News and notes

Steroids and high school athletics. Depending on who you talk to the two might seem to go hand in hand.
Fans around here often accuse successful football programs - PHS, Williamstown and the championship Parkersburg South team - of having players on the juice.
But it's not just here the talk of steroids in high schools is happening.
People believe the problem is rampant, so much so a number of counties and states are implementing testing of high school athletes.
With startling results.
Texas, which recently approved a $6 million plan for steroids testing of high school athletes completed testing. Officials tested more than 10,000 kids at 195 schools, including 3,300 football players. Two. That's right T-W-O tested postive for steroids.
There were four tests that were unresolved, three students who refused to be tested, one who left the testing the area and 18 unexcused absences the day of testing. Even if you say all those are positive, out of more 10,000 kids that is a very low figure.
Most studies I have seen regarding high school steroid use says about 2 percent are involved.
I went to high school with a kid who was on steroids. He was busted when he ordered a batch from California via UPS. The authorites arrested him at his door and signed for the 'roids.

*** In my story about pro baseball returning to the Mid-Ohio Valley I mentioned the Vandalia Heritage Foundation. A few on-line readers wondered why.
I had a few sources tell me off-the-record the Foundation has been involved in meetings with officials here to help facilitate a deal to bring baseball to the area.
I'm also told the Foundation is trying to get a Frontier League team into Fairmont, but that deal has hit a snag.
I couldn't get anyone to confirm the story - and no one at Vandalia returned my calls. So I didn't put that in the story. I did however leave the Vandalia reference in, thinking perhaps readers could draw their own conclusion and assume the foundation was somehow linked to the deal.

*** The World's Strongest Man competition is coming to West Virginia. I love the show. I was always a Magnus ver Magnusson fan - til Phil Pfister came along.
I always liked how they dreamed up weird challenges like having contestant pull buses by with their eyelids.
Of course Pfister the 2006 World's Strongest Man is a Charleston resident. It's pretty cool he got the competition brought here.

***

The Money Line Journal, a sports anlysis site gives USC the best odds of going undefeated this year. Oklahoma, Florida and West Virginia round out the top 4. Ohio State is fifth.
I can buy USC. I have a hard time with Florida having a better chance the WVU.

*** Finally how about the power of the press.
A link to a CNN story. Because of the story - i.e. the press coverage - a child molester who has been free pending the appeal of his 43-year sentence is headed back to court to see if he needs to be jailed.