Union Tells NFL: No Blood Samples Yet

"We informed the NFL (Tuesday) that absent a collective agreement on several critical issues, blood collection is not ready to be implemented on Monday," the NFL Players Association said in a statement released Wednesday. "We have advised the players."

The league was preparing to draw the blood samples beginning Monday, although full testing for HGH was not yet scheduled.

"We are disappointed in the union's response," NFL spokesman Greg Aiello said. "It is contrary to the terms of the CBA and the agreements reached last Friday with the chairman and ranking member of the House Government Reform Committee.

"We are ready to begin educating players on the testing program and collecting samples. This approach was put forward by Congressmen Issa and Cummings," he added, referring to California Rep. Darrell Issa and Maryland Rep. Elijah Cummings, "It is well-reasoned and balances the need to ensure immediate deterrence with the union's desire for further review and education. We know of no reason why these initial steps should not begin next week, and none has been identified by the union."

The NFL and the players agreed to begin blood testing for HGH as part of their new collective bargaining agreement reached in late July — but only if the union agreed to the methods. The union has delayed implementing the test, asking for more scientific data to prove it is reliable.

One of the key items the NFLPA is seeking is a population study of the test — the data from the athletes who were used to originally set thresholds as to what constitutes a positive test. The union wants to compare that data to a population study on football players; the union believes players could have naturally higher HGH levels above those of other athletes.

"I am all for it, as long as it's a test that can be regulated and proved to be very accurate," Packers quarterback and Super Bowl MVP Aaron Rodgers said. "So until we get some information and data that we're very confident in, I don't know that there's going to be anything in the immediate future. I think it'd be great to even the playing field for the rest of the league."

Earlier this month, nearly two dozen scientists and lab directors from around the world signed a letter sent to the NFL and the union stating the current test for HGH is safe, scientifically reliable and appropriate for use in professional sports leagues.

The letter, obtained by The Associated Press, was dated Oct. 3 and sent to NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell and union Executive Director DeMaurice Smith.

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AP National Writer Eddie Pells in Denver and Sports Writer Chris Jenkins in Green Bay contributed to this story.

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N.F.L. Union Not Ready to Allow Blood Testing for H.G.H.

After a private meeting in Washington with officials from the league, the union, the United States Anti-Doping Agency and the two members of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, the league and two members of the committee said an agreement had been reached to begin H.G.H. testing imminently. But the union said that was not the case.

A program for blood testing for H.G.H. was agreed upon, in concept, in the recently completed collective bargaining agreement. But the league and the union have been at an impasse since the union determined that it wanted to independently examine the accuracy of the test, which has been used by the World Anti-Doping Agency since 2004. With the N.F.L. season in its sixth week, Representatives Darrell Issa, Republican of California, and Elijah E. Cummings, Democrat of Maryland, called Friday’s meeting to pressure the league and the union to reach a testing agreement.

“We’re not guaranteeing any outcomes except there was an agreement to begin testing immediately,” Issa, the chairman of the House committee, told reporters after the meeting. “The other aspects of what you do with the tests will be resolved over the next many weeks, and we’ve agreed on a bipartisan basis to have the committee play a role if necessary” to bring the sides together again.

N.F.L. Commissioner Roger Goodell said it was clear that Issa wanted testing to start in the next two weeks.

“Everyone around the table agreed to that,” Goodell said.

According to people briefed on the meeting, a proposal was raised to begin the collection of blood samples within 10 days and store them until an agreement is reached over the technical aspects of the tests. Union officials remained noncommittal about a time frame, saying they still wanted to see the information they have been seeking from doping officials about the thresholds established for a positive test. The union said it would not allow testing to begin until it reviewed the information.

Issa and Cummings told the sides that if blood collection did not begin within two weeks they would bring them back for another meeting.

The committee can compel the sides to appear at a public hearing. Otherwise, the league and the union will meet with committee members again in a month, with the expectation that all outstanding issues on testing will have been resolved.

According to people in the meeting, Issa said he would try to help the union obtain the scientific information it wanted and have it studied independently. The World Anti-Doping Agency has declined to make public information about the population studies used to establish the threshold for a positive H.G.H. test. Even if Issa were successful in getting the information, it seems unlikely that full testing could start within a week. And if the union does not get the information, it is steadfast that it will not allow testing to begin.

The agreement in place since August, which said testing would begin this season, stipulated that the union had to agree to procedures for testing, and the union has raised concerns about whether the established ratio for a positive human growth hormone test is appropriate for professional football players.

The union’s leader, DeMaurice Smith, did not attend the meeting because, the committee was told, he was traveling abroad.

George Atallah, a spokesman for the union, said: “Chairman Issa’s and Congressman Cummings’ involvement is an important step to helping us agree to a fair, safe and transparent test and testing protocol. We will continue to work with both the chairman and committee staff to implement a safe test.”

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N.F.L. Roundup: N.F.L. Representatives to Meet With Congress on Blood Testing

In addition to Goodell, the league’s top lawyer, Jeffrey Pash, and Adolpho Birch, who oversees its drug testing program, are expected to attend the meeting. DeMaurice Smith is not expected to attend because, the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee was told, he is traveling overseas.

The union will be represented by, among others, the Ravens’ Domonique Foxworth, who was a key player in the labor negotiations. But according to a person briefed on the committee’s thinking, they are disappointed that Smith is not available. Also expected to attend are members of the United States Anti-Doping Agency.

The purpose of the meeting is to allow both sides to explain their positions on testing to Representatives Darrell Issa, a Republican from California and the committee chairman, and Elijah E. Cummings of Maryland, the committee’s ranking Democrat. And the committee members are likely to ask the union what specific questions the union wants answered to allow testing, or if there are other issues making the players reluctant.

While the parties agreed to start testing for human growth hormone as part of the collective bargaining agreement completed in August, testing has not begun because the union says it needs more information about the blood tests used by the World Anti-Doping Agency.

Those tests, which are used on Olympics athletes, among others, determine the ratio of human growth hormone in the blood and compare it with the naturally occurring ratio. The union spokesman George Atallah said the union’s primary concern was how WADA established the baseline ratio for its tests and whether the ratio was appropriate to use for N.F.L. players.

WADA officials have said the ratio remains the same in nearly every person it has studied. The union says it wants WADA to turn over the population study that led to the establishment of the threshold ratio; WADA has declined, saying that plenty of information about how the test works is available and that it fears the release of more sensitive information could help athletes figure out how to cheat.

Atallah said he remained confident that there would be H.G.H. testing in the N.F.L. “soonish” and that he could imagine a separate population study on N.F.L. players being conducted. But he said the union had not had formal discussions with the league about creating such a population study.

HAPPY WITH FINE Saints safety Roman Harper was fined $15,000 by the league for a late hit on Panthers receiver Steve Smith. Smith slowed and celebrated before crossing the goal line Sunday. Harper said the fine was worth it to make a point to his teammates and Smith. (AP)

MENDENHALL RETURNING Pittsburgh Steelers running back Rashard Mendenhall will start on Sunday against the Jacksonville Jaguars after missing a game because of a hamstring injury.Mendenhall, who had 1,273 rushing yards and 13 touchdowns last season, was a full participant in practice for Pittsburgh on Wednesday and Thursday. (AP)

TO TEBOW’S DEFENSE Denver Broncos safety Rahim Moore has a message for all those who think quarterback Tim Tebow is not ready for the N.F.L.: maybe the N.F.L. isn’t ready for Tebow. “They drafted him here for a reason — to win games. And he’s going to make it happen, trust me,” Moore said. “People who dislike him, people who don’t think he’s the man, that he can’t do it, he is going to prove them wrong. He’s going to lead us to the promised land.” After a bye this Sunday, the Broncos play next on Oct. 23 against the Dolphins in Miami. Tebow, who replaced Kyle Orton at halftime last Sunday in a losing effort against the San Diego Chargers, will take over the starting role for Denverer. (AP)

OUT OF HIS BOOT On Monday of last week, Nick Barnett was wobbling around the Buffalo Bills’ facility with his right foot in protective boot. By Sunday, the boot was off and Barnett was playing a key role in helping Buffalo (4-1) continue its surprising start, with two interceptions in a 31-24 victory over Philadelphia. “To go out and do what he did for us on Sunday is amazing,” fellow linebacker Shawne Merriman said. (AP)

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