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Antonio Bigfoot Silva is still upset about getting suspended for using Boldenone. Here's the latest salvo from his camp, possibly hoping that things at the CSAC have changed a bit with the departure of Armando Garcia: Bottom line is that Antonio did not use Boldenone, and it can be proved. If there was a commitment to the truth and the will and humility to admit the possibility of an error. Here are some things that can be proved: I know it's all fashionable to plead not-guilty on steroid charges and then maintain your innocence to the end of your days, but Silva's case does seem pretty open and shut: He used Novedex, Novedex contains ADT, ADT has been known to show up as Boldenone on tests. ADT itself is not an illegal substance. So is Silva guilty or not? I'm not about to pass judgment on the situation but I do think the CSAC should at least address it and make a decision on what to do in these cases. Instead, the CSAC ignored the facts and simply stuck with the theory that Silva used Boldenone - a theory not supported by the fact that Boldenone has a really long half-life and Silva re-tested clear of the substance. The fact that the CSAC wasn't willing to look into the real situation here really does make you wonder what else they ignore and what kind of crazy burden of proof lies on the athlete to get a fair shake. It's just another example of the kind of bullshit California's athletic commission is famous for. Here's praying the people coming into power are going to turn things around, but I'm not about to hold my breath. Neither apparently is Antonio Silva, who's letter seems like a last ditch attempt to sort shit out before leaving to fight in Japan.  I don't really care much about Silva but not hearing or investigating what he has to say really gets on my nerves.  If the CSAC was to allow the ADT-testing-positive-as-Bolderone theory, they'd essentially be creating a defence for Bolderone use, unless there was some way of distinguishing ADT-false-positives-as-Bolderone from real Bolderone. Instead, they're sticking by their guns and putting the onus on fighters to do the due diligence and avoid substances, regardless of whether they're legal, that could test positive. As unfair as it may seem, I think the CSAC is right on this one. If fighters are going to employ nutritionists to manage every aspect of their diet, including supplements, it's not too much of a stretch to require those nutritionists to make sure a fighter doesn't falsely test positive, e.g. to make them do the research and due diligence. To allow exceptions (like the Bigfoot/ADT case) is to create an incoherent testing regime, full of exceptions rife for abuse. At least by the CSAC saying, "regardless of the reason why it tests positive, if it tests positive, you are responsible and suffer the consequences", there's a clear statement that fighters can digest and understand. The best argument against this is the tainted supplements theory, but even then that is highly exploitable. So the CSAC's position may seem harsh, but given the problems with all the rest, it's the best one there is that protects fighters' safety, and after all, that is the CSAC's mandate...  It sucks that IF Silva didnt cheat or DIDNT know that he could get into trouble using that Novadex. But, if they say it is OK, then that will be the new defense.....For everything out there, there is another product, chemical that will cause FALSE POSITIVE readings for other things when blood or urine is screened.It is a LOSE/LOSE for Silva. They cant say he was innoncent. If so, Every guilty test person will be researching the drug that was found in their system and WHAT food/chemical/supplement that could show up in urine test as FALSE positives for that ILLEGAL drug. I mean, if you get a positive test for opiates.....That is heroin, oxycontin, pain meds, If you eat buns/bread with poppy seads then you can test positive(within a couple days of ingestion) for opiates. This is True and Confirmed. So there are answers and problems for it EITHER way you look at it. I went to Washingtone state one time and I ended up with a felony that took my gun rights and precludes me from voting, for vandalism because I kicked out a window. Some areas just aren't worth going to at all because they take advantage of mandatory national enforcement laws . Because of that I can completely and personally understand why Sherk would refuse to fight in california anymore, and why Bigfoot will say fuck this place then.  At a certain point it's on the fighters to be PROFESSIONAL ATHLETES. Don't put something in your body unless you know what the fuck is in it and what the possible consequences are.  Shouldn't they just add Novedex to the list of banned substances?  I'm glad the CSAC is sticking to its guns. As a former trial attorney, I know that you can find an "expert" to testify to fucking anything when it comes to pseudo science. Pay me a couple hundred bucks and I'll go in to the commission and testify that Chinese sage cactus will make you test positive for nandralone. Rule No. 1 of doping testing: Cheaters will lie their asses off when they get caught. Silva going to fight in Japan while still under the CSAC suspension isn’t going to help his cause any. Sure, he’ll have a payday, but he’ll probably screw his chances of fighting in the US again. I believe Silva. This guy has gigantism. If he took steroids, it would fuck him up. I can understand why the CSAC wouldn't want to set this precedent but it really sucks for Silva to be off for a year when he didn't do Boldenone. If he goes to fight in Japan, I don't think he'll be blackballed from the US. Vitor Belfort fought in the UK while suspended from the US and was allowed back to fight in California after that. And besides, Silva didn't take the stuff while Belfort did so if you're going to let Belfort off the hook, Silva definitely should be. So Silva didn't take Boldenone?It's funny. Marion Jones NEVER TOOK ANY ROIDS!! Neither did Barry Bonds! ew, sucks to be Innocence Drums. "I believe Silva. This guy has gigantism. If he took steroids, it would fuck him up."The great Khali has gigantism too. Do you believe he has never taken steroids? The fact of the matter is, all professional athletes are willing to crazy risks with their bodies in pursuit of their athletic dreams. I don't doubrt for one second that there are athletes suffering from Acromegaly who are perfectly willing to roll the dice with steroids. Is Silva one of them? I don't know. But don't pretend that it is inconceivable that he would ignore the risks and do steroids anyway. FWIW, CSAC is simply following the WADA standards for drug testing.If Silva was an Olympic athlete and tested positive, they wouldn'ty give two shits about whether it was due to supplements or not. The WADA policy is that the athletes are responsible for what they put in their bodies, and if they put something in their body that makes them test positive, then that is their own damn fault. 99% of the guys who get busted for steroids claim it was supplement related. Hell, Stephan Bonnar's case was almost identical to Silva's, right down to him posting links to the website where he ordered the supplement. If WADA/CSAC started accepting supplement use as a viable excuse, they might as well stop testing, because nobody actually takes steroids, it's always those supplements that cause them to pop positive. The fact of the matter is, Silva took a product that contained a warning RIGHT ON THE FUCKING LABEL. The dumb bastard deserves to be suspended for epic stupidity if not for dirty piss. "If WADA/CSAC started accepting supplement use as a viable excuse, they might as well stop testing . . . ."Absolutely! It would create a cottage industry for supplements that cause fighters to test positive for various banned substances. And the supplement doesn't really have to cause the false positive. Just start a rumor about it and post it on a couple of websites. That will be enough evidence. Then you can piss positive for a particular steroid and simply demonstrate that you've taken it and point to the websites the warnings! What the hell are the fighters supposed to do if they can't use the supplement defense? Stop taking supplements just to be on the safe side? That would be impossible. Almost all fighters use them. Joe Calzaghe apparently doesn't but he is the exception to the rule. He has acromegaly, not giantism.
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