The Junkyard

UGA just handed reporters an entire packet full of pages and documentation on Houston's situation. Seth will be able to dig into this more throughout the day.

A few quick things ...

-- Houston's initial test was on April 13, 2010

UGA appealed on five different occasions, including Dec. 12, 2011 and June 15, 2012.

Ron Courson sent a letter to McGarity on July 9, 2012 saying, "There are inherent flaws in the current NCAA drug testing program, which have been raised many times before by sports medicine professionals but never addressed adequately by the NCAA."

More from Courson letter ...

"This is an extremely unique and complex case. There has never been another case with the level of documented laboratory testing of anabolic steroid tapering in a student-athlete. The testing clearly demonstrates that there has been no re-use over the past two and a half years. This fact has been recognized by the NCAA drug testing committee and upheld on two separate appeal cases. We have continued to track Mr. Houston's levels, which lowered initially, but have plateaued over the past year. We have exhausted every conceivable means at our disposal to identify why his test values will not drop the threshold level. Despite multiple physician, biochemist and toxicologist consultations, as well as multiple laboratory panels, we do not have a scientific explanation for this."

"... After trying to work together with NCAA representatives over the past two and a half years with this case, it appears that the NCAA is only interested in hearing what I think when it serves their purpose and needs. Otherwise, I am summarily dismissed.

"The most distressing aspect of this case is the appearance that no one at the NCAA actually cares enough about this case to truly look at it in an objective manner. We can clearly show with science that there has been no further drug use over a two and a half year period. We can show there is no performance enhancing benefit. ... We are chasing an arbitrary threshold number that he is unable to metabolize to, yet no one, from the drug testing committee to Drug Free Sport to NCAA administrators and attorneys wants to hear any objective data supporting this."

Houston tested positive for 19-norandrosterone on April 13, 2010

************ this enrages me so much. Those sons of bitches.