sports and drugs No firm deal in place for HGH test Read more.

Two key congressman emerged from an hour-long meeting with the NFL and players union and announced a deal to begin blood-testing players for human growth hormone. Minutes later, union officials would commit only to testing when a fair and safe system is in place - what they've been saying all along.
After Friday's high-profile mix of sports and politics, HGH testing in pro football didn't seem closer to reality.
"We're not guaranteeing any outcomes except there was an agreement to begin testing immediately," Rep. Darrell Issa, a California Republican and chairman of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, told reporters after the meeting. "The other aspects of what you do with the tests will be resolved over the next many weeks."
Maryland Rep. Elijah Cummings, the top Democrat on the committee, said he felt the two sides benefited from being called in. "Because I think they had their own disputes, and it seemed like they just could not move quite past a certain point," he said.
He stressed that the lawmakers wanted action now: "Not get there next year - we were clear that the ball has to move down the field immediately."
But the NFL Players Association didn't seem inclined to move off its previous position: That it wants questions answered before moving ahead with a blood-testing program.
"We believe that we have to report back to our players, make sure that the protocol and the testing protocols are safe," union spokesman George Atallah said.
The latest collective bargaining agreement between the league and its players includes a provision to begin testing players for HGH - contingent on the union agreeing to the testing methods. The NFLPA has asked for more scientific data to prove the most popular test is reliable.
Baltimore Ravens cornerback Domonique Foxworth, who attended the meeting, said the union has a responsibility to players to make sure the test is accurate, so "we can look them in the eye and say this is a safe and fair process."
If the issue isn't resolved shortly, both sides can expect a quick return visit to Capitol Hill. Issa said he wants another meeting in 30 days to review progress.
NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell saw things the way the lawmakers did, saying that Issa was clear he wanted testing to begin within the next two weeks.