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The meat of the article is the changes:

• Blood boosting substance EPO added to list of banned supstances. NFL will be only North American professional sports league to regularly test for EPO.

• Players suspended for using performance-enhancing drugs will forfeit a prorated portion of their signing bonuses.

• Increase from seven to 10 of the number of players on each team randomly tested each week during the season. Also, the unpredictability of random testing during the season and offseason increased.

• All players now will be subject to random carbon isotope ratio testing, previously used only to confirm positive tests. Test used to detect doses of testosterone.

Emphasis is mine. Of course "prorated" is as about as clear to me as the "a fraction of a point will be deducted for incorrect answers" read right before the SATs.

The other thing they need to do is institute a rule that makes any player with a positive test ineligible for any NFL awards in that season (Pro Bowl, All-Pro, MVP, etc.).

The other thing they need to do is institute a rule that makes any player with a positive test ineligible for any NFL awards in that season (Pro Bowl, All-Pro, MVP, etc.).

i find it unbelievable that, with the exception of jason taylor, no one even remotely called out shawn merriman for his violation this year. with the whole culture of steroids that is playing out around baseball this year, i just find it so odd that there is no outcry about the best defensive player in football being caught cheating. if anything, i was hearing "hey, check out the numbers merriman put up even after missing 4 games. what a monster!"

i just do not get it.

It's all in who does it. People care when Bonds does it, b/c he's already a villain. Good guys get off easy.

KB, I disagree with that, but the fact that everyone hates Bonds certainly makes things worse for him. I think it's the fact that baseball is more of a numbers oriented game.

Giambi was considered a nice guy and so was "Raffy", but they got taken to the woodshed and left alone after.

With Bonds, he's the single season HR champ and will be the all-time HR champ soon. I think that's what irritates people.

As far as the NFL goes, they do a great job with their imnage and people just do what they are told.

I thought my head was going to explode when I heard stuff like "We believe Merriman because he was BETTER after his suspension, which proves he wasn't taking them or they didn't help him".

I was watching a Chargers game early in the year (after he was busted, but before the suyspension went through). The busting was very out in the open at this point and the broadcasters were blowing him the whole game. They were saying stuff like "What a physical freak" and "There aren't many players in the NFL who can do THAT!".

I'm thinking, "no shit".

The NFL does a great job of keeping these things out of the papers after the initial report, too.

If you asked most people who are the 2 best defensive players in football, Peppers and Merriman would likely be brought up frequently. Both have been busted for steroids.

The elephant in the room for ALL sports is HGH, which none really test for, but is probably the most regularly used and undetected by current testing procedures.

I guess I just think that if TO or Chad Johnson or someone like that was busted, we'd be talking about a different reaction altogether. I see your point about baseball, but when 90% of the league has done them, and only a couple are mentioned, it does make it look like it's more about repuation than consistency.

Oh, if T.O. was busted, that WOULD create a stir. I don't know how much you can attribute his likability (or lackthereof) because the media swarms him when he takes a runny shit, but it would definitely be big.

Come to think of it, I bet it would be a lot bigger deal in the NFL if offensive skill players would get busted.

On defense, the only stats the NFL actually tracks (officially) are INTs and sacks, really.

If T.O., Tomlinson, and Peyton Manning all got busted or leaked testimony of them admiting they took the stuff got out, I think it would be a different story.

Always thought the media treated the NFL as "we know what's going on, but we're turning the other way".

If anything, Playmakers helped to expose some of the more sordid stuff in the NFL before it got canned. I just think the media is more willing to take things out on the other sports than the NFL - that whole "don't kill the golden goose" thing.

That's absolutely part of it.

I was listening to Colin Cowherd yesterday and I can take him or leave him, but he does bring up some interesting subjects few other will touch from time to time.

He was discussing Michael Vick's latest bust and the cover up surrounding it. He mentioned that he was sensored by the higher ups at ESPN when the Ron Mexico story came out. In fact, everyone at ESPN was forbidden to discuss it.

This was 100% related to ESPN's relationship to the NFL. Same reasonreason playmakers was cancelled.

This would be like Major League getting yanked from theatres because MLB told the stuido they weren't happy with how the league was portayed and the studio jumping.

It's sad.

The fact is the NFL absolutely throws their weight around and CONTROLS the media. The media complies because their pockets are lined with NFL money.

I normally don't have time to correct all my mistakes, but "censored"...ugh.

The fact is the NFL absolutely throws their weight around and CONTROLS the media.

Look no further than the Eagles for an example of that.

i find it unbelievable that, with the exception of jason taylor, no one even remotely called out shawn merriman for his violation this year.

I'll assume you're talking about players. I read a few articles condemning Merriman and calling for him to be ineligable for voting. Maybe most of them were on ESPN Page 2, but at least a few people tried to bring it to light.

It could have been ESPN getting censored by the NFL, or it could have been someone up top at ESPN grabbing a favor chip for later by keeping the news hush-hush.

Censorship or politics, it's bad all the same.

I have a hard time condemning Merriman knowing he was selected with a first round pick that the Giants gave up for Eli.

I thought the only person who cared about steroids was Bob Costas. Dude never shuts up about it.

He's like Morrie asking for "his money"

Steroids stunted his growth.

I'll assume you're talking about players. I read a few articles condemning Merriman and calling for him to be ineligable for voting. Maybe most of them were on ESPN Page 2, but at least a few people tried to bring it to light.

well, i guess i was using a bit of hyperbole when i said nobody called him out. in general, though, the silence was deafening, to use a tired cliche.

It's not just the media that's not looking too deep into the NFL. TMQ brought up a point about how Sunday Ticket violates anti-trust laws, and if they really wanted to, the gov't could crack down on the NFL.

The NFL is lining so many people's pockets with money that no one wants to disrupt it - and anyone who does is quickly "silenced".

This is News? The NFL is one of the best at having things swept under the rug.

Does anyone out there believe that there will be any Network stories on either Tank (arrested 3 times in 18 months for gun violations and needed a Judge's OK to travel to SB XLI) Johnson or Ricky (Let's have some fun at Denny's) Manning Jr?

All is Happiness & Light through the NFL prism.

Don't forget "Live From South Beach...'Dhani's Dance Off'"!

Didn't one of the Chargers get shot by the Police? In his own driveway?

and a ninth - ninth - bengal was arrested (cant remember his name or the crime) in the last nine months. what the hell are the odds on that? what kind of f-ing scumbags are on that roster?

what a bum