As the National Football League gears toward a lockout in 2011, a recent development may add another twist to the proceedings when the billionaire owners and millionaire players squabble in the upcoming labor discussions. Earlier this week, British Rugby player, Terry Newton was suspended for two years by the United Kingdom Anti-Doping Authority for testing positive for Human Growth Hormone. That group sounds really serious. I would never want to get pinched by the United Kingdom Anti-Doping Authority. They sound like a mid 90′s wrestling faction. It is a story that has rocked the sports world, unless your name is Gene Upshaw (executive director of the NFL’s Players Association), Demaurice Smith (NFLPA’s executive director) Mark McGwire, Rodney Harrison, or Bud Selig. NFL spokesman, Greg Aiello, said of the developments….”Our position is that testing has advanced to the point where we are taking steps to incorporate it into our program.” HGH has been the performance enhancing drug choice of many athletes, dating back to Lyle Alzado, and it has remained popular because testing programs have not been able to detect it. Until now. The players association will no doubt fight to subject their players to blood testing, but if the test is accurate, why can’t we find out who’s clean, and who’s the Ravishing Rick Rude in cleats?!

Gene Upshaw, not surprisingly, poo pooed the idea of blood testing his players. Why? Because, he knows a good percentage of the monsters that we all watch during football season are juiced to the gills on Sylvester Stallone’s favorite anti aging medicine. “We all know there is no reliable test for HGH,” Gene Upshaw said. “Until a test is developed for HGH, there’s really not an awful lot to talk about. And, when that test is developed, we really believe it should be a urine test. No one is interested in a blood test. We got a lot of big tough guys, but, even they don’t like to be pricked on the finger to give blood.” Gene Upshaw also is Vince McMahon’s lawyer, and a huge WWE supporter. I made that last part up, but judging by his comments you probably would have bought it. That is why Newton’s positive test is big news. The pressure will be on Upshaw and the union to accept HGH testing in the labor discussions because, if they don’t, people will have flashbacks of Donald Fehr and the baseball players union  rejecting testing in baseball for so long. I’ve already prepared myself that there will not be NFL football in 2011. It’s going to happen, so prepare yourselves. I also have a feeling that after talks about revenue sharing (players currently get 60% of all revenue. That will change), expanding the season to 18 games, and how bigger market teams earn more of the broadcasting and marketing dollars compared to smaller market teams, there will be a huge fight on the implementing of blood testing for HGH. The union better be careful how they handle that situation.

Too many NFL players nowadays are looking more and more like Rocky and Drago.

Of course, Upshaw is saying wait for a urine test. By the time a successful urine test is found, the chemists will have another way for athletes to get around testing. Upshaw’s stance is similar to baseball’s biggest douche, Bud Selig. Selig may have the look of your black sheep relative, but he knew exactly what was going on during baseball’s resurgence post strike in 1994. Sure, Selig is now eyeing HGH testing in the minor leagues, but that is only to get Congress off his back and bide time for his players to get the heads up as to what’s coming. Newton’s positive test is a major breakthrough for those of us who loves finding out which athletes are cheating their way to premium success. The common response towards HGH in the NFL  has been “It’s football, who cares what they are taking. I love seeing the collisions, the speed, the power, and the balloon-headed meat sticks who can barely fit their helmets on their heads.” Again, I made that last part up, but if you’ve seen James Harrison lately, you know what I’m talking about. I have always said I want to find out as many ofn the baseball players who have cheated, just so I know what was really going on. If I’m doing it for baseball, why not football? I have a fear that the list might dwarf that of the supposed 104 MLB players that tested positive in 2003. It got me to thinking, what if the NFL did start blood testing it’s players for HGH, and one of my favorite players tested positive? How would I feel?

I'd be extremely pissed if the 49ers Patrick Willis was ever found guilty of using HGH. I want the proper testing in the NFL, but I fear the results.

The 49ers Patrick Willis has become one of my favorite football players in the NFL. If there was blood testing done, and he or Vernon Davis were found to have used HGH I’d be mad as hell. We like to love the favorite players on our teams, but much like knowing that Sammy Sosa was hyped up on much more than Flintstone vitamins all of those years, it’s always a punch to the stomach. We want to believe in guys, and I believe Willis is clean. He has dominated the league since entering 3 years ago (leading the NFL in tackles twice and making 3 Pro-Bowls), and he keeps getting better. I believe in him because of his ridiculously strong work ethic, and his pure God given ability. 49ers coach, Mike Singletary, said of Willis “I’ve coached two of the greatest linebackers–one that has proven to be one of the greatest (Ray Lewis) and one who will prove to be.” Unfortunately, thanks to guys like Sosa, McGwire, the entire 70′s Steelers teams, Lyle Alzado, Rodney Harrison, Barry Bonds, Rashard Lewis, and who knows who else, we are forced to look at everyone with question marks.

Ultimately, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell, will get his way and there will be testing for HGH in the most popular sport in America. I think it’s a good thing because I want to know what I’m watching is legit. Pretty much everything that has happened in my lifetime in Major League Baseball is a crock because of performance enhancing drugs. I don’t want football to turn out the same way. The union will fight it, Gene Upshaw will try and put Goodell in a sleeper hold, but, in the end, there will be testing for so many athletes favorite drug. I’m happy about it………..I’m just afraid to see the results.