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No HGH Testing This Season?

There will be no HGH testing at the start of the season, I've confirmed. But that's not the big story about why the players and owners couldn't reach an agreement on testing.

The Washington Post first reported on a memo sent to all teams that no HGH testing will happen for the start of the year. That was actually expected.

The bigger issue is that sources within the union and league don't believe HGH testing will happen this season at all. Why is a matter of great debate. The league blames the union and the union blames the league (surprising I know).

One union official says there are still unsettled issues about the reliability of the tests. Quite simply, the union doesn't trust the tests. They don't care if the World Anti-Doping Agency developed them and those tests are administered in other sports like minor league baseball and track and field.

The union isn't going to agree to HGH testing until the testing accuracy reaches the level it desires. It's that simple.

The league says the testing accuracy is already there and so here we are.

An agreement on HGH testing could indeed come later but I don't think it will be anytime soon. In fact, I'd be shocked if the league administered HGH testing within the next few months or even the next year or so. That's how strongly the union feels on this issue.

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