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Berard Admits Steroid Use

A key off-season signee Blue Jackets defenseman Bryan Berard received a two-year suspension from international competition for taking norandrosterone. He took teh test as part of being named to the U.S. Olympic team. Since the test was not NHL testing, he won't be subject to league discipline. Very lucky. Berard said the steroid was a supplement he took before the season. A test taken Sunday allegedly found that norandrosterone is no longer in his body.

Berard's comments: "No question, I'm embarrassed about it. There's nothing I can do about it now, other than accepting what I've done. We'll learn from it, it was a mistake and it won't happen again."

It is too bad that Berard made the choice, a bad choice, to juice himself. His image of being heroic for recovering his eye-injury will be tainted. Even if he did not use illegal substances in making his comeback, he has left the door open to suspicion about his past and future condition. A shame that is of his own making.