Commish, players discuss drug policy
The NFL and its union are discussing strengthening their drug program to keep pace with the increase in the number of performance-enhancing substances and the efficiency of masking agents.
Commissioner Roger Goodell, in his first news conference since taking over for Paul Tagliabue last Friday, said Wednesday he has been discussing the problem with Gene Upshaw, the head of the NFL Players Association.
Among the topics discussed were increasing the number of tests and perhaps the number of substances tested.
But Goodell, who has been the NFL’s chief operating officer the past six years, noted the review is nothing new: The union and the league review the drug testing program annually. The NFL makes approximately 10,000 random tests annually for performance-enhancing drugs to about 2,000 players.
“I think we’ve got a lot of great experts who will be able to work with this,” Goodell said. “We’ve always been at the front of the line in drug testing and I think we will continue.”
Goodell touched on a number of subjects, taking in most cases the same positions as Tagliabue – not unexpected given that he’s been on the job for less than a week and was Tagliabue’s No. 2 man.
Kitna praises cut Warrick
During his tenure in Cincinnati, quarterback Jon Kitna referred to receiver Peter Warrick as one of the best teammates he had.
So Kitna was sad to see Warrick’s name on the list of Seattle Seahawks cuts during the weekend.
“It was unfortunate,” said Kitna, now the Detroit Lions quarterback.
Kitna said Warrick’s demise started in 2003, when he tried to come back too soon from knee surgery.
“You’re in the midst of a playoff run, so he felt like he needed to be out there for our football team,” Kitna said. “He came back too early, and it’s taken him two or three years to feel right with that knee again.”
Around the league
Carolina All-Pro receiver Steve Smith, who missed 17 days of training camp with a strained left hamstring, is questionable for Sunday’s game against Atlanta. … Kansas City tackle John Welbourn, who unexpectedly retired in June, was suspended for six weeks for violating the league’s drug policy. … Detroit assistant coach Joe Cullen was arrested twice in the past two weeks – once while police say he was driving nude and a week later on suspicion of drunken driving. … The NFL and its officials have reached agreement on a six-year contract extension, avoiding the kind of labor squabble that led to a two-week lockout five years ago. … NFL ticket prices increased an average of 5.6 percent for this season, according to Team Marketing Report. The average ticket will cost $62.38, an increase of more than $3 over last year.