Cushing should just give his ROY award back
I’ve got an idea: Instead of allowing the AP to decide whether or not it’s fair for him to keep the honor, maybe Texans’ linebacker Brian Cushing should just return the 2009 Rookie of the Year Award in light of his four-game suspension for violating the league’s substance abuse policy. Talk about a bold, respectable move.
I know, I know – if he did that then he’d be admitting guilt. But here’s the thing, he’s already been proven guilty. He’s already been caught and instead of throwing himself at the mercy of the media and fans when he was, he went with the tried and true method of skirting the issue by saying he wasn’t suspended for steroids.
Right, Brian – we know you weren’t suspended for steroids. You were suspended for hCG, which is used to insure that your balls go back to the same size after you use steroids. Big difference.
Cushing, and every other athlete who has ever been caught or will be caught using PEDs, should follow in the footsteps of Yankees starter Andy Pettitte. When he was caught, he fessed up – immediately. He didn’t run from the problem and he didn’t try to make excuses. He was open about why he took them (he wanted to heal faster) and was sincere in his apology. He knew he messed up and the only thing that was left to do was pray that fans would forgive him.
What many athletes don’t realize is that fans want to be forgiving. They want to accept that athletes are human and make mistakes just like everybody else. What fans don’t appreciate is being lied to and made to look like naïve fools. When someone like Cushing says that he wasn’t suspended for steroids and then less than 24 hours later reports surface that the positive drug test was for hCG, fans feel lied to.
So what’s Cushing to do? Bite down, swallow hard and fess up. Then he needs to voluntarily give his ROY award back and admit that he didn’t earn it. Because whether or not the AP re-votes him the winner of the trophy or forces him to give it up, he’s not going to feel good about the situation. That award will always been tied to his four-game suspension so he might as well do the honorable thing and just give it back.
And if he does, watch how fast fans are willing to forgive.
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I totally disagree here.
Be sure and get the facts all together and straight.
1. HCG is a natural hormone produced by men.
Its a fertility product for woman trying to get pregnant. It wont increase any performance.
Its NOT a PED.
2. Steroids while illegal are a hormone every person has and makes. They help heal. They dont do anything else. So if you just take roids you wont get big, lean, fast or an NFL LB.
3. Kind of with above. His instincts, tackeling hip movement, ball skills cant be increased from lifting and taking something.
4. HCG doesnt mask steroids. Diaretics can.
Look at th starcaps from last year. Williams, Grant, Smith. that product is used for masking.
HCG can be used if people take alot of steroids and need to get their own body producing naturally. Thats all it does, it wont make you produce more than normal or get roid results.
5. I am glad he was voted again.
Whatever the reasoning for positive test is.
FYI tribulis tessirus (legal and non hormanal)
can up your HCG levels…
If he did indeed do use a banned substance then he got his suspension. He passed 4 more following the positive one, so he either stopped or is right. Steroids wont turn a nobody into a stud.
Example Mark Mcgwire.
He hit homeruns at 170 and at 240…
he was always a slugger.
well its not letting me post here a couple of times, so maybe 3rd time is the charm.
totally disagree here.
He deserves it.
Steroids he has never tested for.
HCG is NOT able to mask roids.
Its a natural hormone produced in men.
Women use it to get pregnant and tests detect it for pregnancy as well.
Cush played like a beast.
Muscles, well only he know if he had help.
But what is true on steroids.
If you eat enough protein and food, workout hard enough, sleep enough that canhelp you.
They dont make you a stud LB in the NFL.
Sorry… they dont. He earned it, played hurt, even in college. Steroids or not.
Plus HCG is not a steroid nore does is it hide them. ZMA (zinc-mag) pills and Tribulis both increase HCG in males. Doesnt make it a drug or illegal.
looks like third time is the charm
John,
First and foremost, I stand corrected on the hCG. You’re right – they’re not used to mask. I knew that and somehow I still wrote it; that was a brain fart on my end. I edited that part of the piece – thank you.
But getting the crux of the piece: Are you saying that since he didn’t test positive for steroids that he deserves the award? What if he did test positive for steroids? Does he still deserve it?
I think he truly STILL deserves it Steroids/Supplements/Banned whatever…
My reasoning is simple, nothing but Brian Cushing made him, lift, train, eat right, learn the play book, study film, tackle, break up passes, cause fumbles, play with passion ect…
If it where outstanding rookie charactor, no he shouldnt win. Muscles are muscles, if he took a banned item, then his suspension is due. If he had elevated levels because of any thing, his suspension is correct.
Point is look at baseball.
McGwire bangs 40+ several times before gaining 70lbs of muscle, then he is a slugger?
No he just looked like one.
It didnt improve his swing, hand eye cordination, ect…
If me or you took 10 cycles of steroids, and nothing else, would we perform like Cush…
The answer is no. Even if we got as fast, strong, big as him, dont make us NFL linebackers
What I am sayin is steroids dont make a player.
Look at Boz. He was done in 3 years.
His stats looked great in college on the sauce.
But he wasnt able to be a great pro.
if someone just took steroids/or any banned substance that doesnt make them superstars.
We could get as fast, strong, big as Cush, but would be able to play like him???
I dont believe so.
Thats why i say let him keep it.
He got punished and its costing him 950k in money.
Thats enough.
His playmaking, hits, coverage, football knowledge, film study, tackeling, adn heart dont get boosted by PEDs…close the book to me.
Good debate/blog though. i hope others express opinions here, Great subject really.
Anthony
Any idea why it keeps not posting my replies
yes he should keep it
they in question substance
doesnt make a football player
John — maybe you’re not entering the CAPTCHA correctly? I’d suggest writing your reply in a word processing program so that you have a backup in case the comment doesn’t go through.
As for this award, PEDs are called PEDs because they are Performance Enhancing Drugs. That means they are banned because they give the player a leg up on his competition. Of course Cushing should give this award back, and it’s a joke that the AP writers still voted him the winner in the re-vote.
John,
Sorry – sometimes our system doesn’t allow comments for whatever reason. Just make sure you copy your comments when you’re done, so then you can just paste them in the next time and not have to re-write everything.
I agree that PEDs don’t make the player. They can’t make you tackle, swing the bat or throw a ball. But there’s a reason why players risk game checks in order to take them. It gives them an edge, and I thought professional sports were supposed to be played on a level playing field?
Granted, some players are always going to be stronger or faster than others. That’s just how life is. But we’re not talking about God-given talents vs. God-given talents. We’re talking about giving yourself a chemical advantage over another player that didn’t take the same route you did.
I’m not saying that Cushing didn’t work hard, nor am I saying that the steroids won the award for him. But they certainly helped and in the desire to keep things as fair as possible, players need to be punished when they’re caught.
John P.
HCG is not a PED, just because its called one in the NFL. Cough syrup is also listed as a PED.
I dont recall anyone being a probowler because of this.
Point being until they release what he tested for its his word against theories. You cant think for a second they’d strip him of it. McGwire and Bonds have their records and they got caught, were in court, and the whole Balco went down.
So far Cush has had elevated levels of a natural hormone. Doesnt mean he didnt take stuff, but it doesnt prove he did either.
So remember just because its listed as a PED, yes I know Performance Enhancing, doesnt mean it makes you a better player or a player at all.
The NFL calls
Cough Syrup
Cold Sinus medicine
methamphedimanes
HCG
and many more non-steridal compounds
PED…
Dont recall sinus medicine or meth helping anyone become a stud LB…
Well guys it still is doing it.?
Then when I paste it in it says I already posted?
Oh well.
Short is PED is not mean it helps.
Sinus medicine
Cough Syrup
Meth
are also listed on the NFL PED list,.
I dont think those help make you a stud LB
That’s weird, John – I’ll look into it and see if I can help with the posting.