Report: two USC LB test positive for Steroids (unconfirmed)

[BradyManny]

One quick point re: steroids v. marijuana, which should affect a guy's draft stock more...

First, in regards to either drug, a team drafting him would be working under the assumption that they could keep the kid from using.

The main difference is this....

Marijuana either a) has no effect on athletic performance b) has some negative effect on performance. Raji and others who tested positive for it excelled as a football player in spite of their marijuana usage. Presumably, they will stop in the NFL, and their production can only get better. If they do not stop, likely their performance will not be affected, but they may face disciplinary consequences.

Steroids has a positive effect on athletic performance. Instead of succeeding in spite of a drug (marijuana), they suceeded because of a drug (roids). The players caught doing that can only see their production and performance drop when they are off the steroids. Presumably they will stop in the NFL, and their production, ability & size will all diminish. If they do not stop, their production may remain strong, but they will face worse disciplinary consequences from the league than the marijuana users.

 

[DW Toys]

Guarantee that over 50% players smoke weed in the NFL. Maybe even more. And probably a larger percentage use some type of illegal performance enhancing drug. The question is, do we really care?

Yes.
Herbious Weedious is hence proven to be addictive. What were those complete dummies thinking about? The U.S.C. "Steroids Cookoos" pair as well. The quote from U.S.C. "Having Raisnettes instead makes me run faster and they don't get in my way when I am lifting iron. Besides Lyle Alzado became a movie star, didn't he? ".

Seriously cousin. These idiots have cost themselves millions of dollars. They were going to be tested and knew it! Wouldn't you say the conclusion about all this was they could not stop?

Who's laughing at Rey Maualuga's Wonderlic right now? He's smarter than those two numbskulls and laughing his way up the draft board.

Speaking about that...Cousins, throw away all of your mock drafts as of yesterday I guess!

And finally, the Cheech and Chong brotherhood saw their "presidents" go...up in smoke!

"I can stop anytime.....don't Bogie that brudda!" Remember, your friends in high school told you it wasn't addicting.

DW Toys

 

[DW Toys]

I'm not necessarily going to argue that, but I do have to point out that Michael Phelps, the greatest swimmer to ever walk the planet, use(s) marijuana, and apparently somewhere between 30-70% of NBA players use marijuana.

So that makes them less stupid? Because they use an addicting drug...Yep..tell me it's not. Let me know the big red flag, "I can stop anytime".
It's an automatic stupid stamped on your head!
DW Toys

 

[DW Toys]

I mentioned it earlier but it does it help Maualuga? It doesn't make his 40 any better, but it he'll probably stand out as a natural football player. Also, it helps that he isn't on anything in the middle of a culture of performance enhancing drugs (not that you get tons of good citizen points in the NFL).

Good.
DW Toys

 

[DW Toys]

But it's not so can we just skip muddying the waters with that same tired whine.

And for those who say it never hurt anyone, just ask Tom Brady - cost him an entire season because Kevin Faulk failed to exercise discipline during his brief pro football career which is a requisite in winning football.

And that's the message here for the positive for non steroid crowd - football doesn't matter enough to some guys to give up their weed for a decade. To others it matters so much they are willing to cheat the game and possibly risk their lives to get a shot at being drafted or improving their financial bottom line.

Good points.
DW Toys

 

[DW Toys]

I'll believe it if it comes out on a real website. Who cares if they smoke weed? They are in college. Once they leave I'm sure they will stop since they will be tested for it.

Yea...I believe that.
DW Toys

 

[alvinnf]

Weed, see, Michael Phelps.
Roids, see, Lyle Alzado.

 

[DW Toys]

Let's try to get this thread back to Cushing, Matthews and steroids rather than the eternal weed debate. (You always have the B.J. Raji thread for that!)

Let's assume for the moment that the Cushing/Matthews reports are true. What's the draft impact? Castillo was still drafted in the 1st, but IMO he was in a little more credible situation to claim he just made a bad decision trying to come back from injury. He wasn't an incredible physical specimen, more of a classice widebody DT.

The problem for Cushing and Matthews is that they already carried that "manufactured athlete" label, with bodybuilder physiques. Cushing has already had a series of the kind of soft-tissue injuries that are always a risk with steroid use. Matthews emerged from obscurity in a hurry, and a big part of his appeal was supposed to be "intangibles" and "bloodlines."

So if the reports are true, I could see both players hitting a serious draft freefall.

It is going to help Michael Johnson, who was a top twenty pick but dropped down to the second round. Now he becomes a better OLB/DE pick than the Roids brothers (P.S. Do you see that NFL Network segment with the weird doctor working on Cushing in NJ getting him "ready to play"...."Say Doc, my friend Matty needs to get ready to play too. Can we fix him up?")

DW Toys

 

[Leave No Doubt]

If true this doesn't bode well for Barwin fans who want him to last until 23.

That was my first thought too, crap. If the story proves true then it could change everything. Obviously we don't know what BB has planned but assuming he has his eye on Barwin or one of the others in his class we might have to move up.

I just hope this isn't the tip of any icebergs; like now that 2 have been discovered will the league dig deeper and will there be more?

On a less binkier note, college kids doing roids is just a travesty. I saw a documentary sometime last year about HS kids dabbling too. One of the parents was trying to advise other parents on the warning signs,little things she had noticed but attributed those things to her son's increased workouts,growth,and simply gaining strength from all that. Little did she know her young son was into steriods.

As to these 2 guys, they'll bring all that baggage that goes along with a positive test to any NFL team who takes them. This HAS to affect our strategy to some degree

 

[PATSNUTme]

Oh how quick we are to stick the knife in the back and kick the sand over their graves.

I think I'll wait to hear from another source than "the draft Bible" before I judge them. I know that is foolish of me and I should shoot from the hip and denouce these two, but I'm going ot wait.

Please continue with the burning at a stake posts.

 

[Headcase]

T I saw a documentary sometime last year about HS kids dabbling too.

I graduated HS in '95 and I knew classmates using then, and I'm sure others can go back further than that, this is not a new occurrence.

SSDD

 

[Leave No Doubt]

Oh how quick we are to stick the knife in the back and kick the sand over their graves.

I think I'll wait to hear from another source than "the draft Bible" before I judge them. I know that is foolish of me and I should shoot from the hip and denouce these two, but I'm going ot wait.

Please continue with the burning at a stake posts.

That's why I said "if the story's true". If it proves NOT to be,wow. The "Draft Bible" has some 'splainin to do.

 

[BradyManny]

So that makes them less stupid? Because they use an addicting drug...Yep..tell me it's not. Let me know the big red flag, "I can stop anytime".
It's an automatic stupid stamped on your head!
DW Toys

I'm not condoning the use of marijuana (though I would object to your "fact" that its addictive, I don't think a physical/chemical dependency has been proven as it has with other drugs). But I also think there are worse things a 20 year old kid could be doing. Everyone does stupid things, and probably everyone has dependencies and engages in certain things that are generally unproductive uses of their time.

For instance, a person could waste hours ranting about a certain member of the defensive backfield of a certain NFL football team, when otherwise that time could've been spent doing something more productively....

 

[primetime]

But I also think there are worse things a 20 year old kid could be doing.

Like binge drinking and semi-alcoholism, both of which are championed on college campuses across the country. And I'm a drinker and I've never smoked weed, but let's be honest here. I don't see where addiction is that big of a deal. Nicotine and alcohol are highly addictive substances (far more addictive than marijuana) but the same people that call for weed smokers to be burned have no problem with people drinking or smoking. The only difference is legality, which is a relic of older times.

By the way, if you didn't think Brian Cushing was on roids, you're high. It's the least surprising news ever.

 

[AzPatsFan]

I'm not necessarily going to argue that, but I do have to point out that Michael Phelps, the greatest swimmer to ever walk the planet, use(s) marijuana, and apparently somewhere between 30-70% of NBA players use marijuana.

But they don't get 1/4 season suspensions as these yoyos are now in line to get.

It has to be some mighty fine weed at a million bucks a joint.

 

[apple strudel]

Like binge drinking and semi-alcoholism, both of which are championed on college campuses across the country.

And wealthy NFL sponsors.

 

[BradyManny]

Like binge drinking and semi-alcoholism, both of which are championed on college campuses across the country. And I'm a drinker and I've never smoked weed, but let's be honest here. I don't see where addiction is that big of a deal. Nicotine and alcohol are highly addictive substances (far more addictive than marijuana) but the same people that call for weed smokers to be burned have no problem with people drinking or smoking. The only difference is legality, which is a relic of older times.

Right. I agree about the alcohol v. marijuana issue. Alcohol poses as much a danger, if not more, to someone's future & well-being. To me, the bad news for Raji is that he displayed a total lack of common sense and a lack of commitment to the game of football. With a high first rounder, you want a guy who understands these things, and knows the consequences of their actions. That's all, it has little to do w marijuana itself.

 

[apple strudel]

Right. I agree about the alcohol v. marijuana issue. Alcohol poses as much a danger, if not more, to someone's future & well-being. To me, the bad news for Raji is that he displayed a total lack of common sense and a lack of commitment to the game of football. With a high first rounder, you want a guy who understands these things, and knows the consequences of their actions. That's all, it has little to do w marijuana itself.

Or, a guy who's not all about the money is less likely to be changed by it. Just to play Devil's advocate. It's hard to draw conclusions about 1 test without knowing the guy.

 

[AzPatsFan]

Right. I agree about the alcohol v. marijuana issue. Alcohol poses as much a danger, if not more, to someone's future & well-being. To me, the bad news for Raji is that he displayed a total lack of common sense and a lack of commitment to the game of football. With a high first rounder, you want a guy who understands these things, and knows the consequences of their actions. That's all, it has little to do w marijuana itself.

You cannabis fans might ber correct except for one thing. It is illegal rightnow and wil get you suspended and cost you mega millions in the draft.

 

[apple strudel]

You cannabis fans might ber correct except for one thing. It is illegal rightnow and wil get you suspended and may or may not cost you mega millions in the draft.

My change to your post has been factually established. It doesn't advance the discussion to perpetuate falsehoods.