Julian Edelman‘s appeal of his four-game drug suspension will be heard on Monday, Dan Graziano of ESPN.com hears. Edelman’s camp, in part, will argue that the league mishandled the documentation and delivery of the wide receiver’s test results. 
Edelman’s team is prepared to present a two-pronged attack on the league’s claims of PED use. Not only will he call the league’s handling of the samples into question, but Edelman will also point out the substance he tested positive for wasn’t one the league’s drug testers recognized.
Edelman, 32, missed the entire 2017 season after tearing an ACL during the preseason. If his suspension stands, he’ll have to wait an extra four games before making his return.
Naturally, the wide receiver is desperate to get back on the field. And, with that in mind, Graziano openly wonders whether this case could drag into federal court, similar to how Deflategate played out. It should be noted that Edelman is being represented by Alex Spiro, a high-priced New York attorney who has represented many NBA players in legal matters. Should Edelman lose his appeal, it’s a situation worth keeping an eye on.
How can they suspend him if they can’t tell him what he was suspended for?? Or am I misinterpreting that second part of his argument?
(This is speculative, but….)
Edelman may have tested positive for an elevated level of something, which is all the NFL needs to deem a test positive.
The NFL’s threshold for testosterone to epitestosterone ratio is 4:1. If Edelman’s test exceeded that, the NFL can levy a suspension against him, even though they cannot directly ID the substance that triggered it.
Then why hasn’t the NFL clearly stated the Testo to Epite part?
medical privacy laws.
Thanks!
That makes sense. Thanks for the explanation.
Update: What I’m hearing is that it was probably just some new combination of compounds, but it still had all the same markers as other anabolic steroids.
It’s also pretty suspicious when a lab that screens thousands of blood samples can’t identify the substance. Remember this isn’t open water it’s in his bloodstream. Enough of whatever it is that it turned up in a random sample of his blood. Doesn’t necessarily make him guilty but it’s enough to suggest he’s very likely taking something he shouldn’t be. If it were a prescription, a narcotic, opioid, or a PED they’d be able to identify it. Not being able to ID any substance in someone’s blood may be enough circumstantial evidence to uphold the suspension and coming back from an injury makes it more damning.
Doctors and drug makers are always ahead with medical breakthroughs to disguise ped’s so sports leagues now have changed rules of a failed test. Synthetics followed by female hormones to quickly bring levels back and all kinds tricks these days. I even read where they take off out of the country for periods at a time. Anyway cheating is cheating if he is busted then sit out. If he clears his name well good for him. I feel the clean athletes are the minority in sports and with amount money in the game, I can’t say I blame any of them!
Would love to see some egg on the NFL’s face. Good luck to him court, no way in hell he wins the appeal.
The Ryan Braun approach. Tells me what I need to know.
Lol
Not the same as Braun who purposely targeted the handler and called into question his integrity and personal process as opposed to the whole testing process in general.
Not the same as Braun who called into question the integrity of the tester and the individual process as opposed to the whole testing system.
What if Edelman didn’t do it? He’s going to spend more defending his name than he’ll lose in salary while suspended so perhaps he didn’t. It’s rare but possible he got shafted.
He didn’t drink enough special water and eat enough avocado ice cream to clear his system totally. He did however eat and drink enough to confuse the testing system. That is what happens when you kick the guy who is helping you get around the system is kicked out of the locker room.
Lol let’s see all the Patriot fans go nuts about this even though I am kidding. I have grown numb to cheating from NE. It seems to go with hot dogs and apple pie. It also is rampant in every team and the league is too inept to catch or fix it. You have a guy who abuses his wife 5 years or so ago and goes to counselling and gets an 8 game suspension. Then a guy who grabs a womens crotch after he is accused of rape and gets 3 games. It makes no sense. I am not sure of the dates of the abuse I just know they were in the past. The league is a joke.
Or this is the best or actually the worst one. Suspend a player 2 games for knocking his fiancee out cold then up it to eight after seeing the actual video of it. The excuse we didn’t think it was so violent. Really have you seen someone knocked out? Did you not think it was going to be violent? How stupid can you be?
Grown numb to the cheating? Wouldn’t a more accurate statement be grown numb to the accusations of cheating.
Haters believe what the choose to believe whether it’s based in fact or erroneous accusation. If anyone really wants to be truly informed the facts are out there concerning the Patriots and whether or not they cheated.
But most of the haters think if they say it long and loud enough it will all become true and factual.
I’ve come to the conclusion it helps you all cope that the Patriots are really that much better than the teams you follow.
They should be allowed to take anything they want. Then when their bodies EXPLODE on the field we can all say “ho hum, bring on the next gladiator. Personal responsibility people!
You want to play with fire fine. Don’t cry when you get burned.