Dear Blogees (did I just create a word?)

If you are reading this blog and it sees the light of day, than that means that an article has been written by a Sports Illustrated writer that states I received HGH from a pharmacy in 2003. So, I'll cut right to the chase like I always do. It's true. However, it's not exactly breaking, earth shattering news. It's actually old news. I admitted to this on national television in Canada in 2004 on Off The Record. When host Michael Lansberg asked me if I'd ever taken steroids, without consulting me before the show, I was perturbed, but answered without hesitation, "Yes, I have."

In hindsight, I'm glad he asked the question. It got it out in the open and anyone who follows my career or supports me already knows this information about me. I won't try to defend my actions. I took them when coming back from my spinal fusion neck surgery when I was told by doctors that it would help the bones grow back around the screws and plate that were now inserted in my neck. I'm not glorifying. I'm not condoning. Just telling you why I decided to take them. I took blood tests, consulted doctors, read up, studied them, got prescriptions, and decided to do it. That's pretty much it folks, but I wanted you to get my response straight from me and not through the words of another write. Now as I'm sure most you can tell, I don't take steroids and haven't in a very long time, long before the WWE drug testing wellness policy was implemented. Hell, I barely see the inside of a gym anymore, let alone take performance enhancing substances!

So, in closing, to the columnist (not the Sports Illustrated columnist, but actually another one) who said a "roided up thing called Edge" was at the NHL ALL Star Game a few weeks ago, in 2003, this may have been true. Now, not in the least, as my random urine tests, which have always been negative will attest. I guess I'll take the fact that he thought I was as somewhat of a compliment. To the fact that I've been lucky enough to have been gifted with a 6 foot 5, 240lb body naturally. And finally made it to the top of my industry last year on my own, clean as a whistle. To those, like that columnist and any other naysayers that will hold my past against me? I've made mistakes. Will do so again in the future I'm sure. But I won't hide from them. If you're reading this, you know that's not my style.