Football: Calgary player receives doping ban

By now, you probably heard that Duncan McLean, a backup linebacker with the Calgary Dinos, has received a two-year doping ban.

The curious part, at least from an outsider's perspective, is the time lag between the athlete being tested and the reporting of the positive test.

"McLean, a native of Vernon, B.C., was tested on March 20. He was suspended from the Dinos this month when the team was notified of the results of a urine test."

Someone I was talking to put it this way: If football players are tested in August and it takes a couple months for a positive test to be reported, what's the incentive for someone who knows he's playing his final season to train clean, if no one will find out until after the season?

I'm not one to call someone a cheater or cast aspersions on the offender's team or school, but that seems like a loophole in the enforcement.

Related:
U of C football player tests positive for steroids (CBC.ca, May 27)