Signature Pharmacy has filed a lawsuit against District Attorney David Soares and the Albany County District Attorney’s Office over its steroid investigation entitled “Operation Which Doctor.” The Signature Pharmacy steroid scandal implicated numerous professional athletes and entertainers including top pro bodybuilders. Several months later, an Albany County judge dismissed the criminal indictments against the principals at Signature Pharmacy due to the incompetence of prosecutor David Soares.
Signature Pharmacy and its owners, Stan and Naomi Loomis, allege that David Soares illegally operated outside his jurisdiction in the steroid investigation and prosecuted them without probable cause; Signature Pharmacy further alleges that David Soares is a political opportunist who flew in an Albany Times-Union reporter and tipped off local media to cover an unnecessary steroid raid that was clearly designed as a photo op to promote Soares’ celebrity during an election year Read more
Eight-time Mr. Olympia Ronnie Coleman filed a civil lawsuit against Gold’s Gym in Los Angeles Superior Court on July 28, 2008. Coleman is “claiming misappropriation of image and likeness, invasion of privacy and unjust enrichment. ” Gold’s Gym is accused of using a photograph of Ronnie Coleman in an advertising campaign to recruit new gym members without obtaining permission or paying Coleman for the commercial use of his image.
It is good to see pro bodybuilders use the courts to protect against the exploitation of their image. Current Mr. Olympia Jay Cutler filed a similar lawsuit against NDS Nutritional products last year and successfully settled the suit with the company.
TMZ broke the news on their celebrity gossip website. Sadly, TMZ chose to use the regrettable headline, “Mr. Olympia Rages at Gold’s Gym.” The use of the term “rage” in the context of bodybuilding and muscle subtlely and inappropriately suggests “roid rage.” Fortunately, a reader was quick to point out the “ridiculous and misleading” nature of the headline in their comments.
The title of this article is ridiculous and misleading. The title alone perpetuates the stereotypes of steroids. No where in the story is there any mention of rage or anger for that matter. Many of the so-called side effects of steroids have never even been proven but the media continues to use these so-called side effects to keep a bad name associated with body building and other competitive sports… Why not go after Lindsey Lohan or one of the coked out drugged up hookers. They are just as much a role model to kids as Barry Bonds or Ronnie Coleman. But I guess we want the teenage girls of America hooked on hard core drugs and driving drunk and crashing cars. Mean while guys like Bonds have a relatively quiet career, free of crashed cars and DUI’s.
Former NFL running back Femi Ayanbadejo has filed a lawsuit against Author L. Rea of ALR Industries. He claims an undisclosed ingredient in ALRI Max LMG caused him to fail an NFL doping test leading to his release by the Arizona Cardinals and Chicago Bears. Ayanbadejo tested positive for a “form of nandrolone.” Ayanbadejo’s attorney is blaming the positive steroid test on the manufacturer for possibly intentionally “spiking” the supplement with banned substances or contamination from the manufacturing facility (”Ex-Aztec sues supplement maker, shop over failed NFL steroid test,” March 11).
“We’re still not sure whether we have a pure cross-contamination matter (from the mixing facility), or we have a company that actually spiked the supplement (intentionally),” said Ayanbadejo’s attorney, Jim Miller.
However, he ignores a third possibility that doesn’t work in his client’s favor - that the ingredient that caused the positive drug test was plainly listed on the label and his client was unaware that the metabolites would result in a positive steroid test. Then this is no longer a case of “undisclosed ingredients” or “contaminated supplements.”
The marketing materials for ALRI Max LMG clearly list the ingredients and similarity to other progestin-based steroids like trenbolone and nandrolone.
The active compound in Max LMG is 13-ethyl-3-methoxy-gona-2,5(10)-diene-17-one… It is legal because it is a progestin, and before anyone thinks “birth-control”, remember that trenbolone, nandrolone, methyltrienolone and Methyl-Dien all are also progestins. I doubt anyone will disagree with the effects of these compounds upon favorable body composition.
In addition, the label warned consumers about androgenic side effects.
Possible side effects include acne, hair loss, hair growth on the face (in women), aggressiveness, irritability, and increased levels of estrogen.
Are supplement companies responsible for ensuring that their supplements are “IOC-friendly”? Or are supplement companies only responsible for complying with legal requirements of DSHEA (which permit certain progestin-based steroidal compounds)?
