The Audacity of Dope

by TaylorTRoom on Aug 10, 2010 10:51 AM CDT in Texas Longhorns and Other Football

So, now Brian Cushing is claiming that he "overtrained", which led to his positive test for a substance typically used to mask PED use.

This is the same positive test he was jeered for last spring, when he claimed that a cancerous tumor was the cause. All he is asking for is the benefit of the doubt. After all, the tests didn’t reveal steroids, just a substance generally used by steroids users to spur natural testosterone production after the steroid use signals the body to stop producing it. He promises he will never test positive again (I believe him on that).

Why can’t everybody forgive and forget?

We can’t because we know he’s probably lying. Forget the facts under discussion, which indicate he is guilty of PED use, even though there may be enough of a doubt to avoid a conviction. Just pay attention to how he presents his message.

He is carefully controlling the media contacts, and not taking questions, using the cop out, "My attorney won’t let me address that, but we will provide all the info when we have our day in court". If he really had exonerating info, don’t you think he would show it to the world? The media lets athletes get away with this, because they don’t want to jeopardize relationships.

Here’s a more blatant example of athletes talking around an uncomfortable subject to avoid addressing it. Recently, Reggie Bush was asked about the USC sanctions, and he said, "I believe that there's a lot of untold truth to this matter, there's a lot of fabricated lies to this matter, but it is what it is and I can't sit here and cry about it. I can't sit here and make up excuses," Bush said. "Ultimately, it's a responsibility that's placed on USC and my shoulders. It's because of me. So all I can do is continue to try to help them and move forward with the situation.

"God works in mysterious ways and at the end of the day I think this, too, shall pass and hopefully we can grow stronger from this."

http://www.tsn.ca/ncaa/story/?id=324804

Know what you can do, Reggie? You can tell us that "untold truth". You can have a press conference and open it up to all questions. Whatever "untold truth" is out there, you know what it is. As a matter of fact, nobody is a better expert on this than you, Reggie. I think all of us understand why you’re silent. It’s because the actual truth will reflect poorly on you, and open you up to more legal action.

Back to Brian Cushing (Note- I don’t want to pick on USC here. You could insert Barry Bonds or Roger Clemens, or any sports star caught using PEDs)- he has supposedly conducted medical tests to support his overtraining claim. He hasn’t said whether these were controlled clinical tests of him and a control group, him alone, or just a NEXIS grab of supporting literature compiled into a report. He hasn’t said who the doctors are that prepared this report.

This is a genius move.

If the tests are bogus in form or results (subject experts say they know of no connection between overtraining and hCG), the league will keep his suspension the same. He can serve his suspension, come back to finish the season, and spend the rest of his career claiming he was vindicated by his tests, which I expect to never be released.

If he were truly innocent, the next step would be to make his "overtraining test" results available to the public, and allow other doctors to weigh in. He should name his doctor and let him take any and all questions. He should open up his medical and training records to scrutiny, and show the arguments for his innocence, if there are any. If he really were innocent, there would have to be something better there than, "Maybe I had cancer. Maybe I overtrained. Maybe I love America too much."

Cushing hasn’t done this yet, limiting his appeal so far to a private submittal to the league office, and I don’t expect him to. In our judicial system, he doesn’t have to. He’s gambling that he doesn’t have to in the court of public opinion, too.

He has taken the tack of the philandering spouse, explaining away lipstick stains and LaQuinta receipts with ever more fantastic stories. Why should anyone believe him? The only ones who will are those who want to believe him- the Texans fans. He’s trying to sell this so he can still become one of the faces of the franchise and preserve his potential endorsement income. The NFL will let guys like Merriman and Romanowski continue as players, but being tarred as a cheater tends to curtail a lot of the ancillary income. Cushing is trying to avoid the black mark on his name.

I wish the sports media wouldn’t let these guys get away with this so blatantly. It’s tough, though, because the athletes have gotten so good at deflecting unwanted questions. Clemens, Woods, and Armstrong have all been tied to doping doctors, but are never forced to answer why they are seeing them, instead of more reputable trainers.

Still, as higher order primates, we have the ability to reason. We should use it.

Tweet Comment 25 comments | 0 recs |

Do you like this story?

Comments

The dude has been tied to ’roids since he was 16. The philanderer analogy is perfect.

by PatronSaint on Aug 10, 2010 10:59 AM CDT reply actions

Great title and article. Preposterous nonsense from Cushing. What a surprise.

by Blueshorn on Aug 10, 2010 11:14 AM CDT reply actions

“Maybe I love America too much.”

Great line, and great article.

by uthookem on Aug 10, 2010 11:22 AM CDT reply actions

Access is the key. This is why TMZ will shake up sports… its reporters don’t care about the games or whether they get an in-depth interview. But sports isn’t the only area where this happens (entertainment and politics).

Cushing doesn’t realize that what he said doesn’t affect anyone in a major way at this point. It would be better if he said he did it and be done with it. FWIW, Andy Pettitte admitted to something (I doubt it was the whole truth) and the issue is dead. His buddy, Roger Clemens, continues to fight and does not realize that his reputation is toast and his chances of making the HOF are small.

by Bob in Houston on Aug 10, 2010 11:35 AM CDT reply actions

Texans fans are like Aggy fans in that they will never admitt to themselves the fundamental problems of their team. Its remarkable. I have brilliant relatives and friends, who are Texans fans and don’t believe that Cushing did anything wrong. And they are rational Longhorn fans.

by fear_the_cow on Aug 10, 2010 12:08 PM CDT reply actions

Cut Cushing a break, I believe him. It just took awhile for the lawyers to diagnose his disease.

by Bob McNaive on Aug 10, 2010 12:14 PM CDT reply actions

i’m a texans fan, and all texans fans ever talk about are the fundamental problems with their team.

by jon on Aug 10, 2010 12:16 PM CDT reply actions

Woods’ answer to the sordid doctor connection was with his knee injury. i give it to him he came out and claimed where, when and why he saw this guy, BECAUSE he could help accelerate his rehab time. all that has been drowned out due to the above stated lip-stick stained LaQuinta receipts.

by scagnetti on Aug 10, 2010 12:51 PM CDT reply actions

Could the CBA bind him to not release his “untold truths”? I’m no expert, but I know [i.e., heard on talk radio] that had his original appeal have been successful, the CBA would have bound the league to not publicize the whole thing.

by clarky on Aug 10, 2010 1:32 PM CDT reply actions

Is that picture of Cushing on the front page from high school? He lloks very young in the face, but his arms look rediculous.

by UT_06 on Aug 10, 2010 1:35 PM CDT reply actions

clarky, I doubt it. The 2 Vikings players that blamed their positives on nutritional supplements (successfully, I think) were able to get their story out after the league released it.

by TaylorTRoom on Aug 10, 2010 1:38 PM CDT reply actions

Only classless oafs tryst at LaQuinta. Residence by Marriott imo.

by Minnesotahorn on Aug 10, 2010 2:18 PM CDT reply actions

If you appeal your suspension with a weak excuse like this you should get more games tacked on to your suspension.

by Hornmatic on Aug 10, 2010 2:46 PM CDT reply actions

As an active USC hater, and an active Texans supporter, I can reconcile with the obvious. These were just leftovers from before he moved to H-Town and cleaned up his act!!!!

Dude is a juicer, all you need is too see the pictures. I was against the draft pick in the first place, but was surprised at just how well that cheater could play.

Clay Matthews Jr. should be next. That fool went to USC as a 166 lb safety. Seen him lately? He looks like that caveman, and fellow juicer AJ Hawk.

by magnusbleuveigner on Aug 10, 2010 3:09 PM CDT reply actions

Isn’t the whole point of PED’s to ALLOW “over” training?

by roach on Aug 10, 2010 4:10 PM CDT reply actions

To some it may be an extreme opinion, but I would bet on average, 20% of collegiate players on each team are juicing, and as much as 60% NFL are. I think there is still some fear here in college of getting tested. In the pros, these guys can bank if they can get away with it. I’ve heard several stories from w/ in the league of how many guys are using.

Poor memory, but have any big time athletes been busted in college recently? I can’t think of any, but I guarantee you if you gave me a test kit I could stroll down a team’s sideline and probably guess correctly on 9 out of 10 who are using.

What’s really funny, is how baseball geeks use and get away with it. I’d say a good 70% are using some form of illegal substance. HGH is the “non tester”. But when these guys are administered blood tests and their testosterone levels are 20 times that of an average human, somethings going on, just no way to prove it as of now.

by WWGDD on Aug 10, 2010 4:13 PM CDT reply actions

I love Texas, am from Houston, and route for my Longhorns (c/o 2005), the Texans, the Rockets (clutch city baby) and (sigh) the Astros with all my heart and soul.

However, I am disgusted that Bob McNair would tie his name to the impossible claim that Brian Cushing is making.

Cushing tested positive for extremely elevated levels of HCG. Stands for human chorionic gonadotrophin. Chorionic meaning it’s generally produced by the chorion (a part of the early tissues/placenta formed during the development the human embryo); gonadotropin meaning it’s a hormone that has to do with sex hormone receptors.

It’s the hormone that you test for in women when you test for pregnancy. It can also be a marker for a number of sex cell or embryonic tumors in women (choriocarcinoma, germ cell tumors, hydatidiform moles, teratoma, etc ).

If it’s produced in a male, it means on thing: tumors (seminoma, germ cell tumors, teratoma, choriocarcinoma, etc ).

This “over-trained athlete syndrome” explanation is complete BS. Any first year medical student who knows anything about basic reproductive endocrinology can tell you that.

Who knows – maybe there’s a tumor somewhere in his body that’s producing HCG. If that’s the case, the levels shouldn’t be fluctuating. They should stay high. As I understand, he had a positive test for HCG and now his levels are back down into the reference range?

If you ask me, sounds like someone was juicing, using HCG to keep his body from shutting down it’s natural production of testosterone, and just plain got caught.

Cushing, take your punishment like a man. You got caught. Serve your suspension. Say you’re sorry. Tour some Houston high school football practices testifying to the ills of PEDs. And then go win us a playoff game.

McNair, please be the stand up, honorable, straight-shooting NFL owner Houston deserves. We’ve already had a Bud Adams. We don’t need another embarrasment of an owner.

by Dr. UCLA-Longhorn on Aug 11, 2010 12:11 AM CDT reply actions

Please remember that this is the same owner that RESIGNED David Carr. It is known that in the interview process for the Capers successor that McNair was interested in how the the new coach would develop Carr’s talent.

Yes, Carr got his ass beaten to a pulp behind a bad line, but this is the guy who is first out the door and did not not basic blitz pick-ups because he refused to stay and watch film Compare this to Aikman who put off having a family until after his pro career so he could focus all his attention on being the best possible player. . Carr was a great family guy of course and that scores big with McNair or it did until the Cushing pick.

by Davey O'Brien on Aug 11, 2010 12:54 AM CDT reply actions

I agree that Carr wasn’t dedicated, but don’t blame it on family life. Joe Montana had a family. John Elway had a family.

Ben Roethlisberger doesn’t have a family. Nice company Aikman has there.

Besides, everyone knows Aikman is gay. Don’t believe me? Ask John Blake.

Dr. UCLA, who are you rooting for on September 25th?

by magnusbleuveigner on Aug 11, 2010 7:55 AM CDT reply actions

Cushing will shrink faster than “The Boz”.

by Pokey on Aug 11, 2010 9:24 AM CDT reply actions

Since the Dr. "route"s for teams – maybe he wants a Route 66 part 2 when UCLA visits??

by Kilgore Trout on Aug 11, 2010 10:12 PM CDT reply actions

1. Hook’em til I die. UCLA is just a job.
2. After 36 hours of call on stoke team, I would think you’re allowed a few errors in spelling, word choice, punctuation, and such.
3. Rhetoric and skilled writing wasn’t necessary in the College of Natural Sciences. Left that to the hippies in the six-pack. Shout out to my Welch dwellers…

by Dr. UCLA-Longhorn on Aug 12, 2010 1:11 AM CDT reply actions

If I might say it in here, a lot of the discussion about Tiger Woods will be rendered academic now that his divorce, which we weren’t told about, is finalised and he can continue with what he does best – playing golf. Go Tiger!

by Harriet on Aug 23, 2010 11:30 PM CDT reply actions