Backlash against AP voters who supported Brian Cushing is building
Posted by Gregg Rosenthal on May 13, 2010, 11:57 AM EDT
The biggest steroids-related story that the NFL has seen in years, if not ever, continues to grow tentacles. The morning after the unprecedented Associated Press do-over regarding the defensive rookie of the year award, anger is mounting within some media circles regarding the decision of 17 voters to vote once again for Brian Cushing, who gave in September a urine sample that tested positive for hCG, a non-steroid commonly used after a cycle of steroids. (One voter, Ed Bouchette of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, actually changed his vote from Bills defensive back Jairus Byrd to Cushing.)
The backlash started last night, when Austin Murphy of Sports Illustrated threw off the gloves and targeted the band of sportswriters who opted not to ban Cushing from receiving the honor. "Memo to 18 AP voters who let Brian Cushing keep his award, despite clear PED use: you should be drug-tested yourselves," Murphy said via Twitter. "What a f'ing joke."
Vic Ketchman of Jaguars.com was more tactful, but just as powerful. "The message is that what Cushing did is no big deal," Ketchman writes. "The message is that
a lot of sportswriters believe that what Cushing did is nothing more
than what a lot of other players do, and that message greatly
disappoints me. This kid had the look coming out of college. Everybody
knew it but we all turned our back on it. The use of
performance-enhancing drugs sickens me. It is, in my opinion, the
ultimate in cheating. This is far worse than what Bill Belichick did
with a video camera. As everyone knows, I'm a firm believer in the
philosophy of innocent until proven guilty. In Cushing's case, he's been
proven guilty, yet, he's being suspended for two games fewer than a guy
who wasn't even charged with a crime.
"Worse, yet, my media brothers are
allowing Cushing to keep his award. Shame on them. They sold out."
Our good friend Howard Balzer of the Sports Xchange and the St. Louis Globe-Democrat, who changed his own vote from Brian Orakpo to James Laurinaitis, was candid via e-mail.
"I'm almost too stunned for words," Balzer said. "When I found out the result of the Cushing vote and how some made their vote a protest of the process, I couldn't believe it.
"The AP gave us a chance to right a wrong and it was fumbled badly. And Cushing has the gall to say he is still 'honored.' Makes me want to gag.
"Those that say the AP move was unprecedented . . . of course, it was. When has an award been given one season, and before the next season is played we learn the winner used PEDs that previous year?
"In retrospect, the AP should have stripped him of the award, had a re-vote and declared him ineligible.
"Everyone that voted for Cushing originally should have considered one thing and one thing only before re-voting: If he had been suspended last season would we have voted for him? That answer is probably obvious, especially because the missed games would have impacted his production.
"This should have been easy. It makes no sense."
We agree. And, frankly, we have an even bigger problem with the idea that people voted for Cushing the second time around not because they thought that Cushing should keep the award, but because they disagreed with the notion of doing the vote all over again.
Folks, if that's the way you feel, then don't vote at all, like ESPN's Chris Mortensen. Better yet, resign your position as a member of the panel.
Really, if the voters disagree sufficiently strongly with the decision to conduct a second vote that they're willing to go Veruca Salt and vote for Cushing again despite clear evidence he was using a banned substance that is the lemon juice to the hypodermic tequila shot, why in the hell didn't they simply quit instead?
John McClain of the Houston Chronicle, whom we respect and like, has taken this thing to a new level, openly calling it "absurd" to have a second vote.
Again, then why participate at all?
And if the folks who decided to make a mockery of the process didn't have the nerve to walk away from the 50-person club, the AP should force their hand, and force them out.
We know that at least 18 members of the sportswriting community, including our good friend Tom Curran, may not appreciate our message or the manner in which we're delivering it. When we take a hard stand on an issue like this, we do it because we believe it's important to be willing to point out from time to time that the emperor is unwittingly riding down the street butt-naked on a horse.
In this case, we believe that the emperor is aware that he's naked, that he's standing up in the saddle doing the Cabbage Patch, that he has a long piece of toilet paper stuck to his left foot, and that he intentionally put it there.
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178 responses to "Backlash against AP voters who supported Brian Cushing is building"
tnsteve says:
…and Florio is standing behind him stating his doesn't think the sh*t smells bad enough to him…
Siggy00 says:
Where was all this backlash when Merriman was busted and he won the same award? Were PED's in sports not an issue then or is this something new that happened in 2010?
FantasyFootballSentinel says:
Perhaps it's time to take the power to decide who are the best players in the game away from people who have never played the game.
Slow Joe says:
Everyone that voted for Cushing let us know how they feel about cheating in professional sports.
Bullet says:
All I hear is a buncha f'n whining!!! Who cares what he took? Football is entertainment. Let them all take steroids or PED's or whatever!!!! Ya'll are all idiots if you think no one else in the NFL isn't roidin. If it's better entainment, who gives a f**k!!! I'm glad Cushing kept his award. You know what, I'm even more glad and proud that Cushing is on my team… the TEXANS!!!
Shaen Ross says:
Everybody uses PEDs.
It seems the only people who are offended seem to be reporters.
Show me the group of people who care about PEDs that dont have a column or as blog.
How many of these people stood and screamed from the rooftops during baseballs steriod era.
And they do what they have to do to get on the field.
sguy2130 says:
"One voter, Ed Bouchette of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, actually changed his vote from Bills defensive back Jairus Byrd to Cushing"
Looks like Douchette saw Cushing emulating his favorite players past/present on the Steelers by using PED's to perform better. This makes him deserve DROY in his mind. Shocker…
ethan robert says:
"Hail, Michael, Glorious Ruler!
We follow your saddled steed into the fray! Your trailing banner is our mandate.
All Hail Michael the First!"
The Wishbone says:
Chris Mortensen is a hypocrite and a coward.
FreeAgentPro says:
Florio, it is becoming very annoying that you keep sucking up and ass-kissing other members of the media by constantly referring to them as ' my good friend' or ' my pal' . This is unprecendented. Nowhere else do I read this nonsense. Obviously you have no journalistic training. If you want to cite a source, fine, then cite it and stop with the adulations. It assures the readers that you are not totally objective when critiquing other media members.
This Guy says:
Not a shocker here. Pittsburgh won most of their Super Bowls because of steroid use. Of course, they are going to support a user.
buffaloben77 says:
what a joke the AP writers have made of themselves.
Vic Ketchman is right. The sportswriters who voted for Cushing are a disgrace. They have sent the message out, loud and clear, that cheating in the NFL is no big deal. They'll honor your cheating with awards.
As for Merriman–people who voted for him then were wrong too.
downwithdansnyder says:
Why not just give it to the guy who finished second?
I can't believe the words of Ed Bushette. He says he changed his vote and voted for Cush the second time because he thought he was the best player on the field. If thats the case why didn't he vote for him in the first place. Am I the only one that don't get this.
Sting Ray says:
Excellent. Exactly why I frequent this site, someone who has the knads to say this s*** stinks.
18 AP Voters for Cushing just said to everyone, juice up, young one's, it's the way to become a PRO.
Jean Rasczak says:
I hate all the talk about precedent. Citing past injustices being rewarded (Belicheck cheating and coach of the year) without recall is ludicrous. It's like saying that the USA shouldn't have entered WWII because of the country's precedent of non-involvement. Times change and so do expectations. Let's not take MLBs mantel and use it as a the NFL's model for dealing with PEDs.
hsf09 says:
FantasyFootballSentinel said "Perhaps it's time to take the power to decide who are the best players in the game away from people who have never played the game."
And yes, why all this backlash for Cushing? The guy is getting hammered worse than Barry Bonds.
They wanted re-vote, they got it. Re-vote happened, Cushing still wins. People are up in arms again. Simple for the AP, if they didn't want him to win, don't vote for him!
I have a feeling more backlash will be coming this afternoon.
Opie says:
"This kid had the look coming out of college. Everybody knew it but we all turned our back on it." ———–
The hell does that mean? More importantly, if Vic Ketchman felt that strongly why the hell didn't he, you know, actually stand up and say something BEFORE this came out?!?
Another point, do a little comparison of stats. Knock off the 1st 4 games of last year and see if his numbers were still worthy of the award?
As someone else mentioned, where was the outrage for Merriman?
kennethnoisewater says:
I think everyone is missing the actual point here……. who cares? Really, all these voters getting their panties in a bunch are just using it as an excuse to hear themselves talk (what else is new). The reality is no one cares about your opinion, you're just a person like everyone else. Is anyone going to remember who the Defensive ROTY is in 3 years? Nope. But that's not the point; let's just start hurling jabs at our colleagues because we have nothing else to write about, and we want to grandstand about this mundane issue. Pathetic. Here's a message to the "it sends the wrong message crowd". How about do some actual effing parenting yourselves for crying out loud, since you're so pious and can distinguish the difference between right and wrong.
cunn9305 says:
Maybe it's because the those guys realize that we don't live in a fairy tale world. A good portion of those guys are taking something … he just got caught. Get off the high horse dude. The NFL is for gladiators and anything goes.
CT Pats Fan says:
If they wanted to protest the process, they should have voted for some rookie that didn't deserve it at all, or just withhold their vote.
There are ways to protest the process/system/precedent without giving your vote for a guy who was using steroids. To say otherwise is disingenuous.
Siggyoo, stop being ignorant. That angle has been covered countless times by many different media. Intolerance has made progress in the past few years. What was tolerated in the past is no longer tolerated. PED awareness is much greater now than earler. 2010 is more strict than either 2002 or 2005. Plus the rules are fluid – they change as we go. After Merriman was voted to the Pro Bowl in the season he was suspended, they changed the rules so that no player is elligible in any season he is suspended. The pont is every change sets a precendent going forward. Maybe someday players will be inelligible for more than one season for cheating – like NCAA sanctions .
pmarshall says:
Everyone is acting like this is the end of the world. Who cares?! It's an arbitrary award that has absolutely no bearing on the actually playing of the game. Just an excuse for a bunch of fat sports writers like Peter King to get morally indignant. I agree with Bullet…it's entertainment! Brian Cushing and Shawne Merriman are far more entertaining when they are on steroids. It's a GAME. Stop acting like the fate of the universe hangs in the balance of the Defensive Rookie of the Year Award.
sniperskin says:
this is a joke. Its saying its ok to cheat, we will give you a award anyway.. thats not setting a good example for kids who are trying to make it in the NFL. All this says is " ITS OK DO STEROIDS, WE WILL EVEN GIVE YOU A AWARD FOR YOU NOT SO HARD WORK"
shaunypoo says:
It is your site so I am not going to bang on you for writing your opinion, but your "journalistic integrity" is going out the window with all these sanctimonious editorials (and obvious ass-kissing to real journalists who agree with you point of view).
You don't like it, we get the point.
I really enjoy this site, but it is not beneath me or any of us to quit looking at it for awhile to see if you can get your head on straight and post more rumors and less opinions.
If I want to be preached to, I will go to church.
I think "bouchette" is French for potty mouth or something similar. Ed is the ultimate cynic. But he is bang on about the ludicrousness of this whole revote crap.
Vox Veritas says:
I do not have a problem with a guy using steroids if that is what he thinks it will take to make him competitive against superior talent in the NFL. If more of these college kids would wise up to steroids then think how much more competitive the NFL would be and they would even be able to add expansion franchises without a significant drop off in talent the additional teams would bring by diluting the player pool…
Citizen Strange says:
It is really this simple.
Anyone who voted for Cushing in the do-over is just a jocksniffing hack with zero integrity.
boltmancraft says:
"In Cushing's case, he's been proven guilty, yet, he's being suspended for two games fewer than a guy who wasn't even charged with a crime."
Is this guy for real? Is he comparing RAPE with having a PED in his urine? Also, if I'm not mistaken, Cushing has not been charged with a crime, either. However, Roethlisberger has most DEFINITELY been found guilty…of being an abuser of women–TWICE–and those are just the times he got caught. Don't humiliate yourself any further by comparing a rapist with a guy who did nothing worse than take the wrong vitamin. No wonder this guy is stuck as a writer for the worst club in the conference.
GurpBadesha says:
cushing be smoking that cushh chronic! thats why he got suspended
HitMachine says:
Can someone please ask Balzer why he changed his vote from Orakpo to Laurinitias?
To me this makes less sense than anything else mentioned here.
scottymcss says:
Headline should read:
"AP Re-awards Cushing Roy Award; Millions of Hopeful Highschoolers Inspired… To Dope Up."
After all, this world is for our kids, isn't it? We need to empower them, and provide a healthy, strong example.
The NFL is not exempt from forming the futures of the youth of this country. It puts a massive effort to market the game and the league to our youth.
Right now, the AP and the NFL are marketing drugs.
And Cushing is "honored."
Queen Victoria, please stop using the imperial "we." It's your site. You're taking a stand. Own it.
That said … None of this adds up. IS Cushing a longtime juicer? Or was he trying to rehab from an injury? If he tested positive in September, why was no action taken until after the season? He didn't file his appeal until February. At minimum, he should have been tested regularly after failing the first test. Was he? It makes a BIG difference for me if he's a longtime juicer vs. a player trying to rehab an injury–something that should be allowed with medical supervision.
If there were questions about Cushing coming out of college, why did the NFL Network chose him as one of their pre-draft posterboys?
If AP voters were protesting the process and had enough votes to champion Cushing … why didn't they just vote not to repeat the process? That would have saved a lot of embarrassment.
Answers please, Your Highness.
dabarber says:
I hate the uppity attitude that these "voters" take on–like they are so much smarter tahn everyone else because they write about football??!?!?
Same goes for the Baseball HOF idiots who vote in zero-2 guys every year.
1. This may be one of the best analogies I have ever heard. Classic.
" a second vote that they're willing to go Veruca Salt and vote for Cushing again despite clear evidence he was using a banned substance that is the lemon juice to the hypodermic tequila shot"
2.Florio is hoping the 18 guys get fired so he can get a vote.
On one Steelers website, they were all calling Ed Bouchette of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette a douchbag. He doesn't even have the respect of Steeler fans. The AP should now have an internal revote of who should belong to their 50- member country club. Those 18 protesters against the AP DROY revote should be thrown out.
IanWhetstone says:
Mr. Florio, I've been a long-time fan of this site, so I say this with the intent of constructive criticism: you really need to lay off the constant high-horsing. Just because you have an opinion and a platform of some prominence, it doesn't make you right.
joe6606 says:
Bouchette is a d-bag
He was one of the loudest Big Ben critics, even though there was no evidence that Ben did anything wrong, yet seems to think proven use of hCG —something that actually directly and negatively impacts the NFL — is fine..
/spit
GregJenningsFanClub says:
The AP should be ashamed of themselves for mishandling this revote. It was a great idea that turned into a terrible idea. Unreal.
So, how did Mark McGwire's Hall of Fame vote go? According the these 50, he'd probably be a shoe in. BOO to you all!
Abe the Hoosier says:
"….despite clear evidence he was using a banned substance that is the lemon juice to the hypodermic tequila shot…"
Looks like someone has never taken a shot of tequila. Either that, or there's different procedure when taking your tequila by hypodermic needle.
jimbone83 says:
Let it go…who cares anymore, it has been beat to death. It dont make a sh*t to me anymore. Juice, dont juice, whatever, just show up on Sunday and give us a show, thats all we want.
Its like being pissed because actors get plastic surgery or breast enlargements. If you like the movie watch it, if not change the f-ing channel!
Merriman – user / abuser / suspended / award winner
Peppers – user / abuser / suspended / award winner
Cushing – user / abuser / suspended / award winner
The fact is, Cushing was allowed to be included in the re-vote, so every voter had the opportunity to vote him as ROY again, which they did. You wouldn't have voted for him again knowing what you know. Fantastic. I now have your opinion. But because your opinion is different than enough of the people who actually get a vote, you want to spew venom over anyone who did ? I hope you didn't have that childish mentality in your law practice. Might be right up there with the "liar, liar, pants on fire" defense.
And I agree with what was said in an earlier comment that the only people who are going on and on (and on, and on, and on …) seem to be the talking heads and not the fans or the other players.
WE DON'T CARE !
He never failed a test in college
He didn't fail a test at the combine
He didn't fail a test in the preseason
He failed a test after trying to get back on the field after an injury
He didn't fail another test for the remainder of the year (which was probably monthly)
So you really think that his non-stop motor / balls out play September thru December was the result of the steroids he took somewhere during a 1 month period (passed test in preseason, likely August; failed test in September) ?
jj jones says:
Brian Cushing should Google "Mike Webster" and "Ken Caminiti".
prnandhomeless says:
seriously, who cares? what's with the fake outrage?
you can't really suggest that voters against the re-vote not vote, or that the AP should kick out those who made a "mockery" of the process. Is it a mockery simply because you disagree with the results?
I don't think what Cushing did was right, but when will everyone learn that we need to stop putting NFL players on a pedestal as our "role-models"? Throwing, running and tackling (even chemically enhanced) does not make you a good person last time I checked
MakingitRain says:
Who cares the guy got popped for taking HCG . That does absolutely nothing for your performance.
It only helps the volume of your sperm which in theory may help your natural testosterone increase.
It is not a masking agent for steroids as Dumb A** Peter King keeps reporting. I can't believe the Players Union ever agreed to such a banned list.
The only backlash I see is from the terd a PFT.
Seeryer says:
Prisco kept his vote for Cushing.
peskys_pole says:
Ban those writers like Arizona bans Mexicans!
therewasone says:
How dare they have a different opinion!
I'm not ignorant enough to think that other NFL players aren't using PED's. But, Cushing got caught, period. Don't point the finger elsewhere and say crap like, "but everyone is doing it." Everyone else didn't get caught. They are not the issue here. That's like telling a cop you weren't the only one speeding.
Cushing got busted. There is no way in hell his name should have appeared on the new vote. If others get busted they should be treated the same way. If they don't like it then they should have their union negotiate different terms.
JoshMac28 says:
Whoa whoa whoa!!!!!! HOLD ON!!!!!
I'm stunned!!!!!
So you're telling me, there is a newspaper in St. Louis called the St. Louis Globe Democrat? I have lived here all my life and never heard of it.
pramis123 says:
The way these sport writers handled this issue frankly should get them fired because journalism should be about the truth, and to have allowed this guy to keep his award is worse than what he did because it was 18 dummies that are supposed to be highly education and have been given an honor of selecting someone to win an award that represents outstanding performance within the rules. Kids see Cushing cheating, and they certainly think its ok; but they see some of the top sports journalist in our country vote for him to keep the award, it makes it legit that takeing drugs of any type is ok.
MotorCityKitties says:
What the F does the press know about football anyway? Half of those d-bags haven't ever buckled a chin strap but they are going to tell us who's the best?? That award is joke to begin with.
The 32 head coaches should vote for an award like this to mean anything.
CJ SPILLER says:
Only thing that comes out of Texas is queers and steers!! You should even be more glad (lol) and proud you use the word Ya'll.
Jobin says:
@Siggyoo
Yeah you're right no one cared about it this much when Merriman took the roids, he kept the award and no one said boo.
Steroids are a part of football the same way that they are a part of any other professional sport. The simple fact that these guys play for millions of dollars makes them a viable option to stave off injuries, increase performance and prolong careers. Everyone knew this guy was using when he came out of USC and everyone knew he was using when he came out of Bergen Catholic and you know what? It only takes one team to fall in love with a guy regardless of the reservations. He didn't have to test positive in college to know that he was taking steroids. It was something that NFL teams knew about from talking to his friends and teamates as far back as his high school days. Houston probably knew, they either thought he stopped or they didn't care and they took him. He played great roids or not and he won the award based on the knowledge at that time the AP gave him the award, a re-vote is pointless and moreover it gives the AP an opportunity to FAIL and FAIL they did. If this was supposed to be some attempt at imposing a consequence on Cushing then he shouldn't have been eligible in the re-vote. If it was meant to give the AP an opportunity to re-vote given new facts surrounding a candidate for the award then the re-vote is more of a criticism on the NFL steroid policy than it is any kind of consequence to Cushing.
MarinoRules says:
Great post Florio…the writers have shown themselves to be contemptible hypoctites…every one of them should be fired
great post Florio…the writers have shown themselves to be nothing but contemptible hypocrites…every one of them should be fired
servegmo says:
shame on them… fan who read these 18 writers should stop doing so, they cannot get away for making that decision and not regretting it… I am proud that the beat writer of my team didn't vote for him the second time and I let him know that…
HAUS says:
Way to go berserk Mike, pass it along to Gregg "Three-G" Rosenthal
sasquash69 says:
The AP has no clue. To vote for Juice head again is a slap in the face to any of the 3 remaining players that had a legit shot at the award. The AP should be stripped of all award voting because they are clueless sheep. How about the AP voting for Tiger Woods as ATHLETE of the decade. Again thats ATHLETE. Woods is a juice head also who should never in a million years be considered an athlete. I think R.Federer would have been the right choice there since hes an athlete. AP are a bunch of jacka$$es
TexansMike says:
America has spoken. shut the FFFFF up Florio.
Poll ResultsWho should have won the revote?
Jairus Byrd, Bills 18%
Brian Cushing, Texans 41%
Clay Matthews, Packers 28%
Brian Orakpo, Redskins 14%
55368 Total Votes
RiceforLife says:
Why are a bunch of writers voting on players anyway? I never understood that. They need to get the players in there to vote, not these pencil jockeys.
AlphaQ2 says:
People do not care as much about steroids in baseball because there isn't very much physical contact. As someone noted before, NFL payers are galdiators. I agree, and that's exactly why these guys can not be allowed to use PED's. As Carson Palmer said, it's a violent sport and he wouldn't be surprised if someone dies on the field. We are only increasing the chance of that statement coming to fruition by awarding guys who use PED's. The outcome of this revote is a terrible message regardless of the Teaxans fans loyalty.
sniperhare says:
Tell it like it is Vic.
420fan says:
all the little boys can now do steriods in high school, college and the pros, murder someone or lead underage girls to the bathroom to rape and know they really wont get in much trouble…..As long as your good on the field….Great Job NFL.
alewatcher says:
Maybe they should change the name the award to "Defensive Roider of the Year."
sevenwords says:
This really pisses me off, not because I'm a Bills fan, but because these idiot sports guys VOTED FOR A DOPER A 2ND TIME. What the hell were these guys thinking??? Not to mention these idiots just basically told the entire nation of high school and college players that "Hey, it doesn't matter if you cheat, you can still win awards." The people who voted for Cushing should be ashamed of themselves and should give up their role in picking these types of awards to people WHO ACTUALLY RESPECT THE GAME.
I also think Florio should post all the names of these idiots who voted for Cushing again so they can rightfully hear it from the public.
The Terminator says:
Man that is funny and BTW people from Pitt know this guy is a nut case…we do not take anything he writes or says seriously!
BroncoBourque says:
You can agree or disagree with the stance those 18 writers took but to say they should have just not voted is stupid. They believed that the first vote should have stood and voted Cushing the second time to try to make sure that at least the outcome would be the same. The fact that this is now being talked about and there is "outrage" just reinforces that these writers chose the right way to have their voice heard.
ignoringthehaters says:
The only people who care about media morons are other media morons. Seriously if you knew how insignificant you are you'd do the world a favor and stop wasting our oxygen. Go protect your "source" you freakin azz clowns
irishsamurai says:
i wish these supid writers were scrutinized and blasted and have thier background diagnosed like the people they put through the ringer,i cant stand these holier than tho,crap writers,,GET OFF YOUR HIGH HORSES A.P.,losers
J-Vance says:
This debate is absolutely ridiculous. Murphy, Ketchman and others who are condemning Cushing are doing so without complete knowledge of the entire situation. Just because he tested positive for hGC, not a PED, does not automatically mean he juiced.
But amidst all the fanfare and indignation over this award is anyone asking just why the AP is making a big deal of this now?
Seems to me that the AP collectively is generating news where there would not be any in the world of football.
The revote is a total sham and does not deserve the attention it has been given.
Until something more substantial than hearsay and rumor surfaces on Cushing this should be a non-story like it was with Peppers and Merriman.
Panda_Claus says:
HitMachine asked the same question I wanted to ask.
I understand the "stand by Cushing" stance, and the "throw Cushing to the lion's den" viewpoints, and even the "there shouldn't have been a re-vote, so my vote stayed the same" angle, but how does Balzer explain changing his vote from one player to another, and neither player is Cushing?
Hank says:
The NFL has no desire to root out PED use because it affects the product "quality" and ultimately the bottom line.
The NFL also cannot condone PEDs because it is harmful to kids/young adults hoping to emulate the success of other pro athletes.
The simple fact is the writers who voted for Cushing know this and choose to bastardize their journalistic integrity and schill for the juicers.
Real simple, if everyone in the NFL isn't using PEDs, the person using PEDs is a CHEATER. Remove all the moral arguments surrounding PEDs use, that equation still makes the user a CHEATER.
To the idiots defending Cushing, sports is a integral part of learning social and life skills, not just entertainment. Take away the stats for four games for Cushing and he's still playing 12 games on PEDs, which is CHEATING.
Real simple, you get caught, you pay the price. The AP award may mean diddly in the long run but the overall affect on the game itself is damaging. Baseball is a f'in joke, haven't watched a pro game since 1995.
GirthyOne says:
A bunch of losers voted for a loser.
twinsanity says:
AP writers(and sports media in general) just jumped the shark…. This is something to be celebrated and cheered…
NCRaiderDon says:
Does anyone here even care about the AP? I never took anything they vote on as substantial. They never played, and thry sure as hell don't know more than you or I about football.
They are nonexistant in my mind, until someone else brings them up.
I say all of us commenting here on this subject proclaim ourselves as AB (Associated Bloggers) and vote on random sports stuff. Surely we'd be taken more seriously than the AP (Allow Ped's)
techvet says:
The AP writers who voted for Cushing are a joke, especially the one who said, "I voted for Peppers in 2002 so I have to vote for Cushing." Peppers said he took an OTC drug. Cushing has been silent and word has leaked he took a masking agent. Big difference.
Alfie says:
I guess 2002 when Peppers was suspended at the end of the season for PED's didn't happen.
I guess 2005 when Merriman popped after the season, didn't happen. Since Merriman all the sudden decided AFTER winning DROY he should use PED's… right?
These holier than thou guys should ask why they didn't throw a hissy fit back then. A lot of the people kept their vote for Cushing for that very reason.
enders says:
# Bullet says: May 13, 2010 12:07 PM
This is easily one of the dumbest things I have ever read in my life.
cmgoods says:
Florio this is what about the 30th post you made on the subject. Time to get some other news so maybe you could be something more than just a RUMOR site.
What backlash? Even ESPN isn't calling it a backlash. Who cares about these "journalists" and their "high morals"? They're just grandstanding. If they had such high principles, they'd do a little digging and break these stories themselves. If they were paying attention, they'd have caught Cushing using roids years ago when he started. They're just grandstanding.
Cushing played all 16 games, and he was the best. That's all that matters here. So he won the award. "The AP should have…declared him ineligible." Well, they didn't. So he won again.
pacstud says:
Simple Solution:
Abolish AP awards.
Why should a bunch of geeks and nerds who have never competed in athletics decide anything?
They need to be happy of the scam they currently have in place…writing and "reporting" about things of which they know nothing.
abstaining from the vote sounds like a better option than voting for the cheat, no wonder those clowns could only find employment in the media
If this was about imposing some type of accolade sanction on Cushing then why was he still on the ballot for the re-vote? I'm not suprised he won it back given the fact that he was still on the ballot. More writers were questioning the legitimacy of the re-vote itself and not the legitimacy of Cushing having won the award. The people who abstained are just as bad, why can't you email your vote, it takes two seconds to do that, are you that busy?
NoRingsForYou says:
The Texans suck anyway. It took 8 years to squeak out a winning record. Turns out their best player's on the juice. Juice Boy will miss a quarter of the season and come back weaker and slower now that he's off roids and the city of Houston will still be without a Super Bowl appearance. Oilers sucked….Texans suck. Houston, we have a problem!
DaGimp says:
You forgot to play the "children of America" card Florio. You douche.
DrJCN says:
Where are the questions about why the NFL allowed him to play the entire season?? Unless I missed those reasons, seems that they have to wash some dirt from their hands too, no??? A 6+ month appeal process??? Who are they kidding???
The only way to get this junk out of sports is to make it a one shot deal: You screw up once, you lose half a season…you screw up twice, go play in Canada or anywhere else that will have you. Good riddance!!!
TexansMike, true NFL fans have now put the Texans on their banned list. They have gone from a sentimental Cinderella team to America's Armpit. We will rejoice every loss you morons suffer.
SATAN567 says:
Brian Orakpo.
pioniere says:
The AP award has now lost all credibility, along with all of those journalists who chose to vote for Cushing , again.
Nice job of promoting a proper role model for all of the kids out there guys.
taylor2136 says:
Maybe those writers should be banned what idiots, if this is the best they could do with evidence no wonder we get bullsh*t winners like we just did. I think those writers should be outted the sports world needs to know who they are. I'm thinking they are must me USC alum, from Cushing's hometown or from Houston…
msteelers says:
The AP really screwed this up. There was absolutely no reason to do a revote if Cushing was still an eligible player. Personally I think cheating would mean you get stripped of the award and it goes to the second place winner, but it's not my award to give. An explanation that they don't want to redo the vote would have been fine, and the story would have gone away.
How do you say you're [taking] a "hard stand" on this, and then your last paragraph is gibberish?
Have some integrity, douchebag. Either take a hard stand or try to be funny. But not both, cause that sucked.
Steel City Stud says:
I've said it before…Everyone of the players should be REQUIRED to use steroids! You are there for my viewing pleasure. I want bigger, stronger, faster atheletes playing. We all root for the big hits & long runs. Bring'em on, boys!
Dead Coach says:
I'm sorry you can't accept that someone has a different opinion than you do. If they thought people shouldn't vote for Cushing, they should have taken him off the ballot. If he's on the ballot and eligible, people are going to vote for him because he had by far the best season. I guess you can't see any shades of gray in the problem, only pure black or white. While we're at it, let's take away any awards for people who commit penalties during games. Fargin cheaters.
If the NFL process worked more efficiently, Cushing would have been suspended for at least the last 4 games of the 2009 season. His stats would have fallen off accordingly : less than 100 tackles, and only 2 1/2 sacks. Nothing to shout about. No DROY likely. And no controversy like now. The Texans will suffer a bigger PR blackeye because he won this award than if he hadn't.
Maybe writers should be drug tested. Just because these guys as a whole have ZERO athletic ability on the average, it doesn't mean that they could be using PEDs.
Edgar Allan Poe was big into opium and I'm sure many other writers of his era were. Who's to say the current writers aren't on something as well?
smauricio says:
"Winners dont use drugs"
William S. Sessions, director, FBI
frox says:
Ross Tucker said it best on Sirius NFL Radio this morning – TWO WRONGS DO NOT MAKE A RIGHT. Just because Peppers won the award a few years ago doesn't mean you have to continue to reward people who violate the policy.
THis has also exposed another dirty secret in this whole process. THe local beat writers are way too close to look at this objectively. THe guy in Houston (who I do not know so I do not have to continually say I respect him like Florio does) should be ashamed of the way he has taken the lead on making sure Cushing wins the award. As Bob Papa said this morning it is really quite simple. IF you get suspended the day after your season has ended, you should be ineligible for the awards the next season. If your suspension does not come out until after the season, have a revote and the guy should be ineligible. The whole thing is laughable when in baseball you have these people that want to wipe out an entire generation of records because of PEDs (when everyone was using them and thus on somewhat equal footing) but these guys bury their head about them. Nice work guys. Way to set an example.
CUSHING IS A CHEAT and if he is proud of winning this award, he has no character whatsoever.
danners123 says:
I'm tired of idiots out there saying the league shoulld just allow steroid use. That's inhumane, retarded and would lead to the eventual demise and end of the NFL. Shut up already. We don't need another variable effecting performance. We have too many already. I don't want a death headline every other sunday from players kealing over on the field cause they all juice up way more than any doctor would allow. SHUT UP ALREADY.
CushingKicksAss says:
The longest article Florio's ever posted on this site and it's about other writers and how they voted on an award! What a buffoon!
DoomsDayD75 says:
Lol at the Pittsburgh sports writer. "Wait a second here… Cushing was juiced?! Lets give him all the awards!"
why the hell did he do that? no problem w/Laurinaits but thats as dumb as changing from byrd to cush
edgy1957 says:
How many of these voters have or had HOF votes and have they ever tried to throw out guys that have knowingly taken steroids?
chemicalxv says:
The same morons are out who think Merriman tested positive before he won his award.
NEWSFLASH morons, it was AFTER. If you want to compare two people, compare Peppers and Cushing, you know, the guys who tested positive before actually winning their award.
Nogard13 says:
If we find out tomorrow that Reggie Wayne, Pierre Garcon, or Tony Ugoh (the LT) used a PED, would you advocate for Peyton's MVP award to be stripped? I mean, he only won it because of his supporting cast, right? Had these players not done what they did, Peyton's numbers would've been much, much worse than they were.
Stripping a player of an award after he has won it is a bad idea and a slippery slope. I'd rather do what MLB does and just add an *
Nard100 says:
Note to Peter King: You're 1 for 2. Deal with it! You campaigned to have NFL OT rules changed and it worked. You campaigned to have Cushing stripped of this award and it didn't work. The real rap on the head shouldn't go to the writers of the AP. it should be given to the NFL for not expediting the process. This to me really speaks to motive. Why would the NFL wait so long on this process? Could it be that they saw a struggling expansion frnachise that might finally have a chance to be in the playoffs and chose to look the other way for a while? Even with appeals, he should have been suspended in december and made to face his team and the fans doing the "perp walk" from the practice facility. Instead we're demonizing the AP writers? Cushing and the NFL are the ones who should be on the hotseat!
DuluthFan says:
This article is spot-on! It is disgraceful that the AP voted for this guy…AGAIN.
And 2 game suspension for testing positive when the Williams boys are getting 4? I mean really…WTF?
KingOkra says:
You're all missing the point. Finally, after several cycles of in-vitro fertilization meds, Mr. Cushing is now "with child" and expecting in late September. We should all be happy for him! I hear Mario is the dad. My congrats to the happy family.
realitypolice says:
ean Rasczak says:
I hate all the talk about precedent. Citing past injustices being rewarded (Belicheck cheating and coach of the year) without recall is ludicrous. It's like saying that the USA shouldn't have entered WWII because of the country's precedent of non-involvement.
I am sure the descendants of American WWI veteran's as well as historians who remember US military interventions in Haiti, Chili, China, Mexico, Nicaragua and Cuba that all occurred before WWII would be surprised to hear of the US's "precendent of non-involvement".
Oh, my favorite argument of them all– "What about the kids!?!?!"
I've said it before and I will say it again: raise your own damn kids. Don't rely on the NFL or, for Christ's sake, the Associated Press, to deliver the messages to your kids you should be giving them yourselves.
If you talk to you kids about PED's and pay attention to what is going on in their lives (why did johnny gain 15 pounds last month? and what's with all the bacne?) You shouldn't worry about what bad role models NFL players are.
If you were worth half a damn as a parent, your kids role model would be YOU.
Xenu_D_Alien says:
marcduke says:
Help me out here, how the hell is Chris Berman a part of this group?
Also, I could have told you Pete Prisco's vote wouldn't change from Cushing – Pete's an a$$hole, plain and simple.
dhuntley says:
Florio, you are a narcissistic grandstander. No more of this crap about Cushing until you demand a re-vote on A-Rod for his MVP award. And he admitted to using steroids. Either you are against it and you will ask for a re-vote on him Peppers, Merriman and the Williams boys or just shut up.
tryagain says:
danners123 says: I'm tired of idiots out there saying the league shoulld just allow steroid use. That's inhumane, retarded and would lead to the eventual demise and end of the NFL.
I completely agree with you, danner. How stupid can people be? Wait, don't answer that- it will only be depressing.
DoomsDayD75 says: Lol at the Pittsburgh sports writer. "Wait a second here… Cushing was juiced?! Lets give him all the awards!"
Maybe he thinks somehow this will get the heat off Ben? I dunno, but changing his vote to Cushing makes no sense at all and he looks like a complete dumbass for doing so. I'm wondering if he goes by the name funi on this site.
This situation has become one of the more entertaining off season stories in a long time. It was hilarious watching the sportswriters clamoring for a re-vote while never considering what would happen if the re-vote actually made the situation worse by condoning the failed test. Then they come out with articles like this blaming everyone else for their own stupidity. Now, if we could just somehow get Favre to fail a test, that would be the absolute cherry on top. Keep going Florio. You dug your own grave and now entertain everyone by the effort not to lie in it. Thanks for the laughs!!!
East Bay Ray says:
You're totally wrong here, Florio. Lemon juice with a tequila shot? It's lime juice, and that's only if you're drinking the cheap Jose Cuervo crap. Get some quality 100% pure agave tequila and you won't need a chaser at all.
drbob1117 says:
Kudos to those who voted for him again. The AP decided in an unprecedented move to act like scorned reactionaries and revote the defensive ROY award because Cushing was suspended for violating the NFL susbstance policy and suspended. Remember the NFL makes no mention whether the drugs were PED's , they just say the player is suspended for violating the league's policy. In this case , the media assumed it was PED's based on 'sources'. So where would the line be drawn? If the next guy abused pot and got suspended, would you take his award? Because he wouldn't be "enchancing" his performance with pot. How about cocaine? Would you revote? Why not go back years and years and guess which guys were doing steroids and take their awards? How about Manderich and Solt? Let's take all their awards! You can't just decide one day , without any type of process or policy that you're going to revote one award to punish one guy. It was stupid and petty. BTW, journalists are not doing Byrd of Buffalo any favors. He knows that he was the 2nd best defensive rookie last year, no matter who gets the award. The games were played, the tackles were made, and Cushing had the best year. Do you honestly belive that when Byrd goes in to renegotiate his contract with the Bills in a few years he can say " I was ROY in 2009?" The front office will laugh at him and tell him that award went to Cushing, and that would be the case even if it had been retroactively awarded to Byrd yeaterday. Giving him the award is like giving a player a spot in the Pro Bowl after 5 or 6 players turned it down. Yeah, that player is in the Pro Bowl, but that doesn't make him Payton Manning. Now the journalists decide to develop ethics in this one case? Please! At least most of the writers had the common sense to realize they voted for the guy based on the info they had available at the time and his play on the field. That's all you can do. Cushing violated the rule, the NFL caught him, and used the rules they have in place for dealing with the issue. You don't get to take away every prize the guy ever won, his first born kid or anything else. Message to the AP: get over yourselves!
The backlash is building all right. It has doubled in the last 24 hours from 2 to 4. What an epidemic. What is really entertaining is the comments that they voted Peppers in even though he missed 4 games because the stats in those 12 he played was enough to win the award. They then turn on Cushing because they say if he played only 12 games, he would not have won because he would not have had the numbers. So, what you are saying is that it is ok for Cushing to fail the test, just that he should have taken more PED's so he could have better numbers over the first 12 games. Wow, what hypocrites. Either failing the test is wrong or its not. You can't have it both ways. It is truly entertaining to watch idiots suffer their own fates.
GOVIKES|GOVIKES says:
The crusade continues….Onward Christian Soldiers!!
lswingly says:
I'm not here to argue whether Cushing deserves the award or not but grankly I think this is complete sour grapes in terms of the people who want to strip the award from Cushing.
I do however agree that to revote on the award is a joke. The obsessive need to inflict some sort of retribution on people who you feel have "wronged" you on some level is amazing.
Furthermore, the line of reasoning regarding those who revoted for him on principle is specious at best. If they believe in the principle that there are do overs, it means that regardless of whether they got it wrong the first time the end result should stand. If they abstained from voting the net result is a vote against Cushing because then the only people voting would be those who want to give the award to someone else. Clearly the best way to make their point and stand on principle was to make sure he kept the award, and in the process illuminate what a mockery this whole thing is.
You are a reporter. You're job is to report the news not make it. If you get the vote wrong, if you get the wool pulled over your eyes, write a column about it. You step over the bounderies of your responsibilty as a jounalist when you seek to try and reshape history rather than report on it. And that disgusts me more than a cheater winning a relatively meaningless award, that the general public won't even remember 10 years from now.
FMWarner says:
1. It's refreshing to see someone with a platform take a stand. If you don't like what Florio thinks, fine. Get your own website. But don't tell him he can't say what he thinks on his.
2. To everyone who makes the "Who cares what they take? It's entertainment!" argument: The point is that letting these guys take what they want forces guys who would rather not put dangerous drugs in their bodies to take them anyway just to keep up.
Regarding the Favre/Vicodin comparisons: Favre was never suspended by the NFL.
Next question, please.
"The biggest steroids related story in years". Wow, you are truly full of yourself Florio. This is bigger than Barry Bonds? A-Rod, Mcgwire, the Congressional hearings, Manny Ramirez, or Clemens. Really? Perhaps you should look around to see of anyone else thinks this is still a story. A little self absorbed aren't you. Your own sportwriters threw down the gauntlet on this story with their re-vote. They just don't care. In baseball, we still care but in the NFL with all of the injuries, it is just more accepted. It doesn't make it right, it just doesn't make it a story anymore. Where was all this venom over the three MVP's when A-Rod admitted to using steroids. What's the matter, scared to go after the really big fish, Florio?
GregO says:
Howard Balzer needs to check his history because Julius Peppers won the award despite being suspended during the season he won the award.
You still have made zero mention of the Peppers situation while you call this the worst steroid infraction in league history.
Why do you continue to omit the Peppers suspension and winning of DPOY in the same season?
Cushing f-ed up. No question about it but he wasn't the first (not even the first DPOY to test positive in the season they won the award) and he won't be the last yet you are treating him as if he is one of the worst criminals on the planet.
Very disappointing Florio.
PatricktheDookie says:
Maybe if some of the AP hadn't been so gung-ho about immediately scheduling a revote before all the details had come to light, they wouldn't have had so many writers vote against the process.
The lack of patience is the number one reason why Cushing kept the award. The AP has no one to blame but themselves.
JCD says:
I couldn't agree more with you, Florio. I was disgusted when I learned Cushing would be kept on the ballot, and revolted to learn he actually won it again. It's a joke and a farce and everything else you've already said way better than I could. Every voter who voted again for Cushing should be ashamed and forced to relinquish their voting rights.
Raydahz says:
Great job covering this PFT. Do not let up on this. I will be emailing every one of those 18 writers and letting them know how I feel about this. This is such a disgrace
Eliminating the first 4 games of 2009, for Cushing to serve a suspension,
Cushing's stats:
100 Tackles
5 Sacks
4 Int.
Orakpo:
50 Tackles
11 Sacks
0 Int
Laurinaitis
A little objectivity is needed. Basing it on stats, the writers could make an argument for Cushing. Not as far fetched as Cornflorio will have you believe.
smiley says:
Who cares who they give it to? Doesn't mean anything anyway. AP award doesn't mean scratch. All-Pro in the NFL…anything less is 2nd place. Hail!
JRC007 says:
Alternate headline for this post: Writers who voted against Cushing disagree with voters who did.
Quite the backlash.
People do not care as much about steroids in baseball because there isn't very much physical contact.
Sorry but they care MORE about them in baseball and it's because of their precious records. If they used steroids and their balls fell off and no records were broken, MLB fans wouldn't give a rat's ass about them. If you look at the overwhelming opposition to them in MLB, you'll find that 99.999999999999% of the articles address the records and NOT the long term effects on the players.
cbrianwatkins says:
the best part about this whole thing, is the media's misreporting of HCG and what it actually does
yeah it boosts your test levels, but thats not why people use it
in fact, it really shouldnt be considered a PED because it really wont make you perform any better (at all), its main purpose is to get rid of bitch T*ts, and thats all
i've done HCG on several occasions, never after i was done with a cycle though, always at the end, i would stack it with Decca/Winnie, never did it by itself
i'm really surprised Gregg With 3G's didnt do more research on this, Florio i can understand, because he's lazy and only copies' and pastes everyone elses BS
Shame on you 3G's
# Opie says: May 13, 2010 2:08 PM
And all of it on the juice. Nice use of "objectivity" Norman Einstein.
@dhuntley
Having listened to many of the commentaries made leading up to the revote it seems more that the AP caved to outside scrutiny to host a re-vote rather than them actually believing it was the best course of action. The fact that Cushing remained on the ballot inherently suggests the AP did not fully subscribe to the idea of a re-vote because Cushing was eligible. If, however, they had removed him from the ballot then I'd say the AP wanted the revote but it's fairly clear they did not. If there had been enough sentiment within the AP to host a re-vote regardless of outside scrutiny Cushing doesn't appear on the new ballot and Byrd probably wins. What's more telling is that you actually have AP writers abstaining from voting because they question it's legitimacy to the extent they don't want to weigh in at all (gutless).
@tryagain …
Both corticosteroids and anabolic steroids are legal when prescribed by doctors; both have serious side-effects. Corticosteroids are treat many common conditions. I've had to take them to rehab a shoulder injury. Anabolic steroids are used to treat rare medical conditions and are the drugs athletes abuse to bulk up in size and strength.
So what did Cushing's tests reveal? If he was trying to rehab from an injury, did he test positive for corticosteroids or anabolic steroids–or can the test distinguish between them? Are both banned? Players should be able to use corticosteroids for rehab under medical supervision.
As for Bouchette, his vote had nothing to do with Roethlisberger. He writes about Ben, so he doesn't try to deflect attention from him. We're learning that many players have received these honors despite failing drug tests. Yet no re-votes were taken. Cushing seems to have become a public scapegoat–ditch him and we're back in Kansas again. So Bouchette was protesting the hypocrisy of it all. Good for him.
obscenery says:
To all the people like Bullet who wonder why anybody cares, thinks it's no big deal cause it's entertainment or because many players cheat.
Entertainment is a huge influence on young adults and preteens. These athletes aren't merely entertainers. To some impressionable people their are idols. I guarantee there are several Texas kids just hitting puberty who play Cushing's position with his poster on their wall. What the AP have to consider isn't what the guys playing QB1 in the bar think about steroid use, or these awards.
This is, and always will be, about the kids who look to these athletes/entertainers as role models.
Sports are supposed to teach us the value of discipline and team work. Cushing and every other steroid user are undoing those lessons, as a disservice to the already decreasing work ethic of our culture.
When dealing with people who's names are printed thousands to millions times a day in various media there's ALWAYS the bigger picture to consider.
jewarnell says:
anyone else find it odd that Balzer changed his vote from Orakpo to Laurinaitis? Hmm…
Hold the presses! I've just been informed (by my maid who is just putting away her outfit) that in France, "bouchette" actually means "nice small mouth".
Kills my earlier Ed Bouchette joke, but may go some way to explaining why Florio and Rosenthal like the guy so much.
stillworker says:
Dumass……….roids weren't illegal in the '70s.
…………….and who is 'they'?
IMO it's BS that evidence of a masking agent makes him guilty of steroid use.
Reptar says:
This is also the same guy to blatantly lie about the Colts pumping in crowd noise. What a hack.
slowfame says:
I like how Mike/Mark (who care) Shelerth on ESPN NFL Tonight stated: "No one on the AP should hold this agaisnt them because none of them are medical professionals" Then he went on to explain what HCG is and what its for… What a joke. Just keep acting like its no problem.
jlbay says:
Didn't the Carolina Panthers win the NFC Championship and go to the Superbowl in the 2003 season, when several members of their team had illegal steroids prescribed to them?
Shouldn't they be stripped of the NFC Championship, and the Eagles be given the Championship . . . and then we could use the 2003 Madden game to play the 2004 Superbowl as New England versus Philadelphia . . . I think that is only fair . . . there is no way the Panthers should retain the NFC Championship from 2003 when at least 6 and maybe as many as 9 of their players used PED.
The 60 minutes report that broke the 2003 NFC Champion Steroid story provided evidence that at least two of the start O-Line for the Panthers filled prescriptions within two weeks of the actual Superbowl and as many as 9 players filled banned steroid prescriptions through the course of the 2003 season. How isn't that nearly a fifth of a team on steroids illicit nary an outcry, but one rookie who wins a meaningless award has everyone screaming at the top of their lungs.
@This Guy …
All players were free to use steroids in the 1970s. Some of Pittsburgh's o-linemen used them, as did players from the teams they played against. The result was an even playing field. And since they were using a legal substance that everyone else could use, too … why didn't everyone else earn four trophies that decade? And if all it took was a little juice, where's Cushing's Super Bowl ring? Where's Merriman's? And so on … ?
You're not terribly bright and know nothing about NFL history. But you make up for it by being an excellent whiner.
getreal says:
It absolutely disgust me to read some of the comments left above. Things like "who cares if they all take PED" and "Its just entertainment…let them take whatever as long as it adds to entertainment"….
Are you serious??
For one, its much more than entertainment…its much more than just cheating a little test or breaking a rule. There are millions of dollars and differences in lifestyles envolved here. People's hopes and dreams. For every one person taking these drugs and cheating so that they can achieve a level that would otherwise be unattainable for them, there is another person who wasn't willing to compromise his health or inegrity and stoop to that level of cheating, and therefor is missing out on those rewards. Doesn't anybody care about those people?
Since when as a society did we collectively stop caring about right and wrong. Since when is fairness and justice not a big deal anymore. Are some of you people really serious?
This is a big issue for me. I'm a HUGE Texans fan and I played college football at a level that had me in a position for several looks by the NFL. I was injured a lot during my career in college and knew I wouldn't have a high draft status. My hope was to do well in the combine and hope for the best (as i knew i didn't want to do the beg for a practice squad to not play in games route)….obviously that situation is down played by my story..but point is I never once was willing to cheat to get the edge. I relied only on god given natural ability and I let the chips fall as they may. I know many of the other guys I was competing against didn't take as high of a road. its sad that me, and others like me, were that close but had to move on so other less moraled people could steal the spot based on false performances.
I think the award should have been stripped and a line should be drawn and a signal sent. Even though that would hurt my team in the next season, what's right is right and what's fair is fair. The game of football is a beautiful thing and its integrity is worth standing up for. Its not just entertainment…its much more. It deserve more than what these low life cheaters are giving it. What happened to character, honor, respect, integrity…when did cars, dollars, houses, and T&A become more important?
Sad. And what else is sad is that some of the same ignorant people who left those ignorant comments above actually have a right to vote in this country. Scary.. Let me guess…"so what if the pres bribed members of congress…its just politics", right? Wrong. These things, even just football, affects lives, attitudes, and other things that impact our society…directly and indirectly. Some of you are idiots!
Entertainment is a huge influence on young adults and preteens. These athletes aren't merely entertainers. To some impressionable people their are idols. I guarantee there are several Texas kids just hitting puberty who play Cushing's position with his poster on their wall.
Well I guess the parents of those kids will just have to step up and do their jobs instead of asking the NFL or the AP writers to do it for them. We don't ask the press or the government to go after Britney Spears for being a bad influence on teenage girls, do we?
It's not society's job to teach your kids right from wrong.
Bious says:
This just is setting up for some BIG All-Pro to get caught and EVERYONE turning on him
Only to show a clear contradiction between how the media deals with so-so players and All-Pro's….
Saying that not wanting to make a big deal out of this means that society has stopped caring about right and wrong is a little dramatic. Maybe some of us apply the concepts of fairness and justice on a somewhat larger scale than a football game.
I don't know exactly where you live. But the next time you are walking down a crowded city street, look around you. Chances are that half the people you see couldn't even tell you who won the super bowl last year, and 90% of them couldn't pick Brian Cushing out of a lineup. I know you come from a world where football is all important, but now that your career is over, maybe you could expand your horizons a little.
To all the Steelers fans who are saying that steroids weren't illegal in the '70s: why is it that they were legal for the Steelers BUT illegal for the Pirates? I say this because the prevailing attitude in Pittsburgh changes when you're talking about which team took them….
realitypolice
In reply to your comment, since apparently you assume and stereotype more than you should…I thought I would clear things up for you since you obviously need help.
Just because I was deep in the football world it doesn't meant that's what I'm about. I actually was an acdemic all american, am only 26 but making right at 6 figures, am a CPA and am about to finish my law degree. that might suprise you, but I do realize there is more to life than football or sports, and I'm very much "moved on" as you put it. If you took my story as some ignorant jock whose life was incomplete then you misread it. Sorry. Not it at all. Football is no bigger to me an my life now than it is to you and yours. However, that doesn't change the visibility of it.
We aren't typing back and forth about Wal-Mart, shoes, lunch boxes, or cereals here…we are all talking about sports bc sports are visible, paid attention to, and influence life in our society…for some reason…on a dramatic level in this country…at least for some 'tards who are impressionable and didn't have better parental guidance.
I think you are wrong. I think more poeple would know those fact and things more than you are giving credit for. But my point is and was this isn't just a sports thing…a football…or a roid issue…the attitudes of those people saying who cars are missing a glaring point that is rippling through our society…. the point is it is wrong, the point is its not right or fair, and the point is its affecting others who more clearly deserve it and if its a big enough deal to have a rule against then it should be big enough to be stood up for and defended. Duh. Sorry you were caught up in preaching to an ex jock that you didn't realize it was an actual smart successful person who just cares more about morals and values than entertainment from "gladiators" as those 'tards put it.
stnmmc says:
"…because it was 18 dummies that are supposed to be highly education…"
This is why I love the internet.
@Jobin
You mean to say that is why this happens in every major American sport. PED's are not an issue in most major sport leagues around the world. This includes such high contact sports as rugby and aussie rules football. I can't say for a fact, simply because I have no freaking clue, but I would imagine that use would be more prevalent in individual sports, where a tenth of a second could be the difference.
@getreal says: May 13, 2010 3:32 PM
granadafan says:
Whatever comes out of this, Cushing's repuation is tainted forever. It was damned obvious to college football fans on the West coast that Cush was roided up and now the rest of the country knows what a cheater he is.
Those of you who say that steroids aren't a big deal are not true football fans. If you're just after entertainment, then fine, stop talking to the serious fans who care about the sport we've played, loved, and watched for years. The vast majority of REAL sports fans believe in hard work, sportsmanship, integrity, and HONESTY. Cheaters and cheater apologists can just leave and play/watch pro "wrestling".
The cheater apologists are symptomatic of what's wrong with this country. They're looking for the quick fix in the form of medications instead of actual hard work. Lazy bast@rds.
Well said. As a coach I care about the integrity of sport and what role sport plays in shaping society. Maybe the most concise (read coherent) comment ever to grace PFT.
jibfest says:
The AP writers are a disgrace. It is almost like they voted for him again just to show everyone they weren't wrong the first time. Total disgrace.
@Bullet. I understand your team hasn't been around long and has had even less success. You don't care about the itegrity of the game I take it. I do and cheating is cheating. It is the National Football League, not WWE. The entertainment should be watching the best players compete. I'm not nieve that others cheat, but until their name shows up we can't assume. We can however say without a doubt that Brian Cushing used some sort of steroid and got caught using the stuff you use afterwards.
Granadafan, preach brother. Props to Florio too, Im a big fan of PFT.
I don't advocate use of anabolic steroids. They're extremely dangerous, and there's no valid medical reason Cushing would have taken them. But players should be able to use corticosteroids UNDER MEDICAL SUPERVISION to treat injuries. Cortiosteroids will not produce bulk or increase strength.
I wish SOMEONE (Florio??) would clarify whether ALL steroids are on the banned substance list and whether it's possible to distinguish anabolic steroids from corticosteroids in a drug test. If Cushing took anabolic steroids, then, yes, he should be stripped of the D-ROY. If he took corticosteroids, NO.
As to the ridiculous comment about the Steelers and Pirates: I have no idea what substances were allowed by MLB in the 1970s. It's not relevant to the NFL, I'm not a baseball fan, and this isn't a baseball blog.
The use of performance-enhancing substances in the NFL began around the late 1960s. A couple of the Steelers offensive linemen used them; the defensive players did not. They were "legal" then because they weren't banned and were available to everyone–and thanks to Lyle Alzado, it's well-known that players from every team used them. That creates an EVEN PLAYING FIELD. Widespread steroid use wasn't secret. But it was two decades before the league became invested in stopping it … again thanks to Lyle Alzado and his campaign to ban them. No player should die like that for the game.
@ Deb- I hear ya but I still don't agree with the vote. If things are ever going to change, maybe someone has to be the scapegoat. I'm not naive enough to think he's the only one using or that things will actually change but that still doesn't make it right so I don't think he should be awarded.
@realitypolice
In reality nobody is asking these entertainers to be role models. It's the reality of their position in life. They have coveted talents and lifestyles, which mom and dad don't have.
Nobody is debating that parenting is hugely important, though its importance doesn't excuse people with celebrity of the responsibility of said celebrity status.
Britney Spears had her kids taken away from her.
has the NFL jumped the shark? we have a bunch of D-bag, pedophile, roid freak players… guys getting serious heads injuries, not to mention an inability to walk about years of punishment… then throw in the Jets and Giants not selling out, Vikings cant get a new stadium, Jags attendance is a joke, Bills having to play in a third world country, throw in the risk of a strike/lockout….. me thinks the good times of the NFL have passed.
RedMan says:
And you wonder why the world thinks Muricans is dumb…
I guess, you can catch a guy for taking PED's but you can't fix stupid.
# cunn9305 says: May 13, 2010 12:17 PM
What a moronic statement. Do yourself a favor and turn your brain on once in a while.
The NFL has rules – "anything" does not go.
Cheats should be banned.
# Abe the Hoosier says: May 13, 2010 12:29 PM
Actually the metaphor is right on the money. You can come off a steroid cycle without HCG, and you can have a tequila shot without lemon, but each taken at the appropriate time makes the other way better.
You cannot be this dumb. It wasn't necessarily legal in the NFL, just no testing or rules against it in the '70s!!………wtf are you talking about the Pirates for? Steroids were cool in MLB in the '70s also.
Hard to believe you were the fastest sperm.
As to the ridiculous comment about the Steelers and Pirates: I have no idea what substances were allowed by MLB in the 1970s. It's not relevant to the NFL, I'm not a baseball fan, and this isn't a baseball blog
You're FOS. Steroids were NEVER banned during Mark McGwire's career and guess what – it's the number one reason why guys have said that they won't vote for him AND they weren't banned for most of Barry Bonds' career and you guessed it, he won't get the votes because of them.
My point WASN'T that it was about baseball but you HYPOCRITES in Pittsburgh are willing to continue to make excuses for your players when it comes to breaking the rules: "Oh, everyone did them. It wasn't illegal then. It was ONLY the offensive linemen. Blah, blah, blah, blah." What makes cheating more acceptable THEN, the fact that it was YOUR Steelers or that ONLY the offensive linemen took them (What a load of HS that is, Deb). Why is it that you guys in Pittsburgh have branded Bonds and Bonilla as cheats but not your precious Steelers?
I think that it's laughable to see Steeler fans whine about the Patriots and Spygate and YET, they make excuses about their dynasty when they would have had a far bigger advantage with steroids than the Patriots would have had with a camera.
BTW, the first use of steroids by a pro football team was when the AFL's Chargers starting using then in 1963 and one of the first to use them, Ron Mix, is now in the NFL HOF.
@edgy1957 …
I have no idea why you are screaming at me about baseball players, except that you apparently need no excuse to scream about the Steelers. You have a problem. It's YOUR problem.
As I said, this is a football blog and I know NOTHING and CARE LESS about baseball. I have said NOTHING about baseball so I don't know how I could be FOS on the subject. I have NEVER whined about Spygate. I agree with Bill Cowher on that subject. And your noting that NFL players who DID NOT play for the Steelers and used steroids prior to the ban are in the HOF simply validates the ONLY point I made–which is that steroids were used by players on every team prior to the ban, which made for an even playing field. Therefore, the whiners should stop whining about the Steelers of the 70s.
Now PLEASE leave me alone.
You cannot be this dumb. It wasn't necessarily legal in the NFL, just no testing or rules against it in the '70s!!………wtf are you talking about the
Typical Steelers' APOLOGIST. Listen Forest Stump, your OWN WORDS say "Dumass……….roids weren't illegal in the '70s" which means that in YOUR OWN WORDS, you think that it was — gasp — LEGAL.
The fact of the matter is that you morons continue to make excuses for their use by the Steelers while trying to piss on the Patriots for Spygate when your dynasty is just as dirty. You can try to rationalize your sins as much as anyone but you're only showing what a bunch of retarded hypocrites you are.
sukit says:
Anybody that voted for Cushing again is a massive d-bag. They are most likely the result of some incestuous rape.
@edgy1957
As noted, I've NEVER said the Patriots dynasty is dirty or made idiotic comments about asterisks. They EARNED their championships, and though I don't like them, I respect them. But the Steelers dynasty wins weren't tainted–and you know it. A couple of our offensive players used steroids when they were not banned and were in common use throughout the league. That means all teams were on equal footing, so if our Super Bowls were tainted, so were Dallas's wins in SBVI and XII. Let's call Peter Gent and ask about steroid use among Landry's Cowboys.
I'm not responsible for every stupid thing posted on PFT by a Steelers fan. But you ARE responsible for YOUR comments. And some you've made to me in the guise of "objective" analysis have been unconscionable. Your earlier attack on me about Barry Bonds and Mark McGwire was sheer lunacy. I don't know much more about them than their names and have certainly never commented on them. You need to step back and do some soul-searching. I love football, and I love my team. They've given me something positive to focus on through three cancer battles, more than two dozen surgeries, plus a lot of other hard times. But it is just a game. SBXXX broke my heart, but at least I handled it with class and dignity rather than whining about bad calls, tainted championships, the evils of all the players, and so on. Sometimes as a grownup, you just have to take life's lumps.
Since you've already demonstrated little capacity for introspection, I'm sure you'll respond with more viciousness. How do you put it–you'll stop being gentle with me? That's your prerogative … but I'm finished with this thread and this nonsense.
Deb, Deb, Deb. I see that it's real easy for you to divert this from the facts because that's what you keep trying to do with every argument. Ok, let's FORGET baseball (even though in the past, you've moved the arguments BACK to the other subject just to try to divert attention. Let's see you try to avoid that this time) and concentrate of FOOTBALL: whether they were ALL using then is a BS argument, especially since they're STILL all using it now. It's either cheating THEN and NOW or it's NOT. The fact is that every time that you Steeler fans are reminded of that fact, the first words out of your mouth are "Well, it wasn't illegal back then" and that's BS.
Oh and I said STEELER FANS and I didn't point to you specifically when it came to Spygate but there ARE an awful lot of Steeler fans that do point a finger at the Pats when they're reminded that THEIR dynasty is tainted as well.
this class sucks says:
"It wasn't necessarily legal in the NFL…just no…rules against it."
Did you really just say those words?
NorthDolphan says:
The real crime is how stupid Cushing is. What a load of complete BS comming out of his mouthing breathing yap yesterday. I guess an USC education and 1/2 a year to make up a story isn't enough. Complete douche bag.
packers4life says:
The NFL rule clearly states that any player caught with a banned substance cannot win any awards. With that said, Cushing should of been stripped of the award and not be eligible to retain it.
Instead, I thought the AP should of just given it to the player with the second most votes which in this case was Jairus Byrd. For some stupid reason though, Cushing somehow was still able to win the award.
dsheik says:
who gives a fuk. Im glad he won the award again just to piss off the whiners that constantly want to bitch about something.
This type of stuff is not going away. So get used to it.
By winning the award AGAIN, it opened up a hornets nest of scrutiny that I am sure Cushing regrets. His attorney and Tom Condon have just made things worse with their statements. Cushing is in such a fixhole now that I don't think he will come out until spring.