Professional Athletes on Steroids! Shocking.

I'm not shocked. Because of the competitive nature of professional sports and that it all comes down to money, I'm not at all surprised that so many players try to get an edge. [Link]

Mr. Mitchell said “baseball’s steroids era” started roughly in 1988. It took 15 more years for baseball to start random testing, Mr. Mitchell said, noting that testing has reduced steroid usage, but players have switched to human-growth hormone, which cannot be detected in urine tests, which baseball’s program administers.

“Everybody in baseball — commissioners, club officials, the players’ association, players — shares responsibility,” Mr. Mitchell said.

The report revealed that baseball secretly suspended drug testing for part of the 2004 season, for fear of criminal prosecution after federal authorities seized the 2003 drug results as part of the Balco case. The suspension, of unclear length, was kept secret by agreement of the commissioner’s office and the players’ association.

Mr. McNamee spoke to Mr. Mitchell’s investigators under pressure from federal prosecutors investigating the use of steroids in baseball. Mr. McNamee, who was linked with Mr. Radomski, provided evidence against Mr. Clemens, Mr. Pettitte and first baseman David Segui. Mr. McNamee agreed to cooperate with the United States Attorney’s Office under the terms that he would not be charged with a crime if he told Mr. Mitchell and investigators the truth.

Mr. McNamee, who was employed as a trainer with the Yankees and Toronto Blue Jays, described in detail how, in a number of instances, he injected Mr. Clemens with steroids. Mr. Clemens had previously been suspected of steroid usage, but denied it.