In Yellow?

I've been giving some thought to Floyd Landis' situation. He is facing a ban from his sport for a test that is under scrutiny for being very questionable. I heard a commentator on ESPN yesterday say that EVERY time this test had been challenged in court by someone who'd had failed it, the person challenging the test won. I have seen some stories that are absolutely frightening regarding performance enhancing drugs, and am more convinced than ever that the smart athletes don't use performance enhancers.

I want to believe that Landis is clean, but I've seen arguments from people more knowledgeable than I that sports are so dirty that clean athletes are the exception, not the rule. Still, I want to believe that Landis is clean. Call me naieve, but sport should be clean. Users of performance enhancing drugs may well jeopardize their health. The choice should be obvious, but I can understand why it may not always be. Young people believe they're bulletproof. Coaches want ther athletes to be stars. Then, there's money. The pressure to cheat can be great, therefore, the penalties must also be great.

My opinion is that blood should be regularly taken from athletes. Some should be tested and some stored. These samples should be tested as new tests are proven reliable. Athletes found to have cheated should be subject to stripping of marks, asset seizure, removal of records, etc.

I hope and pray that Floyd Landis is clean, but if he isn't then punish him harshly.