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0 9 - 0 4 - 2 0 0 6 Lawyer readies Ricky Williams' appeal
Harvey Fialkov Don't count Ricky Williams out yet. So says the attorney who is handling the appeal of what would be the Dolphins running back's fourth failed drug test. If Ricky Williams loses Monday's appeal, it would be Williams' fourth strike in the NFL's substance-abuse program and could result in a minimum one-year suspension.
Attorney David Cornwell said he has taken on a "substantial number" of NFL player cases after which his clients either didn't face any discipline or received lighter discipline than many expected. Williams tested positive for marijuana on three previous occasions, but it has not been made public what substance caused a positive result in a December test. Williams was unavailable for comment. His agent, Leigh Steinberg, said Williams told him that he hasn't used illegal drugs since deciding to return to football last year. Even though the NFL's process of testing, collecting and analyzing specimens is sophisticated, there are loopholes.
Dr. Marc Halpern, Williams has become a proponent of holistic medicine and ingests a variety of herbs he believes can help promote physical and mental well-being. "They are quite common," Halpern said via e-mail. "Herbs including common herbs from India used in Ayurvedic medicine contain a wide range of pharmacological compounds that can mimic anabolic steroids. Two classes of these compounds are called physterols and steroid lactones." The NFL treats testing for steroids and drugs as two separate issues. A failed steroid test wouldn't count as a failed drug test under the NFL's substance-abuse policy. He also said that Valerian root, an herb used by students of Ayurveda who are seeking to reduce stress and promote sleep, could produce positive drug tests for derivatives of opiates, a banned substance on the league's list. "I'm sure many herbs have a cross-reactionary effect and could get false positives at on-site testing," said Lisa Dutch, a lab technician who analyzes drug tests for Redwood Toxicology in Santa Rosa, Calif. "Valerian root is a derivative of Valium and can show up positive at an on-site [drug] test for Benzodiazepine. But further testing at a lab wouldn't confirm that to be true Benzodiazepine or an opiate." Williams is expected to appear Monday and speak on his behalf. If Williams loses his appeal, he would be suspended for the 2006 season. |
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[Definitie:] "An ergogenic aid is any substance or phenomenon that enhances performance."
(Wilmore and Costill) 
