The immediate effect of the motion is to restore the policies used in 2006 in Chicago, in which three sports (bodybuilding, powerlifting, and wrestling) each had a testing policy designed specifically for that sport based on stakeholder dialogue, and no testing occurred in the remaining sports. The door is now open for other sports to have drug testing, but only if there are community conversations in each of those sports to identify the need for and goal of drug testing and how it can best be accomplished.

Former FGG president Gene Dermody wrote a great piece for us before the latest Gay Games outlining some great arguments against the drug testing pursued by the organizers in Cologne.

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Read Gene’s compelling column here.

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Organizers are bending over backwards to maintain that they are taking every possible precaution so that anyone taking one of the dozens of HIV meds on the market will not fail a drug test. They say they’re even making special accommodations for HIV-positive athletes who sometimes use drugs banned by the World Anti-Doping Agency.

How will Cologne make these accommodations?

If a random drug test reveals anti-doping substances, a three-member medical review commission of physicians will examine the person’s medical file. According to the FGG, the only grounds for disqualification will be if the level of the banned substance exceeds that of any prescribed medication.

Federation spokesperson Kevin Boyer told EDGE in e-mail that to avoid confidentiality issues, competitors with medical conditions can opt not to carry the forms with them when traveling to Germany or during the games.

“Participants who choose to be prepared to present the medical form can keep it in a safe location of their choice until (and only if) needed,” Boyer said. “There may also be a postal address (to be confirmed) provided for those who don’t wish to carry the form with them.”

It’s a fascinating topic. While many view the Gay Games as a fun way to play sports and meet new people, many others view it as an elite-level sporting competition that should be governed by international sports competition rules. And people from both camps get what they’re looking for; Now the elite athletes will have another piece to that puzzle. For those who are looking for a good time, only performance-enhancing drugs will be tested.

I personally see both sides and am not sure where I fall on the issue. It’d be ideal to have competitive and recreational divisions of sports at the Gay Games, but there frankly isn’t enough participation to warrant that.

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If he is as fair play as he says he is, he has to go to the end. You know, the ATP has a bank account and he can give the money back if he wants.

Last month Agassi said he took crystal meth (a banned substance) while playing and lied to the ATP about it. Should Agassi give back his titles? Does crystal meth help you win on the court?

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Open: An Autobiography

Some people are saying this undermines Agassi’s legacy. I don’t see how. I’m no fan of drug use, but this didn’t enhance his performance (at least, I don’t see how it could have). So he used drugs. He made a mistake and used a really dangerous, destructive one. If anything, I’m just a little sad to think what his career might have been like if he had been clean and sober; Federer may be chasing Agassi’s Grand Slam record.

Order Open: An Autobiography from Amazon.com.

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What would a victory do to the accusations of drug use? Does it confirm the accusations because only someone one drugs could win this race eight times, and at the age of 37? Or does it vindicate him because he couldn’t possibly be using something given the scrutiny?

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Chicago Cubs catcher Geovany Soto, a member of the Puerto Rican team during the WBC, won’t be punished because his drug of choice was marijuana. MLB doesn’t regularly test for pot usage as it isn’t considered a performance-enhancing drug, although this may now make Soto subject to more testing. It also makes you wonder, since Soto was NL Rookie of the Year last season when he hit .285 with 23 homers and 86 runs batted in, but is batting just .232 with 7 HR and 24 RBI in 2009. Pot may not be important to MLB as a performance-enhancer, but perhaps as a performance-reducer?

Kansas City Royals pitcher Sidney Ponson, who’s had his share of issues in recent years, is banned from international competition for two years based on his WBC test. The Aruba native, who played for the Netherlands in the WBC, is a first-time offender for MLB purposes so he also won’t be suspended. The drug that came up in Ponson’s test? Phentermine, which is considered a stimulant. It’s a weight-loss drug. If you’ve seen Ponson, you know this is entirely plausible.

Philadelphia Phillies reliever J.C. Romero came back in early June from a 50-game suspension for his 2008 positive test for a performance-enhancer he says came from a supplement he bought over-the-counter. He’s suing both the supplement’s manufacturer of the and the two stores that sold it to him. After Thursday night’s game at Tampa Bay, a Rays fan was trying to get autographs from Phillies players. When some of them refused, the fan yelled at Romero a comment about steroids. He alleges that Romero told him to “shut the f— up,” grabbed him by the neck and pushed him. The fan filed a police report and, needless to say because he’s such a victim and not at all a jackass, has hired a lawyer. The big question: will any of this footage be seen on The Pen, the MLB Network reality series starring the Phillies bullpen? Their cameras are following the Phils’ relievers through the All-Star break.

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What’s his next book gonna be? How to create your own bong? Dude lost all credibility as a role model once that infamous photo came out. He will always be a phenomenal athlete but guiding the minds of children is something he is just not fit for.

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Boston teams win big: Bruins extend series to game 7, Celtics take 3-2 lead.

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But the star of the show was Rodman. In the middle of the task, he decided to take off and have dinner with two gay guys staying in their side of the hotel. Just left. When he came back, he was smashed, quit the team, took his shirt off and left.

Video after the jump.

Needless to say, Rodman was fired. But the mini-intervention that took place in the Board Room was somewhat emotional. The other contestants, particularly Joan Rivers, seemed to really adore Rodman; They just didn’t quite know what to do with him. It seemed the rest of the contestants had talked about the issue of Rodman’s drinking and decided to discuss it openly. It’s one thing to be this wacky, indefinable superstar; but as Brian McKnight said, Rodman’s excessive drinking and outlandish behavior really undermines his stardom and pushes away his fans.

I’ve always loved Rodman for his on-court play and his outlandish behavior. To me, he’s not Terrell Owens who demands the ball; For Rodman’s stature as a player he rarely shot the ball. He was always an aggressive game-changing player, and that shows in his five titles with two different teams. What I saw of Rodman on the Apprentice didn’t change my view of him; I just feel pity for him. He’s clearly lost. I hope he finds direction before it’s too late.

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