Josina Anderson of My Fox Colorado cites a NFL source that claims there has been a “rash of positive tests” under the steroid policy and at least two New Orleans Saints players (Deuce McAllister and Will Smith) have been named.
McAllister and Smith are in a group of players that have tested positive specifically for a diuretic known as Bumetanide. Some of the players in the group of six to ten tested positive for a different substance.
“Most of them tested positive for Bumetanide,” said the league source. “The last few tested positive for another substance that works similarly.”
Experts at the Mayo Clinic describe Bumetanide as a drug belonging to a group of medicines called loop diuretics or “water pills.” Its uses include the treatment of fluid retention and swelling caused by medical conditions such as congestive heart failure, liver disease, and kidney disease.
However, the source told Anderson that Bumetanide has another use which makes it one of the NFL’s banned substances.“[Bumetanide] can also mask the use of other drugs or steroids.”
The source also suggested some of the players may not have known Bumetanide is on the NFL’s list of banned substances.
“I don’t think many of them are attempting to cheat, or even know it is on the list. We are talking big guys who have likely never seen a steroid in their life. My understanding of the steroid policy is that it was intended to catch cheaters or people using performance enhancing substances to gain a competitive edge. These guys don’t fall into that category,” said the source.
Regardless, all of the players in this group of positive tests, including McAllister and Smith, are subject to a suspension pending an appeal to the league. Under the NFL’s steroid policy, a player’s first positive test results in a four-game suspension.
When there’s smoke, there’s usually fire. But I urge everyone to take this information with a grain of salt considering Anderson’s NFL source is unnamed. The media has a tendency to take a story like this and run with it before all the facts come out. There’s no sense in assuming anything until the league comes out with a statement (if it even does).
Still, this is damning news for a Saints team trying to prepare for a game in London this Sunday. (Not too mention a Saints team without Reggie Bush.)
