappropriate,” NFL spokesman Greg Aiello said. “We will continue to respect the program’s required confidentiality until there is a resolution.”

McAllister, Grant and Smith are among several players identified as facing suspension after testing positive for Bumetanide. Others include defensive tackle Grady Jackson of Atlanta and defensive tackles Pat and Kevin Williams of Minnesota. The Williams’ will have their appeal heard today.

Cornwell said Lombardo’s failure to disclose that Bumetanide was in StarCaps “may have exposed NFL players to the significant health risks associated with the unintentional ingestion of diuretics.”

“If Dr. Lombardo had notified NFL players that StarCaps contained Bumetanide, Will, Deuce and Charles would have never used the product to lose weight,” Cornwell said.


2theadvocate.com | Saints | Lawyer: 3 Saints took no steroids — Baton Rouge, LA

Sounds like Dr. Lombardo is the one who needs to be suspended to me. Poor Poor Dr. John

Sounds like some bull**** to me.

The players really should win this one, but I doubt that will happen. The NFL really doesn't want players to use enhancements, and I doubt even with all of the evidence presented that they will back down. This case does not have the appearance that anyone was trying to cheat, but we all know the NFL is trying to secure some type of integrity, so they will probably not back down. If the NFL does back down it really does open up the possibility of snowballing into a situation where future issues could be overturned on technicalities, perhaps reversing all the hard work that the NFL has done to keep their league substance free. I guess what I am trying to say is the NFL should go ahead and suspend the players, even though it's obviously unfair. I really wish players would understand that they need to not take anything, just work out with weights, go jogging, or whatever.

When will they find out if there is a suspension.