Wonder how much Bettman paid the guy to make that claim.

On EITM this morning they were talking about how Jose tested positive for propecia, a drug used to mask steroids when he played international. But I am not sure how true that is.

I’d love to read this…

TSN is now learning that Michael Nylander and Jose Theodore have been expelled from the League due to steroids. The Caps WILL NOT be responsible for paying their salary. In other news, Sidney Crosby tested positive for Midol.

But seriously, if this is true ( which would be really really surprising and I doubt it) who on the team would it be?

I could see Green or Ovy for some reason.

Guy is from Florida, could that mean Fedorov of Kozlov? Maybe this is why Kozlov “made a firm decision to play in Russia”. I dunno, I hate to think it being any of our guys, past or present. This is the kind of crap that sticks with a franchise.

I still don’t think it’s true though.

Also, its hilarious that the woman smiled in her mug shot.

I must be losing it. When did Tarik start linking and giving credit to Japer’s Rink? I thought they never used blogs as legitimate sources.

Before we all go and start smearing people’s reputations without any evidence, let’s take a look at the facts:
1. You’ve got husband and wife ‘roid heads working out of their basement in Tampa. Does that sound like a sophisticated drug dealing operation that reaches into all levels of pro sports? And if you’re a pro athlete, are these two people you’d be dealing with? We’re not exactly talking Balco here.
2. The guy is bragging that he’s the biggest steroid dealer in the U.S. When was the last time you heard a drug dealer admit to anything, least of all being the biggest drug dealer in America? Does this sound like a guy who’s all there?
3. Again, these two are based in Florida. Last time I checked, there were nine pro sports teams in that state yet the two teams he mentions are based in DC. How does that leap happen? We’re supposed to believe he’s got connections with the Caps and the Nats, some 800 miles from Tampa and none with the Lightning and Rays who are in his backyard? If this guy was based in Beltsville, I’d have an easier time thinking he might have some connection, but the Caps only visit Tampa four times a year and the Nats never. I’m thinking he picked Washington because the name carries all sorts of national implications. I mean, if you want to be the biggest drug dealer in America why not link yourself to the Nation’s Capital.

I could go on, but you can see where I’m headed. I’m not naive enough to think there couldn’t be steroid users on the Caps or Nats, but this story just doesn’t pass the smell test. Until I hear specific names or documented evidence linking this guy to players, I’m not buying his story. The problem is that the people who want to hate the Caps will.

How’d the dude from the Waltons get so buff?

…who has had issues with banned substances is Jose Theodore. He was a candidate for the Olympics in both 1998 and 2002 for Canada, but he tested positive for Propecia (a hair regrowing medicine). Propecia isn’t a steroid, but it can be used to mask other steroids.

Considering that Propecia is used to regrow hair, and Theo has a full head of hair, it’s either a great endorsement for the product, or there was something going on there….

This smells fishy to me and steriod dealers are generally pretty shady characters without much credibility in the first place.

As Brett Hull said, steriods wouldn’t really benefit hockey players as much as it would players of other sports. Of course you want to be big and strong, but it has to be the right muscles that won’t hamper your skating stride or ability. That’s not to say there’s no steroids in hockey, but I’ll believe it when I see it.

When it comes to performing enhancing drugs in hockey, they really need to look into uppers. From playing a little college hockey I’ve seen guys take some boosters but never anything serious like steriods or HGH.

Brashear is on Big O and Dukes right now…

“All I can say is we get tested 2-3 times a year and no one’s failed” (might be a slight paraphrase on the second half of the quote).

He also said he would “really doubt it” if anyone in the locker-room was involved.

Also brought up a good point about how the dealer never specified when he supplied drugs, could have been before the NHL had a drug-testing policy and before many of the current players were here.

…because I’ve had a kidney transplant and they work as immuno-suppressants. They have bulked me up: my cheeks are plump and I have a sweet pair of man breasts. My point being, there are all types of steroids and not all of them have the same effects on the body.

   I see no credibility in the arguments made by b.orr in the “take a breath” post. In item one the site of the business is debunked, but underground small operations are the back bone of SELLING. Considering the attention steroids have gotten in the last few years such an operation might well have been considered more advantageous.

   In item two, the boast of the suspect is debunked. However, if he is trying to plea deal he might well inform authorities of his importance. The more he knows the more he’s worth, and being so big doesn’t just mean he knows the users but the original suppliers, a much more enticing target to prosecutors.

   In item three the location of the operation and it’s vicinity to D.C. is debunked. This is the least tenable argument in my mind. An athlete can find steroids from a lot of sources: a teammate who played in a different area, an agent, a friend even an athlete on an opposing team. IF this persons operation is as big as he says it is he may have offered a selection that other dealers didn’t have. There are a number of reasons athletes would chose a distant dealer.

   I would also point out that, in terms of sports, there are other cities and sports which would carry greater impact than Washington D.C. and hockey. New York City, Boston/New England, Philly, and even Pittsburgh come to mind.

   All of this is not to say I think this douche is telling the truth, only that it is difficult to justify complete dismissal of his accusations based on these reasons. I am a lot more uncomfortable about the purity of the Caps in terms of steroids than I was yesterday based on the fact that so few of these accusations are proven false. Indeed, the number that were dismissed at first and then shown to be true is disconcerting. My guiding principle here is to assume innocence but I can’t think of one good reason why he would name those specific teams. What benefit would he derive? If he names a team now, while he is trying to show his worth to prosecutors and investigators and is shown to be lying he will, at the beginning, prove he is unreliable.

  I am, of course, assuming he made these assertions under advice of attorney. If, however, he just made these statements on his own it could be he is just an idiot. At this point I guess we will just have to wait and see.

Hey, maybe this is the NHL’s ploy to get back on ESPN without an actual TV deal.
If an NHL player gets suspended, does his salary still count against the cap for his team?