Rodney Harrison! WHY!?

So Thursday I watched the Giants play their last preseason game against the New England Patriots. I find it hard to watch football with just my eyes, so I usually have my computer out with stats and roster info pulled up on both teams. I had company over so I was kinda half watching the game, half researching, half entertaining. Yes, I know there are 3 halves. Stick with me people. I had a flashback to the 2004-2005 season when the Pats won the Super Bowl, and one of my favorite players during that time was Rodney Harrison. I thought to myself, hmmm, I wonder how he's doing? So I looked him up and found out some info I didn't know. Like for instance, this is his 14th year in the league and he's 34 years old. Football age is like dog years so he should have been left the game. He was drafted by the Chargers in 1994, then later signed a 6 year deal with the Patriots in 2003 as a free agent. Ok, so you're wondering where the hell I'm going with this, right? Who signed up for a Harrison bio? Rodney Harrison admitted that used Human Growth Hormones, HGH! And for violating the league's substance abuse policy, he's been suspended without pay for the first four games of the regular season. The bruising, Pro-Bowl safety won't be eligible to play until the Pats face the Bengals in Cincinnati on October 1. Harrison is in his last two years of his contract, and earlier in the summer agreed to restructure his 2007-2008 season salary. His base salary went from $2.7 million, to $2, and this 4 game suspension is goin to cost him $470,588. His 2008 salary, $2 mil, remains untouched.

'Well, what the hell is HGH? And how does it affect the body?' I'm glad you asked me that. The pituitary gland in the brain actually produces growth hormone, a protein, naturally. As we age, the production level decreases. People turned to synthetic growth hormones in an attempt to halt and reverse the signs of aging. Originally used to increase the height of children with stunted growth, synthetic HGH is now used to increase exercise capacity, height, body and muscle mass, improve mood and motivation, and decrease body fat. Human growth hormone also helps those recovering from orthopedic injuries. It has been called "The Fountain of Youth." Results are best achieved when HGH is injected intramuscularly, and results can be seen after a few months of use. Sure there are some bad side effects like swelling, headaches, diabetes, hardening of the arteries, high blood pressure and abnormal growth of bones and internal organs, but for some, it's well worth the risk. And now, back to football!

A federal investigation involving the New York Bureau of Narcotics Enforcement and a Florida based task force interviewed Harrison about his involvement with the online distributor busted during this investigation. He readily admitted to authorities that he obtained HGH, and since he was so cooperative, no criminal charges are expected to be filed. While he acknowledges taking the HGH, he maintains that he's never used steroids. Harrison has suffered severe injuries over the past few years, including a broken shoulder blade and a blown knee, and says he started using the banned substance two years ago, not to "gain a competitive edge" but rather "solely for the purpose of accelerating the healing process." He also came out with public apologies, stating that he alone was using with HGH, and that it had nothing to do with his teammates. He also sent a message out to young football players who admire him, acknowledging he made a mistake and "sent the wrong message with his actions." For setting the a bad example as a role model Harrison said, "I am very, very embarrassed by it. I am disappointed in myself."

Look, he took them to help rebound quickly, and it's understandable. He's an older player, and when you get to be his age, sometimes you need a lil suh-in suh-in to still be able to compete. He's almost at the end of his rope but still wants to play. Over the past few years he's had a number of serious injuries, which happen to a player who is well above his prime. Sure 40's the new 20, but a 40 year old body does not have the snap back of a 20 year old one. In an attempt to recover quickly from knee and shoulder injuries, he decided to use a substance prohibited by the NFL. And he's paying for it. Harrison is know for his aggressive, hard-hitting style of play. He has even been accused of being a "dirty" player and over his career has been fined more than $200,000 by the NFL for his rough play. Those deafening impacts took a toll, not only on his wallet, but his body as well. Pats have one of the strongest defenses in the league, largely due to Harrison's presence. New England is 44-7 when Harrison plays, 15-9 when he doesn't. With Richard Seymour being out as well due to injury, the Pats will have quite a trip without two of their perennial defensive leaders. Harrison's teammates voted for him to receive the 2006 Ed Block Courage Award. This annual award is given to a player on the team that and serves as an inspiration to the team and best embodies sportsmanship and courage. These winners usually come back from serious physical injury or devastating personal tragedies.

I don't know what it is about me, but I'm not as anti-banned substances as I thought I would be. Up With Hope, Down with dope! used to be one of my favorite slogans but I'm not so jaded anymore, especially when it comes to athletes. Granted crack, heroine and crystal meth are still, and will always be, bad, performance enhancing drugs don't carry the same negative connotation. Maybe it's the name, performance enhancing. Sounds kinda sexy even. (Sort of like calling it ED instead of erectile dysfunction) The bodies have gotten bigger, the hits have gotten harder, and the injuries more severe. Owners, management, coaching staff, teammates and fans all want players to get better, not older. Sometimes your inherent best isn't good enough and you need a lil extra juice to get over that proverbial hump, especially when age is a factor. And yes, I know that performance enhancing drugs are bad and compromise the integrity of any sport. It is not at all fair that someone who uses drugs gets the same, if not more, accolades and and respect than someone who achieves the same athletic heights naturally. For me this boils down to two key issues:

1) The league is not testing vigorously for the drugs they claim they don't want invading their sport. From what I've heard, HGH is relatively undetectable. Not only does it require blood test to be done, which the NFL does not do, but one would have to be tested within a relatively short time period after using. Literally, a matter of hours. There are other drugs that are more detectable but players, and coaches, know the ins and outs of the testing so it's easy to beat them. This applies to all sports, including steroid-plagued baseball.

2) Everyone else is doing it! Ok, not everyone, but a lot of people. Hell, Tim Couch, former #1 draft pick turned NFL bust, admitted to using HGH while he wasn't in the league. He was rehabbing, trying to get healthy in order to make a productive return to the NFL. He claims he used it under doctor supervision for three weeks. No one seemed to care. I don't know if it's because it's Tim Couch, or because he was outta the league when he did it, or because there's an unspoken acceptance within the league regarding HGH. The drug is virtually undetectable, and clearly the only way the league can find out about it is if you pull a Couch and confess, or bust a Harrison and get caught by the Feds.

Former NFL QB and current Dallas Cowboys QB coach Wade Wilson also surfaced during the investigation. He used the drug from 2004-2006 while he worked for the Chicago Bears. At 48 years of age, Wilson has been living with diabetes for more than 20 years and says he took the drugs to "improve the quality of [his] life." Hey, I'm buyin it. Oh, not the HGH, his story. I'll make that decision when I'm lookin down the hill, not up it.