New Orleans Saints Players Escape Suspension | IXGAMES

During the last NFL season, 4 players from the Saints were suspended as there was suspicion that they were trying to mask the use of steroids to enhance their performance on the football field. The Saints’ Will Smith and Charles Grant, who were hoping to get back into the game this season, have escaped suspension that was raised and questioned last year when routine testing showed the Saints players had traces of the banned diuretic bumetanide, which has a known use in sports for masking the presence of steroids.

The players claimed that the bumetanide was found in a weight loss supplement that the league knew that they were taking, StarCaps, which doesn’t list bumetanide as an ingredient . Taking it one step further, the players also claimed that the league knew that bumetanide could be found in the over-the-counter drug. Suspensions were not in place last season for these players since the NFL Player’s Association sued on their behalf, delaying the decision to just this week.

It was just announced that the New Orleans Saints players would not be suspended, in the spirit of fairness, since the league was unable to suspend Vikings players who had also tested positive for the banned substance. NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell commented on the situation, stating that “This situation presents several unique and narrow aspects that I believe call for us to put the good of the game ahead of questions of discipline. Considerations of fairness, uniform application of our policies, and competitive integrity all support deferring the suspensions at this time,” Goodell said. “I am not prepared to treat players differently when the same conduct is involved.” Despite the decision to forgo suspension of the Saints players, only time will tell what’s in store for the team’s starting defense since the issue is still pending in a Minnesota Courts.

As for the conflicting state laws which have resulted in the continuance of this case in the courts, Goodell hopes that the player’s union will continue to work towards a solution that will have the issue removed from the federal courts.

In the meantime, the Saints are happy to have their starting defense players, Smith and Grant back on the field to join them for today’s practice and game against the Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday.

Although there are conflicting views on this issue – it’s another circumstance where media surrounding the NFL this year has been focused less on the sport, and more on the issues of morality. With the Michael Vick situation still fresh, fans and non-supporters, are beginning to wonder how it is that sports stars in the NFL appear to be above the law and upheld to a different set of moral standards.