BE to consider steroids test

[ChiTownBull]

http://www.sptimes.com/2005/05/24/Sports/League_to_consider_at.shtml

PONTE VEDRA BEACH - Joining Congress, baseball and everyone else, the Big East's athletic directors will discuss the possibility of steroid testing for athletes as the conference's annual meetings continue today.

"We could say there isn't a problem, but that's being naive," commissioner Mike Tranghese said Monday. "I sure hope the kids are reading about what's going on and not doing it, but I'm not naive."

Tranghese said the topic came up last week during a teleconference of NCAA conference commissioners, and while the Big East's discussions are preliminary, he'll take the schools' suggestions to the commissioners' annual meeting in Colorado next month.

"What's been curious to me is we haven't heard anything from the NCAA on this," Tranghese said. "Some of us are probably looking toward them for leadership on this issue. If we're talking about doing anything, it'd be for '06-07. You have to be careful. You can't do it for a sport. It's got to be across the board."

Big East schools conduct random drug testing, but there is no comprehensive plan on the league or national level. Tranghese said he expects the issue to be part of the NCAA's agenda for next year, but said he hasn't begun to explore even when or how often testing would occur or what form of disciplinary action would be appropriate.

"It's feasible," he said. "It just costs money, that's all."

STABILITY: Two years ago, the league's meetings at the Ponte Vedra Beach Inn & Club drew a media frenzy amid news that Miami, Boston College and Virginia Tech could be leaving to join the Atlantic Coast Conference. Last year, the Big East was welcoming five new member schools - Cincinnati, DePaul, Louisville, Marquette and USF - who will officially join the league July 1.

"The last two years, it's been pretty bombastic, a lot of turmoil and patching, trying to get through," Tranghese said. "It's nice not to talk about people leaving and people coming. We know who's here, and we're totally focused on the things we now can do."

A year ago, Doug Woolard had just been announced as USF's athletic director and was finishing up his last month at his old school, Saint Louis, when he flew to Ponte Vedra Beach for his first official act as a Bulls representative.

"For everybody, all the realignment that happened across the country, there were a lot of people having to juggle being in one league and at the same time knowing you're going to be in a new league," Woolard said. "Everybody feels good about being able to focus on the future. I always felt a real commitment to Conference USA ... at the same time, there was so much enthusiasm and excitement about going into the Big East, for all five new schools. We feel like more of a family every time we meet."

BULLS BITS: Woolard said USF will seek a local radio affiliate this fall for the Big East's weekly Thursday night show. A weekly TV show for the league during football and basketball seasons could also get a local broadcast. ... USF's annual Athletes Auction, a major fundraiser for the program, generated $227,000 in donations, an improvement of more than 50 percent from last year. ... The new Big East logo is quietly making appearances, but the conference will start promoting its new branding nationally in July, with an official unveiling at the league's preseason football gathering in Rhode Island.

FOOTBALL: Former Tennessee quarterback Brent Schaeffer , who has USF among the schools he's considering for a transfer, will make his first campus visit this week, going to Clemson on Wednesday, his mother, Chandra , said. ... Back on USF's recruiting radar is Sarasota running back Terrence Jones , who signed with the Bulls in 2004 but was not able to graduate until he recently passed the FCAT exam. Coach Jim Leavitt visited Jones on Thursday and is encouraging him to retake the ACT. He needs to improve his score by only two points to meet NCAA eligibility requirements, according to Booker coach Fred Gilmore .

[Velcro]

wow, that would be a big boost (jones)... it would give us a few explosive backs after Hall.

[No_Willie_Jokes_Yet]

The last thing the Big East needs is to test for steriods when other schools are not doing it yet. I would like to think every kid is legit and not on steriods but if they are at other schools and they arent in the Big East, then the Big East will take a perception hit as they lose to those other schools.

[BULLfreak]

. I would like to think every kid is legit and not on steriods. ..... ..

Poor boy such a dreamer!

[Jim Johnson]

The last thing the Big East needs is to test for steriods when other schools are not doing it yet. I would like to think every kid is legit and not on steriods but if they are at other schools and they arent in the Big East, then the Big East will take a perception hit as they lose to those other schools.

I agree... the playing field should be level.  Every conference should include steroids in their random testing.

Congress is looking at professional sports, but the law they pass could include -- if they so chose -- academic and amateur sports as well.  Heck, the Florida Legislature has been talking in recent sessions about testing high school students -- I don't think the bill has passed, though.

[sdgukhsdgl]

i think our LB crew would be safe the way they looked compared to other teams last year

[Brad]

I think Tranghese is just getting the concept out there and testing the waters.  This will basically force other conferences to look at this - answer questions -  in the near future.

No doubt Tranghese is going to be a leader, an up-front figure for the conference (as he has been), unlike the absentee commissionership we were accustomed to in the post-Slive C-USA.

As far as drug testing goes for the site..we have elected not to drug test the entire body of TheBullsPen.com members, although we are working on a selective screening method for those regulars in the Mad Cow Lounge.  

[smazza]

this is pandering to the masses

drinking and use of other drugs is far worse than steroids

[Ricky the Bull]

this is pandering to the masses

drinking and use of other drugs is far worse than steroids

The obvious difference is that steroids give you unfair advantage whereas drugs/drinking give the advantage to the other team.  Teams are a bit more likely to put controls in place in for the latter.

[lotsofbull99]

As far as drug testing goes for the site..we have elected not to drug test the entire body of TheBullsPen.com members, although we are working on a selective screening method for those regulars in the Mad Cow Lounge.  

Come on now, Bulliever, you know there are people on this board that are on the juice to increase their post counts.  Just take Smazza for example he has twice as many posts as anyone else.  How is that humanly possible unless he is on the roids?  I want testing for all starting with Smazza!