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Couch banned
By Josh Peter, Yahoo! Sports
October 3, 2007
The NFL has suspended free agent quarterback Tim Couch for six games because Couch violated the league's steroid policy, an NFL spokesman said Wednesday.
Couch told Yahoo! Sports in a story about his recent comeback attempt that while recovering from shoulder surgery he briefly used human growth hormone, which is banned by the NFL. Couch denied using steroids, but Yahoo! Sports later obtained documents showing that steroid prescriptions were filled in Couch's name at Lowen's Drug Store in Brooklyn, N.Y. earlier this year.
The six-game suspension began during Week 3 of the NFL season and runs through Week 8 even though Couch is not in the league. He was cut by the Jacksonville Jaguars on Aug. 18.
"The player serves the suspension at the time the disciplinary decision is made, whether he is active, injured, or a free agent," NFL spokesman Greg Aiello wrote in an e-mail.
Attempts to reach Couch for comment were unsuccessful. An employee of Couch's agent, Tom Condon, declined to comment.
Aiello said all 32 NFL teams were notified of the suspension Tuesday through a daily personnel notice, but that he could provide no additional information because of confidentiality provisions in the league's drug testing policy.
Couch, the first overall pick by the Cleveland Browns in the 1999 NFL draft, has not played in a regular-season NFL game since 200. He was released by Jacksonville less than a month after signing a two-year contract. At the time, a Jaguars spokesman said the team's decision to release Couch was based on the quarterback's performance, not knowledge of allegations that Couch used steroids during his comeback. Couch also said he passed a drug test when he joined the Jaguars.
The source who provided Yahoo! Sports with copies of the pharmacy records is a former business associate of the nutritionist Couch had worked with since January 2006. The source, who agreed to speak on the condition of anonymity because he said he fears for his safety, said the New York pharmacy provided him with copies of the records because he got a commission on all prescriptions filled for patients he referred to Lowen's. Those patients included Couch and other clients of Couch’s nutritionist, Brian Yusem, the source said.
Tim Couch is listed as the client name for eight prescriptions on a report from July 1, 2006 to Sept. 26, 2006. The prescriptions in Couch's name are for anabolic steroids such as testosterone, stanozolol, oxandrolone and other drugs commonly taken as part of a steroid regimen.
Copies of the pharmacy records include information such as client names, drug names, quantity of the drugs purchased and the last name of the prescribing doctor. "Charles" is the last name of the doctor who prescribed all of the drugs in Couch's name.
Glenn Charles is a cosmetic surgeon who told Yahoo! Sports he occasionally fills prescriptions Yusem's clients. In previous interviews, Charles said privacy laws prevented him from discussing specifics about any patients or prescriptions he has written.
Free agent defensive end Kenard Lang was also banned six games.
Josh Peter is a writer for Yahoo! Sports. Send Josh a question or comment for potential use in a future column or webcast.
The Cleveland Browns - WE KNOW QUARTERBACKS ( Look at how many we've had ... )
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Just keeps getting worse for Tim, all in all I wish him the best with his life and everything else.
Find what you love and let it kill you.
-Charles Bukowski
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1st String
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Just wait till next season, I have heard that for over 40 years!
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Kenard?! thats sad, I was a big kenard fan
"It has to start somewhere
It has to start somehow
What better place than here?
What better time than now?"
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Legend
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Quote:
has not played in a regular-season NFL game since 200.
WOW he is getting old 
I AM ALWAYS RIGHT... except when I am wrong.
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Legend
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Quote:
The NFL has suspended free agent quarterback Tim Couch for six games
What'll they do without him!!! 
And into the forest I go, to lose my mind and find my soul.
- John Muir
#GMSTRONG
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Where did they come up with 6 games? I thought it was 4 --- ex. Ryan Tucker? What's the difference here?
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they sure had a lot to say about Lang.
![[Linked Image from members.cox.net]](http://members.cox.net/flyinc5/smallsigpics/frcburnout.gif) AL 29 76 14 R_K
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Given the physical issues TC has had, I guess I'm not totally surprised that he used something to speed his recovery,,,
Lang on the other hand really suprises me.
#GMSTRONG
“Everyone is entitled to his own opinion, but not to his own facts.”
Daniel Patrick Moynahan
"Alternative facts hurt us all. Think before you blindly believe."
Damanshot
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Add to that, the dates of the prescriptions were while he was not on a team and rehabbing.
We don't have to agree with each other, to respect each others opinion.
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Legend
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Quote:
Quote:
has not played in a regular-season NFL game since 200.
WOW he is getting old
LOL. 
![[Linked Image from i28.photobucket.com]](http://i28.photobucket.com/albums/c201/shadedog/mcenroe2.jpg) gmstrong -----------------
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Legend
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Quote:
I guess I don't understand how a drug that is prescribed by a doctor is a violation of the rules.
Then they might as well not have any rules... NFL teams are affiliated with doctors so if a doctors note is all you need to take the drugs, then they might as well keep a medicine chest full of them at the practice facility.... The only drugs then that would be against the rules are the ones that are against the law...
yebat' Putin
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Quote:
I guess I don't understand how a drug that is prescribed by a doctor is a violation of the rules.
I don't know the answer to that, but it does seem odd doesn't it.
#GMSTRONG
“Everyone is entitled to his own opinion, but not to his own facts.”
Daniel Patrick Moynahan
"Alternative facts hurt us all. Think before you blindly believe."
Damanshot
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How do you suspend a player for 6 games when he is not on a team? 
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Just a formality, put in place on the chance a team signs Couch. 
gmstrong -----------------
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Quote:
Quote:
I guess I don't understand how a drug that is prescribed by a doctor is a violation of the rules.
Then they might as well not have any rules... NFL teams are affiliated with doctors so if a doctors note is all you need to take the drugs, then they might as well keep a medicine chest full of them at the practice facility.... The only drugs then that would be against the rules are the ones that are against the law...
Seriously DC, why suspend someone that used a drug that is approved by the FDA for treatment of a medical condition? I would guess that he was suspended for HGH, and the author wanted to add a little flair with the steriod information. If I was using prescription steriods, I would probably say no if asked if I was using steriods. Even though it is still a steriod, most people think of performance enhancing when talking about steriods.
Go Irish!
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Quote:
I guess I don't understand how a drug that is prescribed by a doctor is a violation of the rules.
This goes back to the Chris Benoit situation. Benoit was legally prescribed steroids. The doctor claimed that there were medical reasons for Benoit to be using steroids.
Yes, Tim was using them to recover from an injury. But, that opens pandoras box. If you are rich/famous there will always be a doctor that can medically determine that you need steroids to recover from something.
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Quote:
How do you suspend a player for 6 games when he is not on a team?
And how do they arrive at 6 games.. Tucker was just suspended for 4 and he's on a team,,
Someone tell me how this works?
#GMSTRONG
“Everyone is entitled to his own opinion, but not to his own facts.”
Daniel Patrick Moynahan
"Alternative facts hurt us all. Think before you blindly believe."
Damanshot
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Quote:
I guess I don't understand how a drug that is prescribed by a doctor is a violation of the rules.
Easy... because it is the logical thing and the Doctor has no say in things.
The player is 100% responsible for what is in their body. Ignorance is NOT an excuse. It is their responsibility to let the doctor know that they are restricted in what they can put in their body.
It is the player's responsibility to check with the league, if necessary, to get approval for questionable medications. At minimum, they should be directing their doctor to check with the league, and then the player should be following up on their own, because it is THEIR butt that will get suspended, NOT the Doctor's. It is called being responsible for yourself and your own actions.
If a simple note from a doctor was good enough, every player in the league would have a note from some doctor saying they needed this steroid or that one combined with some HGH to help their cataracts or whatever.
Browns is the Browns
... there goes Joe Thomas, the best there ever was in this game.
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Maybe I missed it, but he didn't TEST positive for steroids, so his usage is strictly based on these prescriptions, which were last year while he was rehabbing, and he passed a drug test when he signed with the Jags a couple months ago.
He wasn't on a team at the time he was rehabbing, was he still an NFL employee?
That's like my employer finding out a got drunk back in 2006 before I worked there and they suspend me.
Maybe I'm missing part of the story, but it just doesn't all seem to make sense.
We don't have to agree with each other, to respect each others opinion.
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I think you hit the nail right on the head. Though a doctor prescribed the drug it's still a banned substance in the NFL and without a special waiver or something of that nature from the NFL then Couch would probably not have ran into this issue, since he didn't go thru the right procedures if there are any in place, he took a banned substance period.
There was a similar situation in MLB with an Atlanta Braves player a doctor prescribed him some anti depression meds, but he couldn't take them until MLB gave him permission to, since the drug was on the banned substance list.
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Legend
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Quote:
Seriously DC, why suspend someone that used a drug that is approved by the FDA for treatment of a medical condition?
I don't know. It doesn't seem right, I agree with that. I think there should be a way around it. For instance a player should be allowed to apply to the NFL to use a specific medicine for a specific condition... if the NFL wants, they could have their own doctor check out the player and either agree that this is the best medicine or disagree that it's not... all of this could happen in 24 hours if needed... But I agree that it doesn't seem right that a player should be denied the most effective treatment just because it has a side effect which benefits performance or because other players use the drug inappropriately...
yebat' Putin
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Everytime I think of Lang, I remember his 70 yard INT return against the Bungles.
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The voice of reason. I know players would try to abuse steriods if checks weren't in place. Like you said though have a league doctor give an opinion, rather than banning what might be the best medicine for a particular injury. Unless it's over the counter, taking any drug would be reason to be suspended, unless prescribed by a doctor.
Go Irish!
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Legend
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Quote:
I don't know. It doesn't seem right
What isn't right about it? A doctor can prescribe FDA approved steroids and other perfomance enhancing drugs. Steroids could be prescribed for even the slightest of sprains, and it could easily be considered "the best treatment" for the injury.
You have to draw the line somewhere and the one and only place you can draw it without introducing infinite ambiguity is in the most restrictive place you can find.... zero tolerance. You start there, then allow exceptions as requested on a case by case basis. If you don't do it that way, the one universal truth will come forward much more than it normally will anyway... someone WILL work every stinkin loophole you leave out there.
Quote:
For instance a player should be allowed to apply to the NFL to use a specific medicine for a specific condition... if the NFL wants, they could have their own doctor check out the player and either agree that this is the best medicine or disagree that it's not
I'm pretty sure there ARE avenues for the players to do just this, and I would be utterly shocked if they all didn't have access to a phone number that they could have their doctors call, and I'm sure they somewhat regularly, at least annually, receive something in the mail letting them know the things that they aren't supposed to be putting in their bodies.
In fact, I recall during the Tucker thing that there was mention that this avenue IS an option.. they could have tried to get it cleared, but didn't.
Browns is the Browns
... there goes Joe Thomas, the best there ever was in this game.
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How do you suspend a player for 6 games when he is not on a team?
I'll agree, that strikes me as a bit odd.
I've got an appointment with my Dr. tomorrow at 5:15pm. I'm gonna ask him for a shot of steroids so that I can get myself suspended too. - I've never been suspended from anything -
I should be available for the last quarter of the season.
I was thinking that maybe they should make the suspension go into affect when (if) a player came back into the league.....but then I guess they don't want to totally thwart a player from a chance at returning.
AL 29 76 14 R_K
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Quote:
they sure had a lot to say about Lang.
the details were overwhelming
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Legend
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Quote:
I guess I don't understand how a drug that is prescribed by a doctor is a violation of the rules.
Quote:
Tim Couch is listed as the client name for eight prescriptions on a report from July 1, 2006 to Sept. 26, 2006. The prescriptions in Couch's name are for anabolic steroids such as testosterone, stanozolol, oxandrolone and other drugs commonly taken as part of a steroid regimen.
I would under stand if he got and took them illegally but from what I understand this was part of his recovery process after extensive surgery. I have had steroids prescibed to me and took them for infections and knee surgury rehab and have not been fired from my job.
And before Otto and CoachB have their little fit about me being a fan of Tim, I will say what I have always said so it clear in everyones record. Tim Couch is the best QB we have had since our return and will be untill someone else helps us to a winning record and a playoff berth! 
First off... the type of steroids you had were probably corticosteroids which are anti-inflammatory medications which is different from anabolic steroids.
Secondly... Couch knew they were a banned substance, so did his doc. There are other ways of rehabing than taking anabolic steroids... and in fact I don't think I've ever heard of any doc prescribing anabolic steroids for rehab of a shoulder. Maybe Couch asked for the prescription? Who knows.
<><
#gmstrong
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Just to further hammer it home.... Quote:
I would under stand if he got and took them illegally but from what I understand this was part of his recovery process after extensive surgery.
If it is not explicitly approved by the league, then it is illegal no matter what the reason is. Prescribed or not is irrelevant. No league permission = Illegal. Maybe not in a Law & Order sense, but most assuredly in the sense of wanting to be a Professional Athlete.
Browns is the Browns
... there goes Joe Thomas, the best there ever was in this game.
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You can't really make it any clearer, it's fairly easy to understand. Let's take steroids out of the picture and say Couch was given a prescription for childrens asprin, if childrens asprin is on the banned substance list in the NFL, then he still couldn't take the childrens asprin without consent from the NFL, no matter if he had Doctors permission or not. Pretty simple to understand for me. This all falls on Couch and he has no one to blame then himself, though I doubt he was ever going to play again, but that isn't the issue, he should have known better not to break the rules, but he gambled and lost.
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I'm surprised about Lang though. I didn't realize he was out of the league after his Denver stint.
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Quote:
If it is not explicitly approved by the league, then it is illegal no matter what the reason is.
Couch was wrong, though I don't think you can (should) suspend him for this since he wasn't even in the league and hadn't been in awhile. It doesn't matter though, his career was done either way.
#gmstrong
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Most of the feared "Browncos" are bagging groceries just a short 2 years later...lol.
Against logic,the most effective armor is willful ignorance.
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He's still a member of the NFLPA and is considered active since he hasn't officially retired, so he still falls into the catagory of an active player even though he is a free agent.
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He's been suspended? I thought you had to be playing to be suspended  I still maintain that whatever he took, he needs a refund on because it didn't help.
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it didn't?? Tim Couch dropped to one knee, took aim at the crossbar about 40 yards downfield and launched a football with an arm he once feared was damaged beyond repair. The ball traced a low arc as it sailed toward the goalpost, and no one watched with more interest than a man who has referred to Couch as "my Frankenstein." http://sports.yahoo.com/nfl/news?slug=jo-part1couch082807&prov=yhoo&type=lgns
AL 29 76 14 R_K
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Wow.....is that legit??
I am not questioning you......it just seems like with all of that, there would have been more of a story in other press forums.
I never liked Couch, but I do hope the guy is okay.
All of that seems like it could be unhealthy.
If everybody had like minds, we would never learn. GM Strong ![[Linked Image]](http://www.dawgtalkers.net/uploads/small-gator-chomp.gif)
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Quote:
is that legit??
I am not questioning you.
don't even THINK of questioning me
actually, I just call 'em as I read 'em your honor.
can't vouch for validity from where I sit.
AL 29 76 14 R_K
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Quote:
Quote:
I guess I don't understand how a drug that is prescribed by a doctor is a violation of the rules.
This goes back to the Chris Benoit situation. Benoit was legally prescribed steroids. The doctor claimed that there were medical reasons for Benoit to be using steroids.
Yes, Tim was using them to recover from an injury. But, that opens pandoras box. If you are rich/famous there will always be a doctor that can medically determine that you need steroids to recover from something.
Banned substance is banned substance. You're right in that it's easy to find a doctor to prescribe almost anything. That doesn't mean it's an excuse to use a banned substance.
They tried it, they got caught, they got suspended. They got what they deserved. Case closed.
***Gordon, I really didn't think you could be this stOOpid, but you exceeded my expectations. Wussy.
Manziel, see Josh Gordon. Dumbass.***
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Again...I am not questioning you my man.....shoot....I once posted something about Tim not paying parking ticket fines and got ripped by 300 people....this just seems way bigger than what was reported.....maybe because he isn't "news" anymore.
If everybody had like minds, we would never learn. GM Strong
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Forums DawgTalk Pure Football Forum Free Agents Couch/Lang suspended
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