Maradona became the first player suspended for drug use from World Cup play in 16 years after a drug test found a “cocktail” of ephedrine-a stimulant found in over-the-counter cold and asthma remedies-and four other forbidden substances. FIFA, soccer’s governing body, will investigate the flashy forward, already on thin grass after a 15-month suspension for cocaine use, and could opt to banish him for life. Despite the test, Maradona denied doping: “I did not take drugs,” he said, “and above all, I did not let down those who love me. "
That’s debatable, to say the least, but denial is evidently a problem shared by Gooden, who was suspended for 60 days Tuesday for violating the terms of a drug-abuse after-care program. Officials wouldn’t specify for the record what the fading ace had done, but several told newspapers anonymously that Gooden, who was treated for cocaine abuse in 1987, had failed drug tests. Once a premier hurler, Gooden has lost a little off his fast ball. Unfortunately, his will slowed down a bit, too.
