Shawn Merriman Suspened 4 Games For Using Steroids

[denverpatsfan]

That is bad news. He will be out for the Denver game. We need Denver to drop a couple games in order to help the Pats in their quest for HFA.

 

[SoCal Bong]

Does anyone else think the timing is curious? Why didn't that suspension go into effect 8 hours earlier (than when the media reported it) so he would have been out of yesterday's game?

I guess its possible that they test immediately after the game which is why it was reported last night but I'm guessing that the testing occured well before yesterday's kick off.

 

[BelichickFan]

That is bad news. He will be out for the Denver game. We need Denver to drop a couple games in order to help the Pats in their quest for HFA.

On the other hand we may have to accept Denver ahead of us and hope they knock others off to help us get #2. That stuff is a little unpredictable right now.

 

[ironwasp]

The NFL's doping policy is not an effective deterrent to abuse. A four game ban for the use of steroids is a joke. In most sports worldwide the use of steroids would result in an instant 12 month ban, more or less irrespective of circumstances.

A lot of the stuff I've read on today suggests that this is not even a first offence, in which case it makes the penalty look even more lame. As long as a guy knows he's only going to be off for a few weeks it's going to encourage players to chance their arm.

 

[Bobs My Uncle]

Merriman has appealed his pending suspension. Apparently the league won't hear the appeal until Nov 7 allowing Merriman to play in the next 2 games.

What I don't get is why the heck would it take so long for the league to hear the appeal? Is the league so busy that they need to take 2 weeks to find time to hear this appeal?

The league should do whatever neccessary to immediately determine whether or not one of it's players is cheating and gaining an advantage over his opposition by being juiced-up and not allow him the opportunity to play in another game until he's clean. The fact that the league is knowingly allowing a player who tested positive for steriods to continue to play because of a timeframe lag in an appeal process is ludicrous.

If I were the GM of the team(s) that Merriman plays against while this appeal process takes it's course, I'd be livid.