skinnykilmer17
Well-Known Member
I need help in understanding this...
Is Barta naive to define an employee of the University of Iowa an "outside consultant" re the UI Athletic Department's drug testing program? And UI medical and pharmacy students are collecting the urine samples from the athletes? We see the obvious inherent problem with using fellow students, correct? Why doesn't Barta? Barta said that some athletes have probably found ways to beat the system and they are looking at correcting those problems but they haven't actually caught an athlete cheating? Why wasn't there a follow-up question from the media? This is what is so infuriating about both the local and statewide media. Did it dawn on anyone to press Barta on the credibility and effectiveness of the Athletic Department's program? Barta kept controlling that issue by repeatedly referring to the $70,000 that the U spends on its own non-mandatory program. So what? This figure doesn't really represent anything and it obviously is not relevant to how effective their testing is if he admits players are getting around it somehow.
Would the athletic department be willing to spend, say $150,000/year to hire a truly independent and professional business to implement the testing program? Would that be money well spent to avoid this current embarrassment?
Also, Dr. Miller stated that they pull athletes out of meetings, etc. to be tested but didn't say if any of the coaches or grad assistants or football staff in general have any prior knowledge of the impending testing. Another lost opportunity for a follow-up from the media?
My employer requires random drug testing at my place of employment. They contract with an outside agency who specializes in drug testing workers. They are trained professionals who are absolutely objective and their professional/business credibility is at stake. That is their job. Period. They don't know me or work with me. They don't take college classes with me. They don't see me around town at the bars, restaurants, libraries, etc. They don't watch me work or play or possibly even worship me on any given autumn Saturday.
In summary, there seemed to be a couple of talking points stressed repeatedly by Coach Ferentz and Gary Barta today.
Coach Ferentz-We are pro-active.
Barta- We spend a lot of money to test our athletes. $70,000.
I truly believe they genuinely want to help the athlete in need, as I'm sure Dr. Miller and his staff do as well. But are they possibly getting in the way of that process?
Is Barta naive to define an employee of the University of Iowa an "outside consultant" re the UI Athletic Department's drug testing program? And UI medical and pharmacy students are collecting the urine samples from the athletes? We see the obvious inherent problem with using fellow students, correct? Why doesn't Barta? Barta said that some athletes have probably found ways to beat the system and they are looking at correcting those problems but they haven't actually caught an athlete cheating? Why wasn't there a follow-up question from the media? This is what is so infuriating about both the local and statewide media. Did it dawn on anyone to press Barta on the credibility and effectiveness of the Athletic Department's program? Barta kept controlling that issue by repeatedly referring to the $70,000 that the U spends on its own non-mandatory program. So what? This figure doesn't really represent anything and it obviously is not relevant to how effective their testing is if he admits players are getting around it somehow.
Would the athletic department be willing to spend, say $150,000/year to hire a truly independent and professional business to implement the testing program? Would that be money well spent to avoid this current embarrassment?
Also, Dr. Miller stated that they pull athletes out of meetings, etc. to be tested but didn't say if any of the coaches or grad assistants or football staff in general have any prior knowledge of the impending testing. Another lost opportunity for a follow-up from the media?
My employer requires random drug testing at my place of employment. They contract with an outside agency who specializes in drug testing workers. They are trained professionals who are absolutely objective and their professional/business credibility is at stake. That is their job. Period. They don't know me or work with me. They don't take college classes with me. They don't see me around town at the bars, restaurants, libraries, etc. They don't watch me work or play or possibly even worship me on any given autumn Saturday.
In summary, there seemed to be a couple of talking points stressed repeatedly by Coach Ferentz and Gary Barta today.
Coach Ferentz-We are pro-active.
Barta- We spend a lot of money to test our athletes. $70,000.
I truly believe they genuinely want to help the athlete in need, as I'm sure Dr. Miller and his staff do as well. But are they possibly getting in the way of that process?
