This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2013, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
As the NBA season is upon us, a common topic of conversation is whether NBA officials will come together on an agreement for HGH testing. These are role model figures in our community, and their actions have impact on the youths who watch these players nightly.
The NBA is embarrassed by being so far behind on anti-doping policies; testing policies have been established in both the MLB and the NFL. But there is a dramatic difference between creating policy and then actually enforcing it. The NFL has voted in the policy of testing, but has not yet actually enforced it. This has caused the government to get concerned that the NFL's intent to follow through is lacking. Undoubtedly, the government will get involved if they do not take action.
There is no place in major league sports for drugs. Pro athletes played sports in their youth without the use of HGH, and then they made their way to the big stage. Positive drug-free role models are what the youth of America need.
Travis Poulson
St. George