CLEMONS ASSAILS POUND REMARKS

Argonaut head coach Mike Clemons has accused World Anti-Doping Agency
chairman Dick Pound of reducing all CFL players to a common
denominator to suit his own agenda.

Pound, who was in London, Ont., for a book signing, slammed the CFL
for its lack of a drug-testing policy.

He was quoted as saying the CFL was "where you spend your jail time
if you get caught (using drugs)."

Initially, Clemons was reluctant to respond to Pound's comments, but
after a few minutes he changed his mind.

He said the Montreal-born Pound was off-base.

"I suggest he use a different platform. Don't reduce what means so
much to me to simply a breeding ground for those who have had
trouble," said Clemons.

"I'm an American by birth but I'm a Canadian by choice, and I'm very
proud of being a Canadian, very proud of being a Torontonian, I'm
very proud of being part of the Canadian Football League."

The drug czar's "jail time" comment was a not-so-subtle reference to
Argo running back Ricky Williams, who is on loan from the Miami
Dolphins after he was suspended for failing the NFL's substance abuse policy.

"I have no idea what he said and I'm not going to comment on them
because I didn't hear them," said Williams after the Argonauts
practice yesterday.

"And I don't want to hear them so don't tell me what he said."

The CFL has never tested its players for drugs but continues to work
with the players' association on developing a policy.

With files from Canadian Press

- -- The river I step in is not the river I stand in.