2B the university daily kansan
what we heard
"It would be nice to get some ice."
— Kansas guard J.R. Giddens on the prospect of winning the Big 12 tournament
off the bench
thursday, march 11, 2004
Senator demands baseball drug tests
The Associated Press
WASHINGTON — Sen. John McCain told the Major League Baseball Players' Association yesterday that Congress will step in unless the union agrees to toughen the sport's steroid-testing rules.
The Senate Commerce Committee chairman challenged union head Donald Fehr to accept a far more stringent drug-testing policy, similar to the NFLs. Fehr said he couldn't agree to changes in the collective bargaining agreement.
collective bargaining group
"Your failure to commit to addressing this issue straight on and immediately will motivate this committee to search for legislative remedies," warned McCain, an Arizona Republican.
"I don't know what they are. But I can tell you, and the players you represent, the status quo is not acceptable. And we will have to act in some way unless the major league players' union acts in the affirmative and rapid fashion."
Home runs have been hit at a record pace in the past decade, and players have gotten larger and stronger. Former MVPs Jose Canseco and Ken Caminiti have said the use of steroids was widespread.
In his State of the Union address, President Bush appealed to sports leagues and athletes to end the use of performance-enhancing drugs. The White House is expected today to endorse legislation criminalizing the use of certain performance-enhancing drugs that are available without prescriptions.
The San Francisco Chronicle, quoting information it said was provided to federal investigators, reported last week that steroids were given to Barry Bonds, Jason Giambi and Gary Sheffield. Bonds, Giambi and Sheffield have denied using steroids.
That report came out of a grand jury investigation of the Bay Area Laboratory Co-Operative in San Francisco. Two company executives, along with Bonds' personal trainer and a track coach, were charged with illegally supplying steroids to athletes last month.
the suspicion that some of the game's greats are using steroids has loomed over spring training, prompting McCain to schedule a hearing and invite Fehr, baseball commissioner Bud Selig, NFL commissioner Paul Tagliabue and NFL players' union chief Gene Upshaw.
Baseball's current labor contract, agreed to in 2002, called for anonymous drug tests last year. Five to seven percent of those tests came back positive for steroids, a level which triggered testing with penalties this year.
But the program has been criticized because players are tested only twice each season. Both tests are given within
"I realize that we have work to do. We need more frequent and year-round testing of players."
Bud Selig
Baseball commissioner
a period of a week and the penalties are far weaker than those in Olympic sports.
"I believe that the program that we instituted has had some effect," Fehr said.
McCain disagreed, saying baseball has a "legitimacy problem" because of questions about steroid use and the public's perception that cheaters don't get caught by the testing program.
Sen. Joe Biden (D-Del.) criticized the union for resisting stronger testing.
"The union's wrong here," he said.
Under baseball's policy, a player has to fail five tests before facing a one-year suspension. The NFL has a year-round random testing program for players and imposes immediate suspensions on those who test positive.
Selig said baseball owners want stronger testing.
stronger testing.
"I realize that we have work to do."
Selig said. "We need more frequent and year-round testing of players. We need immediate penalties for those caught using illegal substances."
using illegal substances. Selig said he hopes to make the sport's policy for players with minor league contracts apply to those with major league contracts: a year-round testing plan with an immediate 15-game suspension for a first violation.
first violation. McCain pointed to Tagliabue and Upshaw as an example of the kind of collaboration he wants baseball to adopt. Tagliabue and Upshaw agreed that a strong policy is in the best interests of the NFL and its players.
players privately.
Selig said baseball supports legislation jointly sponsored by Biden and Sen. Orrin Hatch (R-Utha) that would ban over-the-counter sales of androstedione — a steroidlike supplement that Mark McGwire used in 1998, when he broke the single-season home run mark — and the newly detected steroid THG.
Fehr said that baseball players made a "concession" when they agreed to the current testing program. The union opposes random testing on grounds it invades players' privacy, he said.
Fehr didn't take a position on the legislation, but he said it would be wrong to ban players from taking substances that are legal.
Annie Bernethy/Kansan
Free for All
I don't care what David Padget did because he still sucks. It was a lucky shot. He sucks.
I still think that David Padgett's a cake eater.
I think that David Padgert is hot. He doesn't need to tan or lift weights. I think he is perfect the way he is.
Call 864-0500
Shmuel Bergman, Overland Park sophomore, went up for a shot against Ryan Berg, Buffalo Grove, Ill., freshman, yesterday afternoon outside Oliver Hall, Bergman, Berg and their friends were taking advantage of the nice weather to shoot hoops outside.
Shooting the breeze
Kansas athletics calendar
TOMORROW
TOMORROW
Track and Field at NCAA Indoor Championships.
Swimming and Diving at Zone D Diving Championships
Tennis vs. Oklahoma State
Baseball vs. Arkansas-Little Rock
Men's basketball at Big 12 tournament.
Track and Field at NCAA Indoor Champi
SATURDAY
onships
Swimming and Diving at Zone D Diving Championships
Softball at Souther Illinois Tournament
Men's Basketball at Big 12 tournament.
SUNDAY
Swimming and Diving at Zone D Diving Championships Tennis vs. Texas Tech Softball at Southern Illinois Tournament Baseball vs. Arkansas-Little Rock Men's Basketball at Big 12 Tournament.
Royals pitcher allows 4 runs in victory versus White Sox
SURPRISE, Ariz. — Aaron Rowland drove in five runs for a Chicago White Sox split squad yesterday in a 9-6 loss to the Kansas City Royals.
Joe Randa hit a two-run homer in the third to start the Royals' comeback. Calvin Pickering singled home the tying run in the seventh and Rick Short's sacrifice fly scored Alexis Gomez to put the Royals ahead 7-6. David DeJesus' double in the eighth scored Mendy Lopez and Wilton Guerrero.
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