OT: Rick Ankiel busted for HGH in same probe

[pats1]

http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=3008363

Report: Cardinals' Ankiel received HGH supply in 2004
ESPN.com news services

Updated: September 7, 2007, 5:43 AM ET

St. Louis Cardinals outfielder Rick Ankiel, who punctuated a storybook comeback from pitching travails by homering twice with 7 RBIs Thursday, joined the list of athletes linked to a Florida-based steroids investigation.

The New York Daily News reported Friday that Ankiel received a 12-month supply of human growth hormone in 2004 from a Florida pharmacy that was part of a national illegal prescription drug-distribution operation, citing records its reporters saw. That Orlando outfit, Signature Pharmacy, has been implicated in a steroids investigation run by Albany County (N.Y.) District Attorney P. David Soares, which has resulted in 22 indictments and several Florida clinic raids.

Ankiel's HGH prescriptions, including Saizen and Genotropin, were signed by Florida physician William Gogan, who provided them through a Palm Beach Gardens clinic called The Health and Rejuvenation Center, or THARC, the newspaper reported.

...

Also linked to the Signature Pharmacy probe, in various reports, are at least 14 professional wrestlers, New England Patriots safety Rodney Harrison (who was suspended four games by the NFL) and Dallas Cowboys coach Wade Wilson (suspended five games).

Daily News sources said more athletes' names are expected to emerge from THARC.

 

[Tyler.Durden]

Good for him. :bricks:

 

[desi-patsfan]

Well there goes the feel good story of baseball.

 

[Deus Irae]

well there goes the feel good story of baseball.

2004+12 months = 2005. This is 2007 so, unless more info comes to light about him using illegal drugs in the past year, I don't see the problem here.

 

[JaredOfNazareth]

Why do these athletes use their real names or addresses?

 

[Mike the Brit]

Why do these athletes use their real names or addresses?

The smart ones don't.

 

[smg93]

Why do these athletes use their real names or addresses?

That's the beauty of the Internet. So many people fervently believe that because they are in front of a keyboard with no one else around, that makes them invisible. We all know that you couldn't be more wrong.

 

[Bill's Girl]

When the Rodney story broke, I think it was BelichickFan who wondered how far reaching this probe would be. He was right, this is just the beginning. I still can't help but think the whole thing stems from WWE.... I read the other day that some doctors are speculating that brain damage from repeated concussions could have been part of the reason for the Chris Benoit situation. It reminded me of when Ted Johnson was arrested for assaulting his wife and she mentioned he had been violent before. He is now blaming his problems on post-concussive syndrome.

 

[frankiesfly]

Troy Glaus (Toronto BlueJays) too.

 

[PatsSteve1]

I believe when Ankiel got the HGH it wasn't yet banned in baseball. I don't know when it was banned in the NFL. Anyway, even if an NFL player got HGH before it was banned, I wonder how the NFL Commish would handle this compared to the MLB commish. Jason Giambi has admitted taking steriods. If an NFL player did that, wouldn't Goodell suspend him?

 

[PatsFanInMaine]

10 WWE wrestlers have been cited in the same investigation.

http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/news/story?id=2998062

 

[Boston Boxer]

Troy Glaus (Toronto BlueJays) too.

I think Glaus' was straight up anabolic steriods, not HGH, but names are coming out of nowhere now. How long before we here Clemens or ARod's name come up.

 

[smg93]

There's a pattern here developing with HGH users. Many of the ones we have heard about were very good athletes who suffered possible career threatening injuries from 2004 to 2005.

The guys mentioned like Rodney and Ankiel have had excellent recoveries. If I am totally bored one day, maybe I'll look into which other athletes fall into a similar category.

 

[primetime]

Our D.A. here in Albany is taking on the world. And winning, too.

 

[BelichickFan]

2004+12 months = 2005. This is 2007 so, unless more info comes to light about him using illegal drugs in the past year, I don't see the problem here.

It depends on what you consider "bad" - breaking the rules or "cheating by taking HGH".

If you consider the breaking of the rules part bad then, yes, there is no problem for Ankiel and Harrison has been rightly suspended.

If you think that Harrison was suspended "for cheating" or taking a substance that was legitimately performance enhancing then Ankiel is just as guilty of taking a drug which gave him an unequal playing field.

I'm in the camp of the former - thanks to the varying degrees of research mentioned here since the Harrison thing, I treat HGH with a shrug. However those who are accusing Rodney of cheating have to look at Ankiel the same way even if baseball hadn't illegalized it at the time.

 

[Bill's Girl]

10 WWE wrestlers have been cited in the same investigation.

http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/news/story?id=2998062

This is what is ticking me off, WWE won't release any names. In this article it was some unknown source who threw out names. I don't get why WWE is so quick to protect these guys while the NFL and MLB have no problem telling the world who is under suspicion or guilty! I assume the NHL will be equally forthcoming when this issue comes knocking on their door too.

 

[jaytee]

It depends on what you consider "bad" - breaking the rules or "cheating by taking HGH".

If you consider the breaking of the rules part bad then, yes, there is no problem for Ankiel and Harrison has been rightly suspended.

If you think that Harrison was suspended "for cheating" or taking a substance that was legitimately performance enhancing then Ankiel is just as guilty of taking a drug which gave him an unequal playing field.

I'm in the camp of the former - thanks to the varying degrees of research mentioned here since the Harrison thing, I treat HGH with a shrug. However those who are accusing Rodney of cheating have to look at Ankiel the same way even if baseball hadn't illegalized it at the time.

if HGH was not banned at the time, then ankiel taking it in 2004 did not give him an "unequal playing field" - any other baseball player could have chosen to take it under the rules at that time, meaning it was an equal playing field and some just chose not to take advantage. the only way it becomes unequal is if it's banned, meaning the average player cannot take it, and a player chooses to break the rule.

 

[jcdavey]

There's a pattern here developing with HGH users. Many of the ones we have heard about were very good athletes who suffered possible career threatening injuries from 2004 to 2005.

The guys mentioned like Rodney and Ankiel have had excellent recoveries. If I am totally bored one day, maybe I'll look into which other athletes fall into a similar category.

drew brees
donovan mcnabb