Attorney for Saints players says NFL to blame for clients use of banned substance

November 19, 3:41 PMSports ExaminerPaula Duffy

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Sports attorney, David Cornwell

Attorney David Cornwell represents three players on the New Orleans Saints who failed routine drug screenings last month. News leaked about the failed tests and we learned there was no positive test for steroids or even banned stimulants.

At issue was the use of a brand of diuretic called StarCaps that contained the ingredient, Bumetanide. In and of itself it's not a steroid but the NFL claims it is a banned substance anyway. However, Bumetanide wasn't named as a substance that would trip the wire on a positive drug screen by the NFL.  How would players know they weren't to take it? Oh and by the way, StarCaps have been yanked off the shelves because the label never listed Bumetanide as an ingredient in the diuretic. Seems like no one wants to speak about it.

Cornwell revealed that today in the players' hearing to dispute the failed tests and avoid an automatic four game suspension. According to Cornwell, the administrator said that if players take steroids, knowing about the properties of Bumetanide might allow them to slip through the cracks in the drug testing program. Ok, I get it but you can't then turn around and say they failed anyway because of a substance that's banned but not listed, right?

Wrong I guess. That's Cornwell's contention anyway. And the league is livid about the news from the hearing being openly discussed by Cornwell. It's a breach of the confidentiality in the process they say. Really? Who leaked the news of the failied tests to begin with? The players? I don't think so.

Can't wait for the rest of the story and how this catch-22 situation resolves itself.

Read about how this all began, right here.