25 August 2011 / AP, NEW YORK
The NFL and the players’ union remain at an impasse on HGH testing with just two weeks remaining before the season kicks off.
NFL lead counsel Jeff Pash told The Associated Press on Wednesday that the World Anti-Doping Agency, which would conduct the testing, “demonstrated to our satisfaction that there is very sound science and very thoughtful testing protocols” during a meeting in Montreal. But a person familiar with the talks said the union was not satisfied with WADA’s information on the procedures it uses and the reliability of the blood test. WADA handles drug testing for the Olympics and is accepted as the gold standard for worldwide anti-doping testing. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because the talks were supposed to be confidential. The NFL would be the first of the major American professional sports leagues to implement human growth hormone testing. Such testing was included in the new collective bargaining agreement but implementation was contingent upon the union’s approval of the test and an appeals process. The union has said it favors eliminating anything that gives a player an unfair advantage over another, but won’t sign off on any testing policy it doesn’t feel comfortable with, the person said.
