Harvin, Tate Test Positive

[Synovia]

But regardless, testing positive for an EXPECTED drug test seems to indicate a couple of "tells" such as a level of disregard for the rules and a lack of self-discipline. But mostly a lack of knowledge. There have been cases in which THC has remained in a person's system for upwards of 6 months, so it's really hard to judge. It's entirely possible(not probable but possible) that one or more of these kids hasn't smoked since Thanksgiving break.jussayin.

Well, it depends. If you tell your agent, "hey, I smoke weed, how do I pass the test", hes going to tell you "stay off of it for 2 weeks". Now, people's metabolisms are different, people routinely fail drug tests 6 months after getting off things despite being told two weeks.


Plenty of players who have been successful have tested positive for marijuana. Honestly, if these guys are still available about a round after they would have gone, the pats will be stupid to not take them

 

[Bostonian1962]

Good post. Players/draftees really need to educate themselves about how long marijuana stays in one's system. Depending on a few things there can be traces hanging around for as long as a couple of months. That said there have also been a recent rash of false positives; it wouldn't hurt to retest someone who showed very low levels.

There are many kinds of testing methods too,and of all the drugs out there pot stays in your body the longest. Cocaine's only detectable for a matter of hours as are many of the other illegal and far more nasty(than marijuana) drugs out there. That fact is why we worry about someone's choice of drug when they know a test is coming soon. JMHO but I'd rather see the world dabble in weed than coke,meth,etc.

But regardless, testing positive for an EXPECTED drug test seems to indicate a couple of "tells" such as a level of disregard for the rules and a lack of self-discipline. But mostly a lack of knowledge. There have been cases in which THC has remained in a person's system for upwards of 6 months, so it's really hard to judge. It's entirely possible(not probable but possible) that one or more of these kids hasn't smoked since Thanksgiving break.jussayin.

I don't think the point is that is shows a disregard for the rules, a lack of self-disapline, or a lack of knowledge. The real point here is that the player most likely has a drug problem. If you know a test is coming, and that testing positive for it will cost you millions of dollars, and you still can't pass it up, YOU HAVE A PROBLEM. If you can't say no to drugs under these circumstances, there is definitely an issue there, and I too would take them off my draft board.

 

[Leave No Doubt]

I don't think the point is that is shows a disregard for the rules, a lack of self-disapline, or a lack of knowledge. The real point here is that the player most likely has a drug problem. If you know a test is coming, and that testing positive for it will cost you millions of dollars, and you still can't pass it up, YOU HAVE A PROBLEM. If you can't say no to drugs under these circumstances, there is definitely an issue there, and I too would take them off my draft board.

That's a HUGE assumption.As to the rest, a positive test does not indicate in any way,shape or form the date of the person's last consumption which is one of the big problems with testing for marijuana. Based upon your logic,someone who quit smoking pot 4 months ago has a drug problem because they tested positive yesterday.

That's flawed logic because as I said, there's no way of telling when the person last smoked.

 

[Leave No Doubt]

Well, it depends. If you tell your agent, "hey, I smoke weed, how do I pass the test", hes going to tell you "stay off of it for 2 weeks".

Maybe his agent needs to be educated. Personally I don't think testing for marijuana is even valid for all of the reasons stated in my original(entire) post.

 

[Synovia]

Maybe his agent needs to be educated. Personally I don't think testing for marijuana is even valid for all of the reasons stated in my original(entire) post.

Neither do I, but my point still stands: The test tells you the guy smoked marijuana at some point (or was around it), but it gives you no idea how far back.

And seriously, Weed? You're going to not draft a guy because he smokes weed? I think there are about 6 college athletes in the country who haven't smoked weed at some point.

 

[Palm Beach Pats Fan]

And seriously, Weed? You're going to not draft a guy because he smokes weed? I think there are about 6 college athletes in the country who haven't smoked weed at some point.

Once again, the fact that he smoked weed is a minor point. The fact that he couldn't show up for a known test sqeaky clean is the issue.

If I am interviewing you for a job today and you show up drunk, I won't hire you. The reason woud not be because you drink alcohol. The reason would be because you apparently did not give any amount of proper respect to the interview process, wasted everyone's time, and are showing us that getting blasted has a higher level of importance to you than adapting to the accepted norms of behavior for this one instance.

It's more of an intelligence, focus, and maturity issue than a behavioral one, to me at least.

 

[Synovia]

If I am interviewing you for a job today and you show up drunk, I won't hire you. The reason woud not be because you drink alcohol. The reason would be because you apparently did not give any amount of proper respect to the interview process, wasted everyone's time, and are showing us that getting blasted has a higher level of importance to you than adapting to the accepted norms of behavior for this one instance..

Except thats not what happens. Marijuana stays in your bloodstream/hair for a pretty much undetermined amount of time, completely dependant on your own phisiology, and completely unpredictable.


Its just as likely that Harvin smoked his last joint 6 months before the test as it is that he smoked it 2 days before.



A better analogy would be you not hiring me because I had a beer with dinner the night before the interview.

 

[Maroney TD]

Once again, the fact that he smoked weed is a minor point. The fact that he couldn't show up for a known test sqeaky clean is the issue.

If I am interviewing you for a job today and you show up drunk, I won't hire you. The reason woud not be because you drink alcohol. The reason would be because you apparently did not give any amount of proper respect to the interview process, wasted everyone's time, and are showing us that getting blasted has a higher level of importance to you than adapting to the accepted norms of behavior for this one instance.

It's more of an intelligence, focus, and maturity issue than a behavioral one, to me at least.

Alcohol is out of your system within a day at most though. I'm not excusing their behavior by testing positive but its not a good analogy IMO.

Randy Moss was in the NFL drug program for testing positive for marijuana. We should make sure to stay away from the guy with this logic.

 

[Leave No Doubt]

Neither do I, but my point still stands: The test tells you the guy smoked marijuana at some point (or was around it), but it gives you no idea how far back.

And seriously, Weed? You're going to not draft a guy because he smokes weed? I think there are about 6 college athletes in the country who haven't smoked weed at some point.

:bricks:

Anyway. You need to go back and reread my post which was actually a reply to space's post. Nowhere did I say I personally wouldn't draft anyone due to that, you're confusing a conversation about how a drafting team may see the situation with how I would personally see it. I'm no GM so my opinion is a moot point which is why it's not mentioned. Take care.

 

[upstater1]

6 months before the combine would have been the summer. If you think a kid is thinking about the possible tests at the combine that far ahead, you're asking for too much.

That being said, if this was a urine test, then I agree with those coming down hard on Harvin. On the other hand, if it was a blood test, it's at least a bit more understandable since I doubt a majority of football players are thinking of a test many months ahead.

Here's a shocker too that I know is 100% factual because I've lived it and my medical research friends say this is 100% true: if you've inhaled marijuana smoke as second hand smoke, it will show up in your bloodstream. Not in your pee, very likely, but in your blood? Yes it will.

 

[Leave No Doubt]

6 months before the combine would have been the summer. If you think a kid is thinking about the possible tests at the combine that far ahead, you're asking for too much.

That being said, if this was a urine test, then I agree with those coming down hard on Harvin. On the other hand, if it was a blood test, it's at least a bit more understandable since I doubt a majority of football players are thinking of a test many months ahead.

Here's a shocker too that I know is 100% factual because I've lived it and my medical research friends say this is 100% true: if you've inhaled marijuana smoke as second hand smoke, it will show up in your bloodstream. Not in your pee, very likely, but in your blood? Yes it will.

Exactly, there are just WAY too many variables involved. Supposedly eating poppyseeds can put you in positive range too but how lame will you sound when you blame your positive test on a muffin.

GM's and maybe the media need to understand these facts; there's no proof positive way to tell if someone smoked yesterday or ate a muffin so there's no way to tell if your draftee used poor judgement or not. Either way,the signifigance of testing positive lies in the GM's eyes.

The league is another story. A positive test brings baggage no doubt about that,but again the decision lies with the GM as to whether or not he's willing to go with it or not. If that player's perfect for your team and exactly what you need that's one thing,but if there are 3 other non-positive draftees who you feel are just as good for your team then why bother with the baggage a positive test brings. With all other things being equal why saddle yourself with this issue,even if unfounded.

It's such a quagmire for all involved,and the tests aren't even across the board consistent and valid. Yet knowing all this we continue to test for it, despite the fact all these false positives and variables could still conceivably result in diminishing a players career.

 

[Palm Beach Pats Fan]

I am pretty sure that the test that the NFL uses for marijuana is a urine sample test, not a hair sample test. The simple reason is that the hair sample test is too sensitive to be useful, since it picks up even secondhand smoke and goes back MONTHS or even YEAR or more. It also is variable depending on hair type, how and where the hair is collected, how long the hair fibers are, etc.

The urine test is faster, 100X cheaper, and indicative of casual use within the past few days or heavy habitual use within the past 2-3 weeks.

At least the urinalysis was the "go-to" method when Ricky Williams had all of his testing issues, because one of his defenses was that he failed to take a supplement drink that he and others had used to mask the results in the urine sample. In response to the popularity of these drinks, some of their components are now looked for in the mass spectral analysis and trigger a failure in the test.

 

[Synovia]

Exactly, there are just WAY too many variables involved. Supposedly eating poppyseeds can put you in positive range too but how lame will you sound when you blame your positive test on a muffin.

Poppy seeds will show opiates, not weed.


As to the tests, when you've got sports drinks being considered masking agents, and you're testing athletes, you've got a lot of fail.

I'd much rather take a guy who failed his weed-test than a guy whos falling because of injury, or god forbid, PED

 

[jays52]

Harvin tested positive for weed? Well, that's a

 

[greerre]

You're missing the point. It isn't that others don't smoke pot, or whether it is a bad drug or not, it is that they knew a test was coming and that failing would cost them millions. It is about them and their decision making....

They may only be college kids, but they are college kids who are not thinking clearly....

All I can say is randy moss...

To the first point, Randy Moss's decision making skills were, until his arrival in new england, ******ed. Hitting a cop with a car is one of the dumbest things an NFL player has ever done... that was in 2002 to say the least. Not to mention, Moss admitted to smoking weed in a Real Sports interview. What is worse than smoking weed hoping maybe it wont show up, or admitting to everyone that you smoke weed?

To the second point, Randy Moss was an dumb college kid too. he lost two scholarships and dropped to 21st in the draft because of it.

The point is, that if a player has the skills, like moss did, the patriots should take them if they are the best player on the board. New England has come to be known as the place where troubled NFL players go to straighten out their careers. BB can whip any idiot from the NCAA into a law abiding citizen

 

[mgteich]

And when Harvin has shown to be an NFL all-pro for several years, like Moss, the patriots will consider him.

All I can say is randy moss...

To the first point, Randy Moss's decision making skills were, until his arrival in new england, ******ed. Hitting a cop with a car is one of the dumbest things an NFL player has ever done... that was in 2002 to say the least. Not to mention, Moss admitted to smoking weed in a Real Sports interview. What is worse than smoking weed hoping maybe it wont show up, or admitting to everyone that you smoke weed?

To the second point, Randy Moss was an dumb college kid too. he lost two scholarships and dropped to 21st in the draft because of it.

The point is, that if a player has the skills, like moss did, the patriots should take them if they are the best player on the board. New England has come to be known as the place where troubled NFL players go to straighten out their careers. BB can whip any idiot from the NCAA into a law abiding citizen