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Gary Bettman took to The Hill in Washington, D.C. today, along with fellow NFL, MLB and NBA commissioners, in a hearing held to discuss the use of steroids and performance enhancing drugs in professional sports. Bettman testified about the rare documented usage of such performance enhancing drugs in the NHL, the NHL’s drug policy, and shared his rosy view of the overall situation in the NHL.
The following are a couple highlighted quotes thus far from Bettman during the hearing:
“This is not surprising when one considers the alleged benefits of steroid use, significant large muscle development, are not consistent with playing hockey at the highest level of the sport, and the resulting bulkiness attributable to steroid use simply is not the desired characteristic of skilled NHL players.”
“Indeed, while our historical experience indicates that performance-enhancing drugs are not a problem in the NHL, we nevertheless agree that the public at large and our fans in particular are entitled to have confidence that our games are being played in an environment free of performance-enhancing substances.”
The hearing will continue throughout the day. You can stay updated on the latest from the hearing at USA Today’s blog.
Just imagine Zdeno Chara on steroids!!
In the meantime, we have an update to make on our previous Stopping pucks for more bucks… post. We reported that Gary Bettman’s salary was $2 million per year. New data from the Sports Business Journal shows that Gary Bettman made $5.9 million in the year ending on June 30, 2006. So now we can save/earn the NHL another $4+ million per year by giving him a $1 million annual salary, further decreasing the need for advertising on goalie’s jerseys. But geeze, $5.9 million a year for Gary Bettman?!!! Give us a break… this is just another example of executives making off with millions, while the product they offer is turned to junk, and the company eventually runs itself into the ground. There are PLENTY of better qualified candidates out there who would accept a much more reasonable and lower salary to be commish, and would do a WAY better job than Gary Bettman has done.
Bettman gets 5.9 mil a year… most people would be fired if they did their jobs that poorly.
All I know is when Gary signed that contract for $5.9 Mil, he better have been wearing a ski mask and holding a gun because he has stolen every dime he has made off of the hockey fans in the US and Canada.
lol exactly, morris.
Just wish the pygmy brain would have ended this statement with “…our fans in particular are entitled to have confidence that our games are being played in an environment free of…” my blind and stupid officials.
Man, I only had 50 reasons why pin head should be fired. Now I got 5.9 million!
lol biscuitbasher
This is a “FireBettman” website and there’s no editorial response to the rediculous thing he just said??
“This is not surprising when one considers the alleged benefits of steroid use, significant large muscle development, are not consistent with playing hockey at the highest level of the sport, and the resulting bulkiness attributable to steroid use simply is not the desired characteristic of skilled NHL players.”
So that’s why size is a great thing in the NHL? That’s why they’re telling Patrick Kane to bulk up? When GMs look for size, I don’t think they’re looking for fat. With all that hitting night in and night out in a span of 82 (if you’re the Hawks) to 100 or so games incl. the playoffs, hockey is the most physical sport in this country. You gotta have muscle to survive that. And lost in all of this double-talk is HGH. Again with all of the pounding NHLers take, I wouldn’t be surprised if HGH use is rampant throughout the league, probably more than “traditional” ‘roids.
NHL enforcer John Kordic died after a fight with police after bingeing on cocaine at a hotel. Steroids were found in his system.
Kordic’s death and the ensuing toxicology report should have sent shock waves throughout the NHL community. Instead, his steroid use was labelled an isolated case.
Until 2006, when skilled defenceman Bryan Berard tested positive for steroids and earned a two-year ban from international competition.
He received no suspension from the NHL because his failed test came during a pre-Olympic selection camp for the United States hockey team.
This occurred two months after Dick Pound, head of the World Anti-Doping Agency, speculated that about a third of players in the NHL were abusing performance-enhancing drugs.
League officials, players and most NHL media members laughed off Pound’s accusations.
They are still laughing.