More On Mayweather/Pacquaio And Random Drug Testing
Kevin Iole wrote a great piece today about why Manny Pacquaio vs. Floyd Mayweather is going to have the same hold-ups that it did the first time.
The article details the dates in which Floyd Mayweather and Shane Mosley were drug tested by the USADA.
According to the article:
Mayweather gave blood and urine on March 22, April 1, April 13 and then May 1 after the fight. He gave urine only on April 3, April 6, April 21 and April 24. Mosley gave blood and urine on March 23, March 31, April 12 and then May 1 after the fight. He gave urine only on March 29, March 31, April 7, April 20 and April 26.
Iole pointed out that the blood testing dates were more than two weeks before the fight, which is what Team Pacquiao is now saying their limit on blood testing will be.
But Travis Tygart, the chief executive officer of USADA, points out what the entire crux of the issue is.
From the article:
“That totally misses the point,” Tygart said of the reaction some may have upon hearing of Pacquiao’s concession and the timing of Mayweather’s last blood test. “If you know you aren’t going to be tested within the last 14 days, you can cheat and get away with it. It is our right to test at any time, 30 days before the fight, 20 days before, the week of, the morning of – that provides the deterrent. If you block out a period of time and say we can’t test during that period, then an athlete could cheat and get away with it.”
And that’s the issue. That’s why the drug testing needs to be random. If you know 14 days in advance of the fight you won’t be blood tested, you have no fear. You can take things that won’t show up in urine analysis without conscience. That’s also what makes people think that Team Pacquiao is hiding something.
The USADA is as hip to the drug testing game as any organization going. Are the tests perfect? Well, I’m still not convinced they are catching anyone who takes HGH, so I’d say no. But the fact that Manny Pacquiao wants to name his testing date is a black eye on his stature as far as I’m concerned. And as a fan, it’s frustrating to see a guy who is so brilliant and smart in the ring, be so unintelligent about why this is important outside of the ring.
Mayweather Promotions CEO Leonard Ellerbe had the last word, and this is why this fight is going to be so hard to put together.
I will say this: If and when Floyd Mayweather decides to fight again, random blood and urine testing will be part of it. Period.
This to me looks like another attempt to force his hand. Either he gets his way and has no test within 2 weeks of the fight, or otherwise he can deflect criticism Floyd’s way by saying we made the compromise and did everything in our power to get this fight made. And a lot of people will buy into that. It’s actually quite astute on the Pacquiao camps behalf.
Random is the way to play =D
I just hate to see politicians kill big fights like this. Oh well.
Bollocks.