And that's Strike 7: Cleveland Browns WR Josh Gordon arrested again

[DarrylS]

Never understood why these guys who are prone to trouble did not hire some sort of handler to run interference for them, either a driver or someone who can remind them when they are f...ing up.

OTOH arrogance and omnipotence sometimes supplants common sense when you are young...

 

[Deus Irae]

If anything, he's actually getting off much easier than the majority of us would, with the ability to earn millions when he returns for 2015.

???????

The majority of us suffer absolutely no penalty, at all. Most of us aren't working for jobs with random drug testing, and that's a good thing, because there's no reason that we should be getting tested. The problem isn't even that step, though. The problem is that the sports unions were stupid enough to allow non-impactful drugs on testing lists. It's none of the NFL's business if a player is smoking weed, doing other drugs, drinking, etc...

 

[Ivan]

how do you suspend an owners pay?

Donate it to their favorite charity, the NFL.

 

[convertedpatsfan]

???????

The majority of us suffer absolutely no penalty, at all. Most of us aren't working for jobs with random drug testing, and that's a good thing, because there's no reason that we should be getting tested. The problem isn't even that step, though. The problem is that the sports unions were stupid enough to allow non-impactful drugs on testing lists. It's none of the NFL's business if a player is smoking weed, doing other drugs, drinking, etc...

I disagree. If I'm handing someone a cheque for $5M, it is part of my business if that player is doing things that could affect their current and future performance. One could argue that smoking pot isn't affecting performance, but I'd rather that player be at the gym or out in the community rather than getting high at home.

Gordon knows all of this and he's agreed to all of this when he signed his contract. If he really doesn't agree with it and doesn't want to be subjected to it, he is free to join the CFL, which does not test for recreational drugs. He would make a fraction of the money he could in the NFL, but he would be able to play without being suspended every time he wants to get high. Or he could take a sabbatical a la Ricky Williams. But there's no gun to his head; he knew what he was getting into, he's getting extremely well-compensated for it despite the rookie contract (CFL rookies average $50K, CFL players average $80K), and this was the decision he made.

I understand and agree that it's stupid to have marijuana on the list. One could easily argue alcohol is much more dangerous than weed. At the same time, marijuana has no actual physical addictive properties, unlike other drugs like alcohol, nicotine, and opioids as examples. There's no reason to be "addicted" to MJ, it's all mental. Basically, Gordon is choosing pot over millions of dollars, his career, and his teammates. There's no physical strain from withdrawal if he stopped; he just doesn't want to stop and doesn't seem to understand decisions and consequences. It's really sad.

Also, I'm sure many of us entrenched in the workforce missed the drug testing phase, that majority who don't face it is shrinking pretty rapidly. 84% of employers in the US require pre-employment drug testing nowadays. 39% do random screening, while 73% do on-cause testing. 58% do testing after an accident. The concern isn't what people do outside of work, but rather if they do it at work. I'm not saying I agree with it, just that it's happening more often than you think.

 

[chasa]

Why would anyone want to give a 7th for a guy who is totally, completely unreliable? He could be an unrestricted free agent willing to sign for the absolute minimum and the Patriots still wouldn't take him.

mostly because he has the talent to be the best receiver in the league. Randy Moss had a ton of issues at one point too, and he ended up working out okay. a 7th round pick is basically a throwaway pick, when he comes back he's going to be incredibly cheap, and you can sign him to an incentive deal when his rookie contract is up, because no team is going to give him any guaranty's one piss test away from a lifetime ban

 

[Ivan]

mostly because he has the talent to be the best receiver in the league. Randy Moss had a ton of issues at one point too, and he ended up working out okay. a 7th round pick is basically a throwaway pick, when he comes back he's going to be incredibly cheap, and you can sign him to an incentive deal when his rookie contract is up, because no team is going to give him any guaranty's one piss test away from a lifetime ban

Why would a team give him away to another team if they believe he's an all pro talent?

 

[chasa]

because that team obviously doesn't want to put the effort into making him a man.

 

[Wheelman]

Sadly, this dude looks to have some serious problems. One's I'm not sure we can help.

Of course we can! The question is whether he's willing to accept the help and make change in his life. Nobody can force him. It's up to him.

 

[Ivan]

because that team obviously doesn't want to put the effort into making him a man.

And you believe that's how they see it?


"We need to trade Josh Gordon to the Patriots for a 7th because they can get the most out of him..........."

 

[Deus Irae]

I disagree. If I'm handing someone a cheque for $5M, it is part of my business if that player is doing things that could affect their current and future performance. One could argue that smoking pot isn't affecting performance, but I'd rather that player be at the gym or out in the community rather than getting high at home.

Gordon knows all of this and he's agreed to all of this when he signed his contract. If he really doesn't agree with it and doesn't want to be subjected to it, he is free to join the CFL, which does not test for recreational drugs. He would make a fraction of the money he could in the NFL, but he would be able to play without being suspended every time he wants to get high. Or he could take a sabbatical a la Ricky Williams. But there's no gun to his head; he knew what he was getting into, he's getting extremely well-compensated for it despite the rookie contract (CFL rookies average $50K, CFL players average $80K), and this was the decision he made.

I understand and agree that it's stupid to have marijuana on the list. One could easily argue alcohol is much more dangerous than weed. At the same time, marijuana has no actual physical addictive properties, unlike other drugs like alcohol, nicotine, and opioids as examples. There's no reason to be "addicted" to MJ, it's all mental. Basically, Gordon is choosing pot over millions of dollars, his career, and his teammates. There's no physical strain from withdrawal if he stopped; he just doesn't want to stop and doesn't seem to understand decisions and consequences. It's really sad.

Also, I'm sure many of us entrenched in the workforce missed the drug testing phase, that majority who don't face it is shrinking pretty rapidly. 84% of employers in the US require pre-employment drug testing nowadays. 39% do random screening, while 73% do on-cause testing. 58% do testing after an accident. The concern isn't what people do outside of work, but rather if they do it at work. I'm not saying I agree with it, just that it's happening more often than you think.

The fact that you're trying to play the pick-and-choose game with weed and booze should be enough to let you know that your position does not hold water. This is employment, not slavery. You may be fine with giving up privacy rights, but I'm not.

Also, 39% is, clearly, not most.

 

[Brady6]

I wish we had the WR tandem that the NFL suspended roster has...

X-WR - Josh Gordon
Z-WR - Justin Blackmon

 

[lurker1965]

...Of a lot more likely than landing a pro bowl WR of his caliber in the draft or any player his caliber in the first round much less third. I would waste a third rounder for a chance to have him racking up 2000 yards for us in 2015. How many third rounders have we squandered for very little reward.

...

Um, is that hyperbole or sarcasm or something going over my head or would you seriously give up a third for a guy who might never be able to play? Maybe you mean he was an OK draft pick for cleveland the way Hernandez was an OK pick for us. (I'd gladly trade Hernandez now for Gordon now, but that is neither here nor there.]

Go to meetings and don't drink. Sounds lame. Get your life back. Sounds awesome.

You didn't say it was easy. (Probably because you are sane. ) Like telling a RB to avoid the defenders and run that way. It is simple, but not easy.

well, a commish COULD ruin an owner's reputation, fine him , take his team's first round draft choice, let the nearest opposition's head coach get away with debauchery,public lewdness, public profanity, coaching preposterous sideline tripping incidents and then sit back silently as the national press savages this owner for years and years while still allowing "Ice Cream Thursdays!!!" and "Tattoos of My Players On My Wife's Body!" that humiliate the league worldwide.

Not to crap on your point, but how'd that work out?

 

[crownontherocks]

Following his Saturday morning DWI arrest, suspended Browns WR Josh Gordon was bailed out of jail by Haydn "Fats" Thomas, a convicted felon.

Raleigh News-Observer

 

[PATS68]

Coming from a street cop no one smokes weed anymore and I mean no one. Everyone smokes the over the counter Spice products. That is some nasty,nasty stuff right there. People who smoke that stuff turn into zombies and they can't even function. Spice is weed just one or two chemicals off and they are always changing it so the Feds can't keep up with them. We seize it and have it tested at the state lab.

Mostly every state has changed its DWI laws and added to the list of intoxicated by drug use.

 

[convertedpatsfan]

The fact that you're trying to play the pick-and-choose game with weed and booze should be enough to let you know that your position does not hold water. This is employment, not slavery. You may be fine with giving up privacy rights, but I'm not.

Also, 39% is, clearly, not most.

I'm not playing pick and choose between anything; these are the rules that are set forth for NFL players. I even agree that including marijuana is stupid, but again, these are not my rules, just the rules.

As for privacy rights, nothing I said in any way implied giving those up, and you know that. I'm simply pointing out that this is part of being an NFL player. And no study I've come across has been able to conclusively find a strong correlation between drug/alcohol use and work safety (although some show an increase in productivity, though not definitively).

All I'm pointing out is facts. Gordon is well within his rights to not sign that contract and instead play in Canada if he feels this is akin to slavery or whatever. The Canadian Supreme Court also recently ruled against random drug testing.

Speaking of picking and choosing, I like how you singled out the one category (random) out of 4 which is below 50% Regardless, it will eventually be the majority in even that category. Americans as a whole seems to have rolled over on the issue. Now you even have to take a drug test to make minimum wage at Walmart.

Again, not agreeing with it, but that's just the way it is in America these days.

 

[supafly]

???????

The majority of us suffer absolutely no penalty, at all. Most of us aren't working for jobs with random drug testing, and that's a good thing, because there's no reason that we should be getting tested. The problem isn't even that step, though. The problem is that the sports unions were stupid enough to allow non-impactful drugs on testing lists. It's none of the NFL's business if a player is smoking weed, doing other drugs, drinking, etc...

I respectfully disagree with you that "the majority of us suffer absolutely no penalty, at all."

There are plenty of repercussions involved for those who fail drug tests. If you work in the medical field, the teaching field, the criminal justice field, many construction jobs, or any position which involves driving a car/truck or operating machinery, you are likely getting drug tested and suffering the consequences that come with it.

As a matter of fact, most of the job positions in the U.S. worth a damn don't even give you a second interview unless you've already passed a drug test--that's how important it is for employment.

As far as feeling sorry for NFL players who make millions, that's between them and their union, but it's a pretty nice gig overall. It's widely known that there is one testing day in the middle of April, and if you're dumb enough to fail that every year, you'll be placed into a higher tier which subjects you to many tests in the future. Most sports have recreational drug testing, so while I agree with you about questions of its validity, it is still the norm.

 

[SB39]

You said they wouldnt sign him as a UFA for minimum, they brought in someone with much more serious run ins with the law, showing they arent afraid of Gordon smoking a little weed.

Bringing someone in =/= signing them.

Pats have certainly signed a few guys with run ins with the law and/or league offices. Dillon, Haynesworth, Moss, Harrison come to mind. But I just can't think of them signing a guy with such a history of chronic unreliability. The closest I can think of is Haynesworth, and look how he turned out.

 

[SB39]

The fact that you're trying to play the pick-and-choose game with weed and booze should be enough to let you know that your position does not hold water. This is employment, not slavery. You may be fine with giving up privacy rights, but I'm not.

You're 100% within your rights to hold on to that belief. Enjoy your life of low-income, meaningless jobs.

I don't think I have ever had a job since high school where I wasn't drug tested as a condition of being offered employment.

 

[Deus Irae]

I respectfully disagree with you that "the majority of us suffer absolutely no penalty, at all."

There are plenty of repercussions involved for those who fail drug tests. If you work in the medical field, the teaching field, the criminal justice field, many construction jobs, or any position which involves driving a car/truck or operating machinery, you are likely getting drug tested and suffering the consequences that come with it.

As a matter of fact, most of the job positions in the U.S. worth a damn don't even give you a second interview unless you've already passed a drug test--that's how important it is for employment.

As far as feeling sorry for NFL players who make millions, that's between them and their union, but it's a pretty nice gig overall. It's widely known that there is one testing day in the middle of April, and if you're dumb enough to fail that every year, you'll be placed into a higher tier which subjects you to many tests in the future. Most sports have recreational drug testing, so while I agree with you about questions of its validity, it is still the norm.

No offense, but there's nothing to disagree with. The majority of us aren't subject to the drug testing, save at the time of hiring. Therefore, we can't suffer a penalty on a random drug test, because we aren't subject to them.

And the millions of dollars argument is just a red herring that is used by people who can't accept capitalism.

 

[supafly]

No offense, but there's nothing to disagree with. The majority of us aren't subject to the drug testing, save at the time of hiring. Therefore, we can't suffer a penalty on a random drug test, because we aren't subject to them.

And the millions of dollars argument is just a red herring that is used by people who can't accept capitalism.

Most jobs worth a damn have some sort of drug testing procedure in place, and those who fail the tests have punishments. To me, that's not up for debate either. If you choose to break the rules, you have to accept the consequences.

We'll have to disagree on this one, my friend. If you are currently making a lot of money in today's day and age and aren't getting drug tested at any point in time, consider yourself pretty lucky.