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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