Lewis test raises questions NBA Latest News: Lewis test raises questions

Friday, August 7, 2009

Lewis test raises questions

The NBA saved Rashard Lewis’s positive drug test for the summer, apparently. According to reports, Lewis tested positive at the end of the season, and was informed of the results. The NBA then followed protocol and gave him a chance to be retested and all of that jazz, at which point it was determined that he would be suspended without pay for 10 games, which will cost him more than $1 million in pay. The media, classically, has paid little attention to the test, probably because Lewis doesn’t play baseball. He’s received the kid gloves for his "over-the-counter supplement" excuse, and I’m somewhat inclined to believe him, based on some of the reports that I’ve heard. Hey, if we give Big Papi this much of a benefit of the doubt, I guess Lewis deserves it too. But, Lewis is the first big-time player to test positive for anything that actually helps performance to my knowledge, which brings up several questions.

1. Why wasn’t he suspended during the playoffs?

Without Lewis the Magic wouldn’t have made it to the NBA Finals, and the Cavs might be NBA champs right now.

2. Why is it possible to get legal, over-the-counter supplements at an upstanding business that are banned by professional sports leagues?

If it’s not illegal, why is it illegal in sports? I’m not saying it shouldn’t be, but if the government hasn’t determined that a "substance" is unsafe, shouldn’t it be allowed? And if the NBA knows something the government doesn’t about this substance, perhaps there should be a Congressional hearing on that, eh?

3. Who’s next?

I’ve heard people say PEDs don’t help basketball players. That is one of the worst arguments I’ve ever heard. Running faster, jumping higher, being stronger, and recovering more quickly aren’t helpful in basketball? Nope, I guess not. The whole "working-out" thing isn’t necessary; the players must just do it 360 days a year so they can look good with their shirts off. There are some suspicious looking guys out there, and they’re often the best players on their teams. The NBA is just like the other sports, it’s just the NBA is/was better at marketing than baseball is/was.

4. Should we believe Rashard?

I don’t know. It’d be nice if the guys who get paid to find these things out actually did it. That means you, ESPN. I’m anxiously awaiting the results of your in-depth investigation that surely must be going on into Lewis’s positive test and the likely presence of PEDs in the game. I’m sure adding more testing will help the potential labor clash to come in the next collective bargaining agreement, just coming up on the horizon.

5. Does taking PEDs make you a "bad person?"

I vote no. I think rape and manslaughters while under the influence are much worse, but I guess I’m in the minority there, based on who some of the most popular players in the game are, and the lack of jail time others have received.

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