Stronger Testing for Steroids

NEW ORLEANS, Jan. 13 -- NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell said Saturday the league and the players' union are close to completing an agreement to amend the league's steroid-testing program.

"We're very close," Goodell said at the Louisiana Superdome before the New Orleans Saints' home playoff game against the Philadelphia Eagles. "I hope it's very soon."

Goodell and union chief Gene Upshaw have been discussing possible measures to strengthen the program, apparently including increasing the number of random tests to which players are subjected and making more extensive use of the carbon isotope ratio test to determine whether testosterone in a sample is synthetic.

Irsay's Return

The stands at M&T Bank Stadium were filled for an AFC semifinal with references to the Colts' history in Baltimore, including scores of "No Way Irsay" signs handed out by a local sports talk radio station. But after the game, Colts owner Jim Irsay, whose father was responsible for the move to Indianapolis, said he hadn't noticed those signs or any other negative comments.

"I didn't see any of that, I honestly didn't," he said. "In fact, people were gracious enough to say congratulations when we were leaving to come down to the locker room. I mean, you know, it's probably something that I [wasn't] necessarily looking for, and I'm sure anyone of my friends and family really didn't bother pointing them out."

Irsay embraced and chatted with Ravens owner Steve Bisciotti outside the Colts' locker room, and he praised Bisciotti and the Ravens franchise, but he declined to comment on his team's move to Indianapolis.

"Things that happened in the past, that's in the past," he said. "The Ravens have a great franchise, and they should be proud of that."

Also amid the thousands of purple-and-black clad tailgaters were a sprinkling of Ravens fans sporting blue-and-white No. 19 Colts jerseys. Some explained they wore Johnny Unitas jerseys to every Baltimore home game and couldn't break with tradition, but the colors still left some less historically minded fans a bit confused.

"I've gotten so much [grief] for this," said Edward Scott, 50, who paired his Unitas throwback jersey with purple Ravens pants. "I've been cussed at. I almost got run over walking here. I'm serious, they tried to run me over."

"[Expletive] you, that's what they've been saying to me," said 22-year-old Ravens fan Pat Sorentino, also wearing a Unitas jersey. "Then once I get past them, they cheer."

Indeed, there were reminders of Unitas everywhere, from the statue outside M&T Bank Stadium, which entering fans touched for good luck, to the massive purple banner that proclaimed "19 Will Always Be Greater Than 18," referring to Colts quarterback Peyton Manning. Hundreds of spectators wore Ravens T-shirts with Unitas's name and number, available in purple or in black, and others had shirts bearing the Hall of Famer's image.

"If you don't know who number 19 is, you shouldn't be out at the . . . game," said Jeff Rowlett, 24, of Arnold. . . .