THE 'ROID REPORT FOR THE WEEK OF JUNE 22

by Gary Gaffney, MD, Steroid Nation

"Terry Bradshaw". Just the name itself demands respect and awe from...well from someone out there, probably in McKeesport PA. The week kicked off with the word spreading that the legendary Steeler QB admitted to using steroids. However, knowing the impulsive Bradshaw, questions remained whether the current football commentator meant anabolic steroids, or anti-inflammatory corticosteroid or simply an aspirin or two. As we go to press, Bradshaw clarified the entire thing: maybe it was the anti-inflammatory kinds of steroids he said. Or maybe as Hollywood Henderson said "He can't spell cat, even if you spotted him the C-A". At least Bradshaw is still alive, which is more than can be said for many of his juiced Steeler teammates.

From off-track to on-track. The US Olympic trials continue in Oregon this week. The new track must be incredibly fast, because the times run there fall into the "simply amazing" category....or the 'simply juiced' category. As one writer asks: 'Can we enjoy track anymore', with the long shadow of steroid-use hanging over every race, and every record.

Tyson Gay ran an incredible 9.68, although wind-aided. A high school kid zoomed to a 10.01, the fastest high school sprint in the US track history; Jeffrey Damps will run back punts at Florida next fall. Women loved the track with 100M times in the 10.8 range. The women's 100M winner, Muna Lee, never broke 11.00 before her win in Oregon at 10.85. Mark Zeigler summed things up about the roid cloud: "Whether it is the Beynon Surfaces track or a sizzling generation of American sprinters or the gentle tailwinds or illicit doping rearing its head once again, the performances at steamy Hayward Field yesterday were nothing short of stunning." Track controversy in all race venues continued, even in the marathon -- Hawaii Marathon winner Ambese Tolossa found himself suspended for morphine.

One runner who will not be stunning in Oregon will be Justin Gatlin -- former world record holder and drug-cheat -- although not for lack of legal effort. Gatlin obtained a restarting order 10 days ago, apparently allowing him to defy international regulatory agencies banning the sprinter from competition. However the Pensacola judge reversed himself over the weekend. Nonetheless, Gatlin was back in court, this time in Georgia; that effort to subvert the anti-doping agencies ran aground too. Looks like Gatlin will be grounded this week outside the Olympic trials.

On the testing front, a new report on the EPO urine test cast doubt on the ability of anti-doping agencies to pick up EPO cheats. The drug, that expands the red blood cell count, was not detected very well by anti-doping labs. This is an unfortunate development with the Olympics only weeks away and the Tour de France days away, and knowing that drug-cheats like Marion Jones once used EPO to perform better. A huge drug bust in Australia led authorities to wonder if a big conspiracy was brewing to enable athletes to dope fro the Beijing Olympics this year too.

Intrigue surrounded horse racing again this week. Big Brown's trainer Rick Dutrow not only insulted other trainers, his horse was nailed with a high level of clenbuterol. This guys must be trying his best to displace Roger Clemens from the seat of 'silly steroid infamy' this year. One of Dutrow's enemy's found his horse with a high level of Clen too...possible sabotage?

Great one-off stories this week. Horse-steroid using bodybuilder Julie Coram (photo to the left) in Manitoba hired a New York lawyer to bail her out of the hot juice of a positive steroid test. Gold medal winning swimmer Gary Hall vented about 'roid use in Olympic swimming. The women running the 100M at the Oregon Olympics had traps like linebackers -- hey it's all good (Torri Edwards photo to the right).

New Flash: this just in, the results for the 2006 Tour de France. Floyd Landis lost..again. Everyone can quit holding their collective breathes (for about 2 years now). Later...