NFL overturned Duane Brown’s suspension for…contaminated beef?
Even for professional athletes, one of the benefits to being on vacation is to be able to indulge. Dinner lasts a little longer and may include one or two extra courses, the dessert menu is a requirement, an extra drink or two are consumed at the resort bar.
But for Houston Texans left tackle Duane Brown, an indulgent getaway almost led to a lost season.
On Tuesday, ESPN.com reported that the 30-year old veteran was facing a 10-game suspension for violating the league’s policy on performance-enhancing drugs but won his appeal when the NFL Players’ Association was able to prove that Brown’s positive test came from Mexican beef.
The cliche has long been not to drink the water in Mexico, but now you can’t eat the beef either? Apparently not if you don’t want to test positive for the anabolic substance clenbuterol.
Brown traveled to Mexico last year during the bye week, and not long after received a letter from the NFL telling him he was in violation of the PED policy. Because of a 2010 PED suspension, Brown is tested numerous times during the season, and he failed one administered shortly after he and his wife returned from holiday.
According to ESPN sources, NFLPA associate general counsel Heather McPhee researched clenbuterol and discovered certain meats can be tainted with the steroid. A source said Brown had 10 burgers and two steaks during his trip, and receipts for those meals were entered as evidence in his appeal hearing.
After Brown’s months-long ordeal (he was cleared in April, more than five months after his positive test), the NFLPA sent a letter to players warning them of the dangers of contaminated meat.
Arizona Cardinals cornerback Patrick Peterson posted the letter on his Twitter feed with the comment, “This can’t be real life! #SMH #GottaGoVeganOnVacation”.
Clenbuterol’s legal use is to help those suffering with asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), though it is not approved for medical use in the United States. It is often used as a fat loss drug, particularly in bodybuilding. It is banned by the NFL and many other sporting bodies.
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