Joe Gibbs has been around NASCAR for a long time now. His transition from the NFL to NASCAR was driven by family issues and he has grown JGR into a family business.
Wednesday afternoon, Gibbs appeared on both NASCAR Now with Mike Massaro and Outside The Lines with host Reece Davis. On OTL, Gibbs followed a news report from Marty Smith that brought viewers up to date on the Jeremy Mayfield situation as the sport heads toward Indianapolis.
Smith basically said that the B sample from Mayfield's second test is going to be heading for an independent lab and that the results of that test will either confirm or change everything. Smith also confirmed that Mayfield's attorneys are going to argue that someone tampered with Mayfield's second A sample. That is a huge allegation.
The OTL producers made a point in the pre-produced portion of the introduction to include Mayfield's personal allegations against NASCAR Chairman Brian France. They showed footage of France and used Mayfield's radio soundbites about him. This was certainly a surprise, because the drug testing issue involved focuses on NASCAR's licensed participants who are team members, officials and drivers.
Gibbs was at ESPN to promote a new book he authored, but Davis put him on the spot and asked about these drug testing issues. "NASCAR was very careful about putting their program in," said Gibbs. They think they have a great one and I agree with them."
"So, if you violate those rules...you are going to have to pay the penalty," he continued. "I think in that case, Jeremy is going to have to pay that penalty."
Davis reminded Gibbs that currently Mayfield is disputing that he has done anything wrong. "I think that is going to have an impact on his future and the way that he is looked at. What we have in NASCAR is a sponsorship side to it. When a driver signs-on to race for a race team, he is saying that he is going to be a corporate representative. That's where the problem will be in the future for Jeremy."
Davis tried to pin Gibbs down on ever hiring Mayfield in the future. His answer was succinct. "I probably would not put myself in that situation," stated Gibbs.
In closing, Gibbs left no doubt where he stood on the drug testing issue. With prior professional drug testing experience from the NFL, Gibbs' comments perhaps carried a little more weight than some other NASCAR owners.
"I am definitely for the substance abuse testing that we have in NASCAR," said Gibbs. "I think we need it. I think it helps protect the sport. I am solidly behind it and NASCAR."
After all the weeks of Mayfield-mania, it was nice to hear some clear-cut comments from a voice of reason who has personal experience in this area. Kudos to both Reece Davis and Marty Smith for their contributions on this program.
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49 comments:
Great to have anything on ESPN that speaks to NASCAR.
I thought that coach had valid points and was very well spoken on the issue. His knowledge of the NFL system and what NASCAR does now carried an air of knowledge that other owners may not have had.
Marty did lose his place on 'certified lab', but we'll let him off on that.
It was also nice to see Rece Davis, since he used to host the weekend RPM 2night.
I bet Coach Gibbs knows more about NASCAR's drug policy, how it was formulated, and how it is being applied, than any of us. Strong words from a sound man.
I would listen and respect all most anything JG says, and certainly believe him over almost anyone.
Ok..NOW we are told only THREE labs can differentiate between pseudophedrine and meth???
Havent there been folks here breaking down specificities that the NASCAR DRUG test LAB was the highest rated, most respected blah, blah, blah.
Now we are told that test could've been wrong and it was allergy medicine all along?
I missed some memo somewhere.
More confused than ever.
While Gibbs does have information not available to the general public, I find it interesting that he's the one commenting on the problems of Mayfield. While his own driver is having problems on and off the track--although not drug related, and many in the sport have been calling on JD Gibbs and Joe Gibbs to take a hand with Kyle Busch and attempt to control is attitude and antics, it is interesting to hear his take on another driver. Personally, I don't think anyone within Nascar should be making judgements on either side of the issue. If one or the other is proven to be either lying or tampering with things, comments by those not directly related to the issue could come back and bite them in their behinds.
Here we are about 2 months into this car wreck. The public might know something more about NASCAR's drug testing program if the media had done a better job - like asking Brian F, when he spoke to the press a couple of weeks ago, to explain in some detail how the program was developed and who all was involved. Or, doing a thorough comparison of the NASCAR program and those of other major racing series or another major sport like the NFL. It appears to me that for many in the media it is much easier to comment if you're not constrained with facts.
I an convinced that the readers of TDP have done more research than the average member of the media.
@sophia: granted i've been out of the loop for 24 hours and i did not watch OTL but where does this info come from:
"Ok..NOW we are told only THREE labs can differentiate between pseudophedrine and meth???
Havent there been folks here breaking down specificities that the NASCAR DRUG test LAB was the highest rated, most respected blah, blah, blah.
Now we are told that test could've been wrong and it was allergy medicine all along?"
all i've been able to track down is that mayfield's lawyer is still saying the test they did after the nascar home test on 7/6 came back negative and some indication that they believe nascar "spiked" the sample.
can you add to what you posted for me? thanks.
@red
Marty Smith said it earlier on an ESPN show OTL. I read it on Twitter and elsewhere.
I am STUNNED this is just now being ANNOUNCED. Makes me wonder what else we dont' know.
I am beginning to think the conspiracy theorists are not so crazy to support Jeremy after all if what Marty said is indeed FACTUAL.
Furthermore, somebody said NASCAR's drug testing is laughable compared to other sports. Well, this helps prove that.
Hope this helps, red.
Now I'm confused too. I retract any statements I have made in the past on TDP regarding JM & NASCAR. I am now Switzerland.
I'm curious to know if JM was ever tested in the past 10 years under the "reasonable suspicion" rule. Someone somewhere must've seen or thought something.
I saw Joe Gibbs talking about Weed on NN. It's all hearts and flowers with him. I was disappointed. I didn't expect him to throw Weed under the bus but, a little honesty would have been nice. I missed the JM part and will watch the rerun. But I wonder, if he can't honestly comment on his own driver, how can he say anything about JM?
Sophia, I am not disputing what you heard, but it seems odd to me that if Marty meant it to be as earthshattering as what you heard that I can find nothing about it on ESPN.com, but I looked real quickly. Maybe Aegis is one of the 3 and the issue now is choosing between the other 2 for testing of the B sample of the sample taken from JM on 7/6 - and it could be that JM's attorneys want to use a lab with lower capability? Assuming the Aegis test result is accurate, might it be that JM only got "caught" because Aegis can do the most sophisticated testing?
deleted my comment
Richard, I have NO IDEA why you can't find it on ESPN.com but TRUST ME this was announced. See the Mayfield thread that JD blogged about..somebody repeated Marty's info there as well.
I could not possibly make up such an allegation off the top of my head?!?!
:-)
@Dot
I missed Gibbs on NN but am also disappointed it was as you said hearts and flowers.
NO COMMENTS about Kyle's bratty behavior? Wow
Sophia, I found what you referred to on the other post. i did not doubt you - just wondering whether it was a significant as Marty indicated.
@Richard in NC
I kind of thought you believed me but when in doubt I ask. :)
I just wished I had known Marty was going on OTL with this story. NEVER watch ESPN and rarely have tv on during day..usually local talk radio station and just get sports updates. When I saw it on Twitter, it was too late. I am not one of those folks who get Tweets on cell phones/Crackberries :)
I think this is a huge issue (only 3 labs test distinguish)
I used to subscribe to the generally accepted view that Joe and J.D. Gibbs were somehow a notch above the rest of NASCAR on some issue of character/ethics. I no longer accept that. I have no opinion regarding their personal religious beliefs or how faithfully they adhere to them in their daily lives. I do place some trust in the old saying that you are judged by the company you keep.
In the case of Joe and J.D. Gibbs, we can form an opinion based on the long term behavior demonstrated by their teams. Joe's offhand remarks on NN acknowledged that Tony Stewart behaved like a bad boy for a long time, and his endorsement of Denny Hamlin was hardly ringing. Kyle Busch had demonstrated enough bad behavior with Hendrick, but that didn't seem to stop Gibbs from pursuing him. Arguably, KB's behavior has gotten even worse while driving for Gibbs.
The most telling remark was when he was asked about Joey Logano. Gibbs said something to the effect that Logano hadn't won enough yet to become a jerk.
Going back to last year, the cheating by the Gibbs organization in the Nationwide Series was remarkable for the number of people involved. Their attempt to deceive NASCAR about the Toyota's horsepower was an attempt to cheat for the rest of the season. Management made the appropriate public statements, but I didn't hear that anybody was fired. Gibbs management called it forgiveness and retraining. I say it demonstrates to your employees that they can cheat and not suffer any serious consequences when they get caught.
J.D. Gibbs even had the nerve to criticize Carl Edwards after he moved Kyle Busch out of the way to win at Bristol. While Kyle Busch is well known to move people out of the way, J.D. apparently considers it unsportsmanlike if someone does it to Kyle. It would seem that J.D. Gibbs never heard that old saying that people who live in glass houses shouldn't throw stones.
Joe and J.D. Gibbs may be devout in their personal beliefs; and if they are, I respect them for that. If they are judged on the actions of their drivers and other employees, I see no difference between them and the other major teams. The Gibbs organization seems to run under the principle that any behavior will be tolerated just as long as you win. That may make them no worse than any other team, but it certainly doesn't qualify them for the moral high ground.
I also place no faith in any opinions or judgements by either Gibbs regarding NASCAR's drug testing program. I worked in an organization for many years where I was subject to frequent and random testing. The owners/managers knew virtually nothing about the program. It was developed by specialists, and the bosses signed off with little or no input. The program was run on auto-pilot by people in charge of the program. Unless Joe Gibbs was somehow magically involved in the development of NASCAR's program, I don't think he did much beyond tell his human resources department to implement NASCAR's instructions.
If Joe Gibbs wanted to use his reputation and experience to influence drug policy, he should have spoken out while NASCAR still had its head in the sand. We seem to forget how recent it was that NASCAR only tested for suspicious cause and claimed it was the best policy in all of sport. Gibbs had to know that was nonsense, yet I don't ever recall any public statements by anyone from Gibbs unless it was a driver speaking for himself. Ownership/management was notably silent. Now we hear a public statement that he believes in the new policy and supports it. Given his history, what else would you expect him to say?
As others have noted, there are people who post on TDP who seem to know more and take this more seriously than most media people covering NASCAR. I suspect that most of the people inside the sport are as uninformed as most of the journalists.
Michigan fan
Sophia,
Do you have a link? July 22, 2009 10:57 PM
Well I gotta say I was stunned Joe Gibbs seemed to laugh off Kyle's antics. He is not just a brat but ALWAYS APPEARS UNGRATEFUL and lives far away from the Golden Rule as one might find.
SInce Gibbs chooses to share the importance of their faith with the world, I agree with many points made by anon/Mich Fan.
Like Dot, I did not expect KB to be thrown under the bus but Holy Mackerel, just seem to shrug off the ONGOING behavior of Kyle.
interesting but disappointing to some of us.
I also found the timing odd at how Marty broke in 3 minutes into the show for IMS updates aftter Massaro started interviewing Gibbs.
I DID miss who the reference was re: who "They" were when Marty said, in re to Jeremy's drug test "In their estimation there are only THREE labs that can differentiate the type of meth, the legal or really bad kind"
Who was THEY? Nascar or Jeremy's attorney?
From what I read on Twitter and I thought here I thought it was a FACTUAL STATEMENT (only 3 labs) Not it's an estimate? What kind of wording is that to say at this point?
Not great reporting all the way around on this ongoing Trainwreck of JM.
I stay confused and wonder how long until I am made unconfused.
Anon
the "link" is here at TDP,,Check JDs' column Mayfield, a blog or two under this story.
But as you can see from my post above this remark, I am confused even more, all over again since I watched NN with my own eyes.
Did somebody see OTL to see if Marty worded things differently on that show? I just remembered that's what the Tweet was from..OTL (Outside the Lines)
Word veri is warti. Ha.
Michigan fan,
The real question is...did you buy his book? Ultimately, it's all about the benjamins.
JD
Joe Gibbs is so straight laced that he probably thinks having a beer is a drug violation
I don't get why ESPN kept pursuing the Mayfield story with Gibbs. Other than asking his opinion, why have hime speculate on "ever hiring Mayfield"? Thought is was poor stab at sensationalistic journalism
Well said Michigan Fan. Gibbs runs his team as a businessman like all the other team owners. He is no worse or no better. It irks me when people treat him like his morals overshadow his business. As long as Kyle doesn't break some major law, you can bet his poor sportmanship and negative actions will continue to be overlooked by the Gibbs'.
In fact one could argue Hendrick did what was right when he let that little &*&%^% go. Although one would have to ask if that would have happened had Jr (a bigger cash cow) had not been in the mix.
Boy, Michigan fan, you did a great job of putting that into words and I have to say I agree. I think that Joe Gibbs should be walking the talk and I can't say that honestly I think he has any more knowledge of Jeremy's issue with the testing debacle going on right now. I watched this program on DVR and no, I'm not going to buy Gibbs' book -- I don't think it is worth spending MY money for it since in my view he is a sanctimonious hypocrite.
Joe Gibbs is not a chemist - he listens to and does what Nascar tells him to do. Blah, Blah, Blah, Blah.
I thought the inference to Joey
not winning enough yet to be a
jerk was directed at Kyle. If the
shoe fits....
I lost respect for J.D. last year
when he made the reference "what
goes around, comes around" after
Kryle/Carl incident and the way
Kryle had booted other drivers.
Well said Michigan Fan. I am glad that someone put into words what I have been thinking for a long time, only more succinct and clear.
Joe and JD present themselves as bastions of honesty and ethics. Yet, their actions following Kyle's smashing of the guitar in Nashville showed their true colors. I am so disappointed in them and the values they represent. I won't go so far as calling them hypocrites, but it's clear that their ethics and (dare I say) their Christianity could easily be called into question.
Look, I like to win just as much as anyone, but to allow the kind of behavior they allow in the name of victory is just disheartening. Joe presents himself as some great mentor, yet he can't even get Kyle to get in an ambulance following a crash that Kyle would have created given the opportunity.
Personally, I think Rick Hendrick has far more class, dignity, and credentials than Joe Gibbs, and until Joe addresses his "Shrub" issue, he has no credibility to be writing books on the subject of winning with class.
50 year fan
"Kryle" LOL...love it..I hadn't seen that one..or hadn't remembered it.
Glad others were as put off as I was on the whole gibbs organization. I caught the reference to Joey not winning enough to be a jerk yet but after that words of praise continued. Not even a HINT KY needs to be a little more gracious as a loser.
You don't have to like it but own up that you do not always get your way.
Gibbs said "What we have in NASCAR is a sponsorship side to it. When a driver signs-on to race for a race team, he is saying that he is going to be a corporate representative. " Every time driver 18 walks away from the racetrack in a snit Gibbs should be taking him to the woodshed or beating him about the head and neck with his bible.
Gibbs says one thing and does another. You cannot claim moral high ground once you've surrendered it.
Great to have one of nas$car's honchos hold the company line. There is nothing nas$car has done in the last few years that make me trust anything they say. And Gibbs is just a mouthpiece in this situation. nas$car is a dictatorship, a plain fact. Anybody who stands up to them will get the boot heel treatment. They lied about Richmond's drug test 20 years ago, so anything that comes out of their proverbial mouths is to be taken with skeptisism. Even if Mayfield wins, he loses. HE WILL NEVER RACE AGAIN. As far as the boot heel treatment, just ask Carl Long. The pretty boy, vanilla drivers have nothing to worry about. This could never happen to them. Mayfield's biggest crime is that he stood up to nas$car. If he had just went along with the program and did his time, we wouldn't be having this discussion. One idiom you can throw out the window. In America we are innocent until proven guilty.
Why oh why can't ESPN or someone get info regarding the drug testing policies.
Forget Jeremy Mayfield for the moment. Just give us facts about testing. What distinguishes one lab from another? Are there truly only so many companies that can test to a more accurate level than others? Who do other sports use and how to they compare to Aegis?
I went to the Aegis site. They say they offer "Zero Tolerance" testing and offer the highest level of detection. Is this true? The company is not a Mom & Pop organization. Major credentials and customers. Which companies are their competitors?
Although scientific, this isn't rocket science. Someone should be able to put together an informational piece that can lay out the facts about the business of drug testing.
OT...does anyone know when the next court date is since NASCAR has asked that the reinstatement be withdrawn? Or are they wating for independent drug test on the B sample?
Read this article
http://www.frontstretch.com/tbowles/26138/
Little late to the party here but Marty was talking about where to send the B sample, Aegis is not an option because it needs to be a different lab, hence the 3 Marty listed. It's my understanding the JM's lawyer suggestions did not include these higher functioning labs.
I will say that I was a little torn with the Joe Gibbs appearance on NN, did not see OTL. He was there to sell a book, kind of like RC and Cheerios. I didn't however expect him to throw Kyle under the bus which if you think about it he sort of did by saying Joey hasn't won enough to become a Jerk as it Kyle has and is.
anon
WOW. I did not know that part of the story about Richmond! If indeed that is true....well, it's disgusting.
Yes I know A.I.D.S. was scary back then but not enough to ruin a life over (I was working in a doctor's office at the time) Panic or ignorance or not, if that THEN NASCAR drug testing doctor messed with the urine sample to get Richmond out, that's digusting.
I remember hearing it was Sudafed but I did not know the sample was messed with in lab.
I am beginning to feel bad for jumping to (what I thought) were logical conclusions that JM was/is guilty.
Then again, I know the smoothness that a true addict in denial can have, looking you in the eye with great false sincerity and lying.
I don't know whether to be flummoxed or more cynical.
Okay...not even a fan of racing so I have no alliances to either party here.
However I can't go without some comment to Joe Gibb's validation of the "NASCAR Drug Testing Policy"
I am sure he is under some pressure be it self imposed or from some source within NASCAR.
I would like to remind everyone that the NFL has had its own share of problems with corrupt Dr's changing results for money etc. The NFL had to fire one man who Botched several tests and was also NASCAR'S Testing AGENT in the late 80's Named...(Dr. Tennant) who then later came out in the early 90's to state that he was paid off by NASCAR to "falsify" test results of Tim Richmond in order to remove him from racing.
I have an extensive background with testing... certainly at least as much as Joe Gibbs but in my case on the International level... You never let the organizers of an event select the nominees for testing. Selection of athletes should only be done by an independent agent or lab(s) Furthermore, Aegis... Has had this trouble before... Aegis made a mistake on a firefighter's test involving an illegal banned substance and insisted they made no such mistake (they showed a positive result for something that was not there). Aegis went to court and was finally forced to admit harm in an incorrect result. The city for which Aegis was contracted was ordered by the court to re-instate the Firefighter who had been fired from his job due to the false Aegis test results and Aegis had to pay Approx $69,000 in damages to the municipality that they were involved with.
I don't know Jeremy Mayfield... but I will tell you if you are blindly trusting Aegis and NASCAR you will not be getting the full story based on their track record of trying to cover the truth!
Jeremy.... if you had a Driver's union this would be over already.
He may not be the most eloquent spokesman but that certainly does not make him guilty!
My opinion... He's probably innocent.
Anon
I had NO idea it was a practice in NFL or others to "Pay off doctors to alter tests" until today. Thank you for posting this here.
One could spend all day chasing articles online. I read what is here, from JD and posters, and Twitter and am getting quite an education.
Thank you.
According to the affidavit by the step-mom, Jeremy may have been mixing his meth up in the car on the way to a 4th place at the brickyard in 2005 (ESPN Classic, 7/23/09). He drove clean and didn't cause any wrecks. Does NASCAR really think Mayfield fans are just going to go away and let them throw this racer's career away. King France and his puppet Poston can't even follow Federal protocols for administering career ending drug tests or in this case, witch hunts, so any comments from these 2 yahoos regarding this situation should be dismissed as propaganda.
Joe Gibbs said "When a driver signs-on to race for a race team, he is saying that he is going to be a corporate representative."
This is coming from a guy who, while under a no contact (with other manufacturers) clause in his contract with GM/Chevrolet, sent his engineers to Michael Waltrip's race team to work on their toyotas. Mikey won a pole immediately after that and in a post-qualifying interview thanked "the boys from Joe Gibbs" who came down to MWR and worked on their equipment. I'm not a Mayfield fan at all, I think he should be kicked out for good. But Gibbs is a man who tolerated wife beaters, steroid abusers, and pot-heads on his Redskins teams. He speaks with zero credibility to this fan.
Why does anyone expect Gibbs to throw Kyle under the bus? I don't recall him doing so to Smoke' who was far worse than kyle at one time.
banzaibonnie, you're incorrect about the treatment Tony received when he caused problems for JGR. Stewart was forced into anger management classes by Gibbs and had to toe the line, or was threatened with being suspended from the Home Depot team. You certainly don't hear anything such as that being thrown at Busch. If you watch the old Sport's Century program that featured Stewart, they had an entire section devoted to the problems he had early on with JGR and the things he had to do to satisfy Gibbs pertaining to his anger management issues.
As for Gibbs, personally, I have a problem with any person, or group, who use faith to bolster their credibility. Hypocrisy seems to run amok with some individuals who talk the religious talk, but can't walk the walk. When you give tacit approval to questionable behaviors that wouldn't pass muster within religious circles, one has to wonder the basic reasoning behind everything one stands for. Is this much publicized devotion used to elicit positive feelings from the general public? You just have to ask if the devotion is true, or is this a case of being a "jack Christian"? But I guess when you're courting the "Benjamin's", everything is fair game.
Bama23Smoke20, I must respectfully point out that on this board, unlike every other board out there, we do not sink to the lowest common denominator and revert to name calling. Please, state your case and make your feelings known without becoming personal and using insults to make your case. Believe me, your talking points will be taken much more seriously without the name calling.
I think too many fans are willing to accept Aegis statements at face value. That's exactly what they and NASCAR want you to do. They want the focus to be entirely on JM and never have their own actions questioned or examined.
There is plenty of history to question the truth and accuracy of statements even from labs with the best of reputations. Google "scandal touches even elite labs" and you will find a 2004 article by the Chicago Tribune. It is a comprehensive look at problems with labs.
Amongst public labs with no profit motive, the FBI lab and the state of Virgina have had major scandals. There you have labs dealing with national security and criminal prosecutions producing incorrect results through human misconduct and/or ignorance.
With private labs, you also have the economic pressure which may compromise the lab's integrity. Most of them deal with private/administrative matters. If we can't rely on labs for critical matters like national security and criminal prosecution, how much assurance can we have on these "less important" issues?
The Tribune article also deals extensively with the attitude of these labs when any outsider wants to examine their procedures. They want to do their analyses in private without ever having their own conduct examined.
If pop culture is more to your taste, just watch the several "Law and Order" series. These shows are well known for taking events from the news and creating fictional stories which deal with similar issues. Law and Order has done numerous shows through the years that deal with faulty lab work and/or misconduct by employees. If you watch the news and Law and Order, you can see the connection between the real events and their fictional stories.
If you prefer non-fiction, watch the Discovery channels and the A&E channels. They have featured a number of real life cases where people were convicted of criminal acts based on the evidence offered by expert witnesses. The juries accepted their evidence based on an aura of professional expertise. That aura resulted in the conviction of innocent people. Those are the ones we know about because the defendant somehow got someone to reexamine the evidence. How many more innocent people have been convicted on bad scientific evidence but haven't been able to mount a challenge?
I earned a college degree from a major engineering school, and I have worked in a wide variety of jobs related to engineering. In some sense, I think of myself as a technocrat. Speaking as one myself, I offer the following warnings. Beware of any technocrat who: (1)Tells you he knows everything there is to know about a subject, (2) Tells you something is impossible, or (3) Tells you he doesn't make mistakes.
Some people think there must be some kind of evil motive or conspiracy for harm to be done to JM, and they reject that idea. The truth is that most of these things happen through simple human falibility. Some of the more common causes are (1) Bad science, (2) Sloppy procedures, (3) Work performed by unqualified people, and (4) Arrogance and conceit. Once a mistake is made for any reason, the instinct is to cover it up and deny wrong-doing.
This post may come off as an attack on Aegis and NASCAR. It is not intended that way. It is meant to state an aspect of the JM case (the conduct and credibility of major labs) that has received little or no attention. I have formed no opinion on JM because I don't have enough information, and I never will. I acknowledge that serious allegations have been made, and there are serious questions on both sides. I believe the proper way to decide the issue is for a fair and impartial person to hear both sides, and a federal judge fits that bill. The court system may be imperfect, but it is better than the other options.
just read on twitter IF jeremy's injunction holds up, could have sponsor for Indy & beyond. 4wide.com reports.
SmallSponsor.com to help Jeremy Mayfield at Indianapolis?
Got the link on Twitter. Now how this will happen who knows?
But just when I think I am sick & tired of reading this story, more twists, & I am sucked back into it!?#$
= :-o
I think the public would be more informed if the media had done a better job of researching and presenting facts - and if there were not so many people in the media (especially old newspaper guys) who believe their job is first to bash NASCAR and avoid any facts that might interfere.
Who in the media has presented any information about Aegis' track record, about the mechanics of the drug testing programs of other major sports in comparison to NASCAR's, and about how the NASCAR program was developed and who was involved?
Like plantiff attorneys, facts can often foul up a good story.
FYI:
jayski.com 7/23/09
"Mayfield's hair may be tested: The back and forth between NASCAR and driver Jeremy Mayfield over drug allegations has gotten so bad that in Mayfield's latest statement he describes the humiliation of having to go to the bathroom while someone watched. So what could bring it all to an end? It turns out it could come down to a piece of hair. "It's like the bully in school," Jeremy Mayfield told NewsChannel 36 last week. "Every three to five days I go get tested." Who ends up in victory lane may come down to the difference between urinating in a cup and pulling a hair. "The drug that is incorporated into your hair -- it stays there. You get a record, basically, of drug use with the hair," said Dr. Ruth Winecker, the chief toxicologist for the North Carolina Medical Examiner's Office. She says there's no messing with hair. But no one has tested Mayfield's hair, just his urine samples. "There are techniques people can use to try to cheat the system," Winecker said. That's exactly what both sides have accused each other of doing. NASCAR says Mayfield diluted his urine even before testing positive for meth, and Mayfield says NASCAR did something to his urine. NewsChannel 36 asked Mayfield's attorney if they'll be testing his hair as the judge in the case suggested several weeks ago. Attorney John Buric told us they are looking at the possibility, but right now they have been told Mayfield's hair is too short.(NewsChannel 36)(7-23-2009) Comment here"
I have read that Mayfield had already had the hair test done. For the first time I am questioning JM. If head hair is too short, they can use an arm hair instead.
Marybeth
JD -
I assume your question to me at 7/23/09 6:00 AM was rhetorical and no answer was expected. Nonetheless, I will respond.
I have not purchased the book, and I can assure you that I won't be looking for it at the local library or on Amazon. Based on the public record of the company they keep and the company they run, I have no inclination to seek spiritual or ethical advice from either Joe or J.D. Gibbs.
Michigan fan
John,
I almost choked when you used crank-up. That kind of writing is why I love your blog.
"By the time things crank-up for The Brickyard, Mayfield will have joined the number of other NASCAR license-holders this season who have been asked to leave and get their lives in order because of substance abuse."
"Mayfield Drowns Face Down (New Lab Test Info Friday 10PM)"
Interesting story on NASCAR.com that Mayfields many drug test would not pass muster. Why?
The same reason I've been yapping about for weeks (although others dissed my obsession with it)
OBSERVED COLLECTION OF SPECIMEN. That's right, eyewitness sees it leave the body into a cup.
Thus 100 tests of the HIGHTEST techno/chemistry analysis/grades, blah, blah, blah, USELESS if they did not witness JM.
Well I just wanted to put this here tho I realize most are not reading this article anymore.
I wasn't crazy to be so stern on that aspect. = :-)
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