Insect Bite Menaces Soccer Game

When I think of an insect bite ruining someone’s afternoon outside playing soccer or some other sport, my mind tends to draw the conclusion that the terrible itch from the bites were probably driving the injured parties insane, making it difficult for them to concentrate on their task. Sports doping rules being violated is definitely not the first thing…or even the last thing that comes to mind.

Just before a major soccer match between the Italian teams Lazio and Fruilani, favorite player for Lazio, Stefan Radu, was stung by an insect. To relieve the pain and itching, Radu spread cortisone cream on the area. Unfortunately, there was insufficient time before the start of the match for the substance to wear off, which would apparently violate anti-doping rules. And so Radu was benched rather than risking getting a two year ban has he been tested for drugs. Now, maybe this is just me, but since when is cortisone cream an illicit drug that could somehow enhance a player’s abilities? Seriously, that’s a little extreme in my opinion. In case you were wondering, even without their star player on the field, Lazio soundly beat Fruilani 3-0.

Can you think of any other instances where someone might get in trouble for using cortisone cream to relieve a bug bite?