The NFL has notified the NFLPA it is "ready to collect blood for Human Growth Hormone testing as soon as Monday,” according to a source cited by Albert Breer of NFL.com. The NFLPA has responded by saying that it “isn’t ready to start blood collection on Monday.” NFL and NFLPA reps “met with congressmen last week and were implored that blood samples needed to be taken for HGH testing or another meeting would take place within two weeks” (NFL.com, 10/19). In N.Y., Judy Battista noted if the “stalemate continues, the sides may have to again meet with members of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform.” The proposal “to begin the collection of blood -- but not test it -- came from” U.S. Rep. Darrell Issa (D-Calif.) and Elijah Cummings (D-Md.). Sources said that Issa “went around the table asking if everybody agreed to the idea and everyone did, including representatives from the union, which did not include” NFLPA Exec Dir DeMaurice Smith. When Issa reportedly said that he and Cummings “were going to tell reporters that a deal had been reached, nobody objected.” A source said what became evident at the meeting was “a lack of trust among players for the NFL in the wake of negotiations” for a new CBA. NFLPA Assistant Exec Dir of External Affairs George Atallah said, “The answer to people who think we’re stalling is nothing has changed. The only people who have delayed the process are the people withholding information about the reliability and effectiveness of the test.” NFL Senior VP/Law & Labor Policy Adolpho Birch, who oversees the league's drug testing, said that the NFL “would not attempt to begin blood collection next week unless the union agreed.” Birch: “We continue to think this thing has to be hashed out and done by agreement of all” (NYTIMES.com, 10/19). Packers QB Aaron Rodgers said, "I am all for it, as long as it's a test that can be regulated and proved to be very accurate. So until we get some information and data that we're very confident in, I don't know that there's going to be anything in the immediate future. I think it'd be great to even the playing field for the rest of the league" (AP, 10/19).
