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In an era of professional sports figures being in trouble with the law more than anytime in history, it seems people want to find something questionable in great players. Currently, the topic of question is steroid use. I don't recall Barry Bonds serving any suspension for his alleged steroid use. I am sure Mark McGwire's jersey will land in Cooperstown one day. Some athletes, for example New England Patriots safety Rodney Harrison, have actually admitted to using banned substances (in Harrison's case, human growth hormone.) Should these athletes continue to be idolized? Or should they be forever blacklisted? Do athletes who admit to using a banned substance deserve preferential treatment over those who have obviously used them but don't admit to it?

Which leads me to the case of Shawne Merriman, pro-bowl linebacker for the San Diego Chargers, who served his four-game suspension after reconsidering an appeal, but decided it was in his team's best interest to sit out the four games, rather than create more public hoopla than necessary. Interestingly, the Chargers were undefeated during this suspension, and Merriman went on to lead the league in sacks with 17 in only 12 games.

Merriman was accused of using the illegal substance nandrolone which, by the way, is a naturally-occurring anabolic steroid found in the human body. Recent studies by the University of Aberdeen have shown that nandrolone can also be created within the body in higher amounts through a mixture of high protein diets, cardiovascular exercise, and extra creatine (a naturally-occurring amino acid in the body which supplies energy to muscles.) Furthermore, it is becoming fairly commonplace for ranchers to treat their cattle with with steroids; therefore, if anyone, including a professional athlete, were to consume large quantites of "treated" beef, he could potentially test positive for a performance-enhancing substance.

If Merriman did partake of a legal nutritional supplement in conjunction with his elite athlete high-protein diet and exercise regime, then it is possible for nandrolone to be an unfortunate by-product, thus fueling the rumor mill of performance-enhancing steroid use.

At the time of Merriman's suspension, for which he considered filing an appeal, ESPN came under scrutiny for releasing questionable information with regard to Merriman's test results prior to his suspension, in direct violation of NFL policy.

This negativity is fueled by the simple emotion of jealousy. When we were children and teased for one thing or another, our parents told us not to worry, the other child is jealous. Merriman is a great linebacker, well on his way to the Hall of Fame. Speak to his teammates (past and present), his coaches (again, past and present), and members of the community in which he grew up and in which he currently lives. He is a solid human being with a means and ability to take care of those less fortunate, and just so happens to be one of the best linebackers to play the game of football.

Until there is a proof positive method for determining actual knowing consumption of banned substances by athletes, let's remember the legal system in this country and apply the same standard: innocent until proven guilty. Furthermore, let's also remember that everyone makes mistakes, and a person need not be reminded of said mistake for the rest of his days. Merriman did his time, now sit back and watch a future Hall of Famer at work.

Learn more about this author, Natalie Faulk.
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