Thursday, November 21, 2002
Copyright © Las Vegas Review-Journal

COLUMN: Royce Feour

Vargas received proper penalty

The Nevada Athletic Commission did the right thing Wednesday in Fernando Vargas' steroid hearing.

Just a few days ago, it appeared the commission might let Vargas off easy. But it suspended him for nine months and fined him $100,000 for testing positive for an anabolic steroid after he lost his junior middleweight title fight with Oscar De La Hoya on Sept. 14 at Mandalay Bay.

The commission started its steroid testing program in January. Commission vice chairman Dr. Flip Homansky said the first year of the program was mainly for educational purposes rather than to impose penalties. Homansky spearheaded the commission's testing program and voted no in the 4-1 vote for the fine and suspension. Commission chairman Luther Mack also sent out a memo dated July 1 saying there would be a period of leniency until Dec. 31.

Given Homansky's philosophy and Mack's letter, it appeared Vargas might receive little or no penalty. The commission's prestated position was too soft, but, unfortunately, it had gone on record so it appeared Vargas might not be suspended. Even a six-month suspension is virtually no suspension because a major fighter such as Vargas isn't going to fight in less than six months after a hard, debilitating fight.

Commissioner Dr. Tony Alamo Jr. made the motion for the suspension, and commissioner John Bailey amended it with the fine. Bailey said the public has a right to expect a fair playing field and that didn't happen with Vargas.

Bailey said if it weren't for the policy of leniency, he would have favored a more severe fine. Bailey said if a positive test occurs next year, he would favor a fine of 10 to 20 percent of a fighter's purse, whether it's a lowly paid four-round preliminary fighter or a boxer in a world title bout.

Top Rank promoter Bob Arum, who staged the fight, said Vargas' purse was about $6 million, but he received about $10 million with his share of the pay-per-view sales. Vargas' promoter, Main Events, takes its share of Vargas' earnings. Even so, 10 to 20 percent of $6 million would be a healthy fine.

Vargas conducted himself admirably at the hearing. He was contrite and said he unknowingly was given the steroids, apparently with several daily supplements. But he said he was responsible for taking them and deserved to be penalized.

"The function of the athletic commission is to regulate and set rules, and whatever they come up with here I support," Arum said. "I think they weighed all of the consequences. It seems to me that the penalty they imposed fit the crime. I can't find fault with it."

There are those who will note that's easy for Arum to say because it's not his fighter. But Arum is correct saying the commission did the proper thing. That can't always be said about the commission.

To the commission's credit, testing for steroids is a plus. We wouldn't know if Vargas took steroids if the fight took place in any other state because Nevada is the only one that regularly tests for steroids.

Royce Feour can be reached by phone at 383-0354, fax at 383-4676 or e-mail at rfeour@reviewjournal.com.