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Tuesday, February 27, 2007

Albany Times Union: Albany DA raids Fla. steroids center

The Times Union has learned that investigators in the year-old case, which has been kept quiet until now, uncovered evidence that testosterone and other performance-enhancing drugs may have been fraudulently prescribed over the Internet to current and former Major League Baseball players, National Football League players, college athletes, high school coaches, and a former Mr. Olympia champion and another top contender in the bodybuilding competition.

The customers include Los Angeles Angels centerfielder Gary Matthews Jr., according to sources with knowledge of the investigation.

Sox Machine Posted: February 27, 2007 at 04:53 PM | 34 comment(s) Login to Bookmark
Tags: angels, steroids

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1. Walt Davis Posted: February 27, 2007 at 05:26 PM (#2303900)

Strange that Matthews is almost the only one identified by name in the article (they even keep the former Mr. Olympia's name secret) who hasn't already been linked to steroids (i.e. Grimsley and Canseco make appearances). None of the football players are named.

Also strange is that the other big name athlete named is Evander Holyfield who I would have thought was a much bigger name than Matthews, but he doesn't appear until page 4 of the story.

Anyway, not good, but doesn't sound at the moment like the list of elite athletes in this is very long.

2. AROM Posted: February 27, 2007 at 05:40 PM (#2303910)

Just great. After I've spent the offseason coming to grips with the Matthews signing, it looks like his career season is not just a fluke, but a chemically induced fraud.

Colon out till at least May.
Rivera out till All Star break.
McPherson out for year.
Weaver has biceps tendinitis.
Matthews is a fraud.
Hillenbrand is on the team.

And we haven't even played a game yet. I hope the Rangers are decent this year. I'm less angry seeing them in the playoffs than the A's.

3. robinred

Posted: February 27, 2007 at 05:51 PM (#2303922)

Yeah, Rally, but you also have Wood and Kendrick lurking in the shadows, ready to explode onto the scene.

The Angels will be fine, although they may get off to a slow start. Waever would worry me most on that list if I were an Angels fan.

4. Jimmy P Posted: February 27, 2007 at 05:56 PM (#2303928)

None of the football players are named.

Why would they be? The NFL doesn't have a steroids problem

5. EddieA Posted: February 27, 2007 at 06:34 PM (#2303958)

Make sure your mail order pharmacy is in Costa Rica.

6. MM1f Posted: February 27, 2007 at 06:42 PM (#2303959)

If there really are high school coaches involved in this i want them to burn

7. Perros Posted: February 27, 2007 at 07:15 PM (#2303985)

Until you have comprehensive testing for all known PEDs, you really have no testing program at all. Even then, there will always be ways around the testing unless you have testers randomly knocking on doors and getting samples at will.

Can you really blame Sarge Jr. if PEDs enabled him to bank $50 mil?

8. cercopithecus aethiops Posted: February 27, 2007 at 07:22 PM (#2303988)

But I thought the problem was solved once they busted BALCO.

It will be interesting to see which story has more legs -- a real investigation of a current supplier to current major leaguers, or Mitchell's pseudo-investigation of what went on in the past. You can guess where my money is.

9. smileyy Posted: February 27, 2007 at 07:43 PM (#2303998)

Can you really blame Sarge Jr. if PEDs enabled him to bank $50 mil?

Yes. He's forcing other players to make the choice between affecting their health with PEDs or getting a smaller paycheck.

10. Rocco's Not-so Malfunctioning Mitochondria Posted: February 27, 2007 at 08:06 PM (#2304013)

Nice to see that a local DA in Podunk, NY is the one taking the lead on this to make a name for himself. One would think that the best way to go is to have someone prosecute who actually has experience in pharmaceutical prosecution, but that would make too much sense. Let the pissing contest commence...

As for the high school coaches, they have to be getting their roids from somewhere. Online services make much more sense than a lab in San Fran for that kind of thing...

11. Perros Posted: February 27, 2007 at 08:10 PM (#2304015)

I don't condone PED use, but it's a joke to believe current testing programs are any more than PR for professional sports leagues.

That's the environment Sarge Jr. -- 'Little Sarge' doesn't quite work as a nickname anymore -- made his choices within. Not going to spend too much time worrying about the millionaires suffering at the hands of the multi-millionaires.

12. cercopithecus aethiops Posted: February 27, 2007 at 08:31 PM (#2304029)

Not even close, IE. Balco was a symptom, not the whole disease.

Don't you know sarcasm when you read it?

13. Halofan Posted: February 27, 2007 at 08:57 PM (#2304052)

Please tell me they can void Garbage Matthews Junior's contract.

14. cercopithecus aethiops Posted: February 27, 2007 at 09:03 PM (#2304056)

Not likely on the basis of this article. Maybe if he were subpoenaed to testify at a trial (as opposed to a grand jury) under a grant of immunity and admitted to using. Possibly if he got indicted.

15. Jon T. Posted: February 27, 2007 at 09:04 PM (#2304058)

"Please tell me they can void Garbage Matthews Junior's contract."

yeah, this might be the best news the Angels have gotten in awhile

16. robneyer

Posted: February 27, 2007 at 09:42 PM (#2304090)

There is zero chance of Big Little Sarge's contract being voided. Even if you find an applicable clause in the contract, it would not be enforceable. Thank you, Marvin Miller and Donald Fehr!

17. bunyon Posted: February 27, 2007 at 09:51 PM (#2304095)

All of the talk surrounding the Bonds contract made me wonder: is a guaranteed MLB contract guaranteed if the player is sentenced to prison? I had also figured that the team wouldn't have to pay but the Bonds talk made me doubt that assumption.

Does anyone know?

18. Gonfalon Bubble Posted: February 27, 2007 at 10:09 PM (#2304117)

Bonds' $15.8 million contract is guaranteed. However, if Bonds goes to prison, the Giants have the option of paying him in 82 million cigarettes.

19. Rich Rifkin I Posted: February 28, 2007 at 03:52 AM (#2304255)

Don't you know sarcasm when you read it?

I thought it was sargcasm.

20. AROM Posted: February 28, 2007 at 04:03 AM (#2304260)

"Please tell me they can void Garbage Matthews Junior's contract."

yeah, this might be the best news the Angels have gotten in awhile

Better news would be it wasn't Matthews at all, just some guy named S. Hillenbrand using Matthews as an alias.

21. HowardMegdal

Posted: February 28, 2007 at 04:14 AM (#2304262)

"Nice to see that a local DA in Podunk, NY is the one taking the lead on this to make a name for himself."

It is the state capital! William Kennedy's books put your mischaracterization to shame.

22. MSI Posted: February 28, 2007 at 05:38 AM (#2304278)

You guys still have a deep staff and awesome pen. And a weaker division to boot (A's, Mariners, Rangers may be marginally better).

23. RoyalsRetro (AG#1F) Posted: February 28, 2007 at 05:39 AM (#2304279)

Can you really blame Sarge Jr. if PEDs enabled him to bank $50 mil?

I didn't know PEDs cause brain damage among general managers.

24. Bhaakon Posted: February 28, 2007 at 08:41 AM (#2304313)

Doesn't this report make it more likely that Matthews will repeat his 2006 (assuming he's found a new supplier)? Better to have some reason behind that late-career peak than just go on faith that it wasn't a fluke, right? Though, were I in his shoes, I'd laugh all the way to the bank and flush whatever was left of my "prescription".

25. musial6 Posted: February 28, 2007 at 05:10 PM (#2304421)

Maybe this sort of thing will force the owners to take the PED issue more seriously, or at least be a little more skeptical about guys over 30 who have a career year on the eve of free agency.

26. Cris E Posted: February 28, 2007 at 05:20 PM (#2304433)

... if Bonds goes to prison, the Giants have the option of paying him in 82 million cigarettes.

RDF

27. rb's team is hopeful for the new year! Posted: February 28, 2007 at 08:10 PM (#2304594)

if Bonds goes to prison, the Giants have the option of paying him in 82 million cigarettes

I guess he doesn't like bread.

28. Sean Forman Posted: February 28, 2007 at 08:42 PM (#2304622)

As of right now Google News Hits

Gary Matthews Steroids: 298
Pittsburgh Steelers Steroids: 266
Evander Holyfield Steroids: 9

Didn't the Steelers win a Super Bowl just a year ago?

Stories on ESPN.com

Front Page, #1 ESPNews item: Report: Angels' Matthews linked to illicit 'roid ring
NFL Page, #3 ESPNews item: Steroids raid might implicate pro, college athletes
MLB Page, #1 ESPNews item: Report: Angels' Matthews linked to illicit steroid ring

Yahoo!News

MLB #1 Story is Matthews
NFL No mention of report

I feel sorry for the NFL being such a two bit sport. I mean even Gary Matthews using steroids is bigger news than the Steelers team doctor buying $150,000 in steroids.

29. Los Angeles Waterloo of Black Hawk Posted: February 28, 2007 at 08:47 PM (#2304625)

In fairness, the Steelers team doctor (a gameday doctor, one of seven) has not been accused of any illegality (at this point).

30. Sean Forman Posted: February 28, 2007 at 08:59 PM (#2304643)

Has Gary Matthews?

31. Los Angeles Waterloo of Black Hawk Posted: February 28, 2007 at 09:02 PM (#2304647)

Not officially.

32. Los Angeles Waterloo of Black Hawk Posted: February 28, 2007 at 09:04 PM (#2304649)

Which, of course, is your point, which is well-taken.

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Albany Times Union: Albany DA raids Fla. steroids center

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