Bored 0 Report post Posted March 24, 2005 http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=2020408 New Orleans Saints head coach Jim Haslett admitted to taking steroids for a short time as an NFL player before they were banned, and estimated that half of the league's players in the 1980s were users, according to published reports. Haslett, a Pro Bowl linebacker during his nine-year NFL career, also told some reporters at the league's meetings in Hawaii that he believes steroids use in the NFL began with the Steelers in the 1970s. "If you didn't [take steroids], you weren't as strong as everybody else, you weren't as fast as everybody else," Haslett said in reports in Thursday's editions of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette and the Los Angeles Times. "That's the only reason to do it. Everybody's looking for a competitive edge." The NFL began testing for banned substances in 1987, although it did not begin suspending players for steroid use until 1989. The league introduced random testing in 1990 and the policy was written into the collective bargaining agreement in 1993. Currently, a player receives a four-game suspension for his first positive test, a six-game suspension for a second and a one-season ban for a third. No one has tested positive more than once, NFL spokesman Greg Aiello said. Haslett, who played at Indiana University of Pennsylvania and was drafted by Buffalo in the second round in 1979, said he took steroids for six weeks during one offseason early in his career. "I didn't think it was very good for you. I was hyper all the time. Got bloated, a fat face," he said in the published reports. Haslett played in Buffalo from 1979 to 1985, and finished his career in 1987 with the New York Jets. Haslett, who said that "all the offensive and defensive linemen, linebackers" were steroids users during his playing career, said the Steelers of the 1970s were big users. The Steelers won four Super Bowls in six years, beginning in 1974-75. "It started, really, in Pittsburgh," Haslett said in the Post-Gazette. "They got an advantage on a lot of football teams. They were so much stronger [in the] '70s, late '70s, early '80s ... They're the ones who kind of started it." Steelers owner Dan Rooney refuted Haslett's accusation. "This is totally, totally false when he says it started with the Steelers in the '70s," Rooney told the newspaper. "Chuck Noll was totally against it. He looked into it, examined it, talked to people. Haslett, maybe it affected his mind. "Noll told the players, 'Hey, this stuff doesn't do you any good. If you just do the work, lift, things like that, you'll be all right.' " At least one Steelers player from that era has admitted using steroids. Steve Courson, a part-time starter on Pittsburgh's last Super Bowl title team in 1979, has blamed a heart condition on steroid use. Courson has also said that teammates such as Jack Ham and Jack Lambert adamantly refused to use them. Haslett, who estimated his playing weight at 252, described his experience with steroids to reporters. "I didn't put weight on, I just got strong," he said. "If you lift on Monday, usually you lift Wednesday, Friday. [On steroids], you can lift like Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday. You never got tired. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
The Czech Republic 0 Report post Posted March 24, 2005 Haslett, who played at Indiana University of Pennsylvania That's a real mindfuck of a school name Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Vern Gagne 0 Report post Posted March 24, 2005 That means the Vikings did win a Super Bowl. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
kkktookmybabyaway 0 Report post Posted March 24, 2005 The Steelers used roids in the '70s? Get out of here. And I thought Mike Webster died from natural causes... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest MikeSC Report post Posted March 24, 2005 And why this is not a big story? The NFL has actually tried to deal with the problem, while MLB happily ignored it. -=Mike Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Mosaicv2 Report post Posted March 24, 2005 The Steelers used roids in the '70s? Get out of here. And I thought Mike Webster died from natural causes... OHHHHHH!!! (drum joke beat) Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
UseTheSledgehammerUh 0 Report post Posted March 24, 2005 I'm convinced that eventually every single player of every single team ever in sports will soon be found guilty of using steroids. Except for the Philadelphia Phillies...and that'll explain EVERYTHING. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
jimmy no nose 0 Report post Posted March 25, 2005 Living in Pittsburgh and listening to Mark Madden's radio show has been fun today since about 80% of the callers have been trying to say how Barry Bonds should have all of his accomplishments taken away while the Steelers 4 Super Bowls were perfectly legitimate, even though there's as much evidence pointing to the Steeler teams as there is to Barry Bonds. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Brush with Greatness 0 Report post Posted March 25, 2005 In regards to Haslett's comments, surprise surprise. I was telling everyone that two months ago. Yet for some reason everyone ripped on me for speculating that Walter Payton was on the juice. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
kkktookmybabyaway 0 Report post Posted March 25, 2005 Living in Pittsburgh and listening to Mark Madden's radio show has been fun today... Yeah, Madden's done this bit before. God, his callers write his material for him. (Jesus, ANOTHER TSM member from Pittsburgh?) I don't like Bonds at all, but I think putting the "*" by his accomplishments is lame... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Steve J. Rogers 0 Report post Posted March 25, 2005 In regards to Haslett's comments, surprise surprise. I was telling everyone that two months ago. Yet for some reason everyone ripped on me for speculating that Walter Payton was on the juice. BWG, here is another funny thing, check out my column at SportsJabber.com its in the link. I pretty much insinuate that Reggie White, Brian Picciolo and Walter Payton may have been on something because of their premature deaths I have showed it to several people, and not one of them (including the editor of the site) and said "WTF did you JUST say?" Basically I was trying to say that all the attention has been to baseball, well look at the NFL. When I was writing it I didn't think of Steve Corsin, player with the Steelers during that time, who came out and said he was a juicier, and HOF center Mike Webster of the Steel Curtain who did die way too young and steriod abuse has been linked to him Almost like the baseball mess has desentizied everyone to it Steve Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
kkktookmybabyaway 0 Report post Posted March 25, 2005 If memory serves, Corsin needed a transplant probably due in part to his roid-taking... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Vern Gagne 0 Report post Posted March 25, 2005 Brian Piccolo was undersized, and a mediocre third down back, whose only claim to fame was dieing so young. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Steve J. Rogers 0 Report post Posted March 25, 2005 Brian Piccolo was undersized, and a mediocre third down back, whose only claim to fame was dieing so young. Besides the point, I just heard something that suggested Picciolo used it based on the fact that he developed a form of cancer that was rare for someone so young. Steve Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Vern Gagne 0 Report post Posted March 25, 2005 Did steroids even exist in the late 60's. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Steve J. Rogers 0 Report post Posted March 25, 2005 Did steroids even exist in the late 60's. Yeah, German athletes were using them in the Olympics. Not sure which one but I heard steriods were supposedly developed for useage by soilders back in the 50's-60's(I guess akin to Marvel Comics' "Super Soilder Serum" that begot Captain America) Steve Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Vern Gagne 0 Report post Posted March 25, 2005 Didn't know that. Piccolo was awfully young to have gotten cancer, from using steroids. The other alleged players all died well after their playing careers ended. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Bored 0 Report post Posted March 25, 2005 You know not everyone who uses steroids gets cancer or does every professional athlete who did get cancer got it because they used steroids. Hell even Lyle Alzado's cancer wasn't caused by steroids, even though he believed they did but there was no evidence to support it. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Agent of Oblivion Report post Posted March 25, 2005 Jack Lambert was already a fucking nutjob. He'd bite people in the bottom of piles. I can't imagine if he were to be roid raging. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
