The 2-time MLB Home Run Champion and newest member of the 50 HR Club has been tested 16 times by the MLB in two years.

From Sportsgrid.com:

Speaking at a recent banquet event in the Dominican Republic, however, Bautista told the attendees that there’s no reason for anyone to be suspicious of his Hulk-like outbreak over the past two seasons. Since, after all, he has been “randomly” tested 16 times for performance enhancing drugs. Yes, that’s 16 times in the course of two years.

Considering that over the previous two seasons he had only been tested three total times, to go along with his 28 home runs in 700-plus at-bats, it certainly seems like said tests may not be so “random.” But then again, that’s the current nature of the game. Everyone is guilty until proven innocent… 20-some-odd times over, and over again. It probably would take another 50 or so negative tests in order for the critics to be quieted down.

The slugger recently said the tests under the name of random drug testing policy conducted by the Major League Baseball are not so random.

Santos was suspended after failing a drug test that led to the removal of her title, according to reports from Sports Illustrated.

From Mma.sbnation.com:

“Cyborg” tested positive for the banned substance stanozolol, an anabolic steroid, in the aftermath of her December 17th title defense against Hiroko Yamanaka at Strikeforce: Melendez vs. Masvidal. The 26-year-old promptly received a $2,500 fine, a one-year suspension and the win was reversed to a “no decision.”

“I would like to sincerely apologize to Strikeforce, the Zuffa organization, Hioko Yamanaka and my fans for my failed drug test,” Santos said after the ruling. “I am ultimately responsible for everything I put in my body, and at the end of the day, there is no excuse for having a prohibited substance in my system.”

Despite her expression of regret, Santos has thus far maintained her innocence, stating that the failed test resulted from “a dietary supplement that I was assured was safe and not prohibited from use in sports competition.”

“She’s at home in Curitiba, surrounded by family who supports her wholeheartedly,” the fighter’s manager explained. “She’s recalibrating and trying to put her head around the suspension.”

MMA

The legitimacy of Cyborg’s bulky frame has been questioned for years but this is the first time an official testing has confirmed those suspicions.

From Mmaboom.com:

Along with her suspension, Cris “Cyborg” Santos will face a $2,500 fine and her bout with Hiroko Yamanaka will be retroactively changed to a No Decision (NC). With Santos currently out of the women’s MMA picture, there are early concerns that the Strikeforce 145 lb women’s division may be in big trouble moving forward. With all the best female fighters at 135, and Santos now gone, it wouldn’t be shocking to see the two divisions merged or purged in some fashion in the near future.

As it would happen, the recent confirmation of Ronda Rousey vs. Miesha Tate now makes that contest the biggest match possible in women’s MMA, although that’s a bit of a bittersweet recognition under the circumstances.

The news has once again brought the relationship between steroids and professional sports to the limelight.

Gregory Jason Merrilees briefly faced the ACT Magistrates Court after being arrested on Thursday night following the search.

From Canberratimes.com.au:

Police allege they found 8g of suspected cocaine, 100 tablets believed to be MDMA or ”ecstasy” and three vials of steroids.

Merrilees’ lawyer told the court her client was already on bail over serious alleged offences which carry a maximum penalty of five years or more. Under territory law a person accused of committing further crimes while on bail for a serious offence has to show special or exceptional circumstances to justify their release on bail again. Merrilees was remanded in custody.

The 39-year-old was formally charged with unlawful possession of property, cocaine trafficking, possessing anabolic steroids, and is also facing a charge of driving while disqualified.

The featherweight champion, better known as “Cyborg,” tested positive for the anabolic steroid Stanozolol, also known as Winstrol, according to a release by the California State Athletic Commission.

From Uk.eurosport.yahoo.com:

The result of the fight held on the Dec. 17 Strikeforce show at the Valley View Casino Center in San Diego has been overturned by the commission and ruled a no contest.

“Our primary concern is for the health and safety of fighters,” CSAC Executive Officer George Dodd said in a press release sent out on Friday.

“Anabolic agents and other banned substances put not only the users of those agents at risk, but their opponents as well. The commission simply will not tolerate their use.”

The test happened on Dec. 16, the day before she knocked out the top contender for the title, Japan’s Hiroko Yamanaka, in only 16 seconds.

Chief U.S. District Judge William Steele decided to grant Ashley Dewayne Rivers, of Morgan County, the 50 percent sentencing reduction he likely would have been eligible for had his cooperation efforts paid off as he had tried to help law enforcement investigators pursue other cases.

From Blog.al.com:

Rivers pleaded guilty in September to conspiracy to illegally dispense anabolic steroids. He admitted to selling the performance-enhancing drugs to Dr. Mark Koch, who faces his own sentencing hearing next month.

Defense attorney James Robinson asked Steele to impose “stringent” probation that would allow his client “no wiggle room” as an alternative to prison. He said Rivers and his wife care for their own 2 adopted children in addition to the 3 children of his disabled brother.

“Mr. Rivers knew when he got into this that there was a risk to this. He never for one minute was misguided into this,” Robinson said. “Ashley knows this is his fault.”

“I don’t think it’s lost on you that this is a serious offense,” Steele said.

Matt Hardy

Hardy was booked into the jail at 1:40 a.m. on Saturday. His brother, Jeff Hardy, is however back in TNA Wrestling after receiving 10 days in jail, 30 days probation, and a fine of $100,000 in a September plea bargain that stemmed from his 2009 arrest on drug charges.

From Thepilot.com:

Multiple wrestling websites are reporting that Hardy was expelled from the rehab program on Nov. 18 after he failed a Breatha-lyzer test. Members of the rehabilitation center staff administered the test after they became suspicious of Hardy’s behavior, according to TMZ.com.

Hardy said he wasn’t drinking and had failed the test because he’d just used mouthwash, TMZ reported.

“I’m reading a lot of ridiculous things on the ‘dirtsheets’ tonight,” Hardy’s girlfriend, Reby Sky, said on Formspring. “So to clear things up: I could have bailed him out and did not. He’s still in jail. Have fun with that.”

UK Athletics

A former discus thrower, Vesteinn Hafsteinsson, tested positive for the steroid nandrolone during the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics and was suspended for two years.

From Telegraph.co.uk:

UK Athletics says it was Morse’s personal decision to change coaches and insists it is not paying Hafsteinsson for his services.

But Bevan, who competed for Britain in the javelin at the 1992 Barcelona Olympics, claims the move to Hafsteinsson was orchestrated by UK Athletics. He cites an email, seen by Telegraph Sport, which was sent to him by UK Athletics head coach Charles van Commenee on Oct 16, 2010.

“We identified a need for greater technical input into Brett’s training and a person who could deliver that to the athlete and his coach in a controlled and monitored environment. The athlete has now chosen to work with this coach,” a spokeswoman for UK Athletics said.

A long time Pittsburgh sports scribe, the Capitals center isn’t what he used to be because he is off the juice, according to the Pennsylvania Observer-Reporter’s John Steigerwald.

From Wtop.com:

The guy was superhuman when he first came into the league. He had the hardest shot anybody had seen in years. Goalies around the league talked about how it was different from everybody else’s shot.

He’s taking about half as many shots as he used to.

Is any of this proof that Ovechkin’s performance was enhanced before, and now it’s not? No. But, you combine it with the fact that his doctor was charged with bringing PEDs over the border from Canada, and it gives you the right to be suspicious.

Add to that the fact a Washington D.C. chiropractor was investigated after he bragged about supplying steroids to members of the Capitals and Washington Nationals.

The chiropractor Stigerwald refers to is Douglas Nagel, who was arrested in 2010 for buying anabolic steroids from a Florida dealer.

Moore was one of twenty people who were charged in connection with Operation Jellybean, a two-year, joint-forces drug investigation focused in Fredericton.

From Dailygleaner.canadaeast.com:

The goal of Jellybean, which began in 2005, was to disrupt the sale of cocaine, marijuana, prescription drugs and anabolic steroids in New Brunswick.

Defence lawyer Howard Peters said Friday his client, who pleaded guilty, was only involved in selling anabolic steroids and was at the lower end of the scale in the conspiracy.

Peters said Moore was buying steroids for personal use and for sale in his gym in Glace Bay, N.S., and wasn’t selling in his community in general.

Crown prosecutor William Lebans painted a similar picture about Moore.

Moore was ordered to pay a $750 victim-fine surcharge in addition to the $5,000 fine.