NFL Collective Bargaining Agreement

The NFL collective bargaining agreement set to expire March 2011, both the NFL Players Association and the league have been in negotiations. Though there are plenty of issues at stake, two are causing contentious negotiations: season expansion and HGH testing.

NFL CBA and Season Expansion

Roger Goodell and other NFL top brass want to expand the season from 16 games to 18 games. To do this, they are proposing to cut the preseason by two games, thus not extending the total months of the season. The NFLPA's stand is that players pay and compensation will have to be adjusted because of the extra season games. Also the manner in which roster are formed will have to as well. It is hard for me to believe the two sides can be too far from this since they both will profit by more regular season games. It sounds like logistic more than anything.

NFL HGH Testing

The NFLPA has long since contested any HGH testing because you must draw blood for the test. They call this a violation of personal privacy. Except for the manner in which they are collected, I am not sure what the difference between bodily fluids such as urine and blood that separates the two from a privacy issue. The player's association seemed to find a new argument recently; HGH testing isn't reliable. This stance is because the player must have taken the drug within 48 hours to be detected in the blood. I don't see the issue since there are many drugs that can only be detected in the urine for 48 hours as well.

Santana Moss HGH

A day after reports that Dr. Anthony Galea was charged with several crimes including smuggling human growth hormone by federal prosecutors, it is now reported who the NFL player was that Dr. Galea's assistant was traveling to see in September.

Santana Moss Injury

While crossing the Peace Brigde into Buffalo, Mary Anne Catalano was arrested in September. At the time of her arrest, she stated that she was on her way to a treat a player in Washington DC. The Buffalo News reported today that the player that was to be treated with HGH was Washington Redskin wide receiver Santana Moss.

Santana Moss Charges or Suspension

According to the newspaper, U.S. Attorney in Buffalo, William J. Hochul Jr, said it is unlikely that any atheletes that were treated by the doctor would face charges.

Hochul said, "At this juncture, any of the persons who are alleged to have used these substances are considered witnesses, and not targets."

But the NFL might not be so forgiving. The Rodney Harrison case set precedent on this matter in 2007. Harrison was suspended for four games after it was found that he admitted to law enforcement official that he used HGH. In that case, NFL security officials were provided access to information by law enforcement. Greg Aiello cited this case when answering question about the current investigation and revelations of possible use by Sanatan Moss.

NFL HGH Testing

The other day Canadian doctor, Anthony Galea, was charged with smuggling human growth hormone (HGH), making false statements for federal officials, conspiracy and unlawfully distributing HGH within the U.S. His clients include Alex Rodriguez, Tiger Woods and unnamed NFL players.

NFL HGH Patients

The lawsuit by the federal government states that Dr. Galea gave three NFL players HGH. Sources close to the case state that he helped treat players with injuries and not to give them a competitive edge. The NFL released a statement saying, "This is an ongoing federal investigation and we have not been informed of the identity of these players." The statement continues to say, "When we have had evidence of illegal purchase, possession, or use of HGH, we have imposed discipline and are fully prepared to do so again if the facts support it."

HGH Testing

There is a test for HGH and the NFL would like to administer it along with the other drug screening; however, the player's union will not accept the terms of the test because it is a blood test. The union's stance is that because the test requires drawing blood that it is too invasive.