Nink facing 4 game suspension

[SVN]

Rob Ninkovich tells ESPN he will serve 4-game ban for testing positive for banned substance

Ninkovich, who has carved out an impressive resume in his seven-plus years with the Patriots, said he is “heartbroken,” and he would never knowingly take an illegal substance.

“Few things are more important to me than my name and reputation. This might call that into question for some, which has me heartbroken,” Ninkovich told Mike Reiss of ESPN. “I don’t want to cut any corners. I want to do things the right way, with high integrity, and that’s what I have always wanted to stand for.”

 

[Deus Irae]

What's potentially going to be interesting about this season:

Last year, the Patriots started out healthy and then began losing crucial/significant players.
This year, the Patriots are starting out shorthanded and will be getting crucial/significant players back.

 

[BobDigital]

he was banging Ashley Manning.

He went into the bedroom and sacked Manning and Ashley was taken aback by seeing a real NFL player and jump his bones while Manning lay on the ground moaning in pain with broken ribs.

Too bad he got contaminated.

 

[SVN]

the PED suspension is so vague. The league just suspends a player and the player comes back but never has any hit on the reputation because NFL knows that a lot of the players take HGH etc. So they give this token suspension and add a bunch of supplements in the list to show they are serious. Deflated footballs on the other hand ....

 

[RobertWeathers]

What's potentially going to be interesting about this season:

Last year, the Patriots started out healthy and then began losing crucial/significant players.
This year, the Patriots are starting out shorthanded and will be getting crucial/significant players back.

Happened in 07 too. Sey and Rodney came off the PUP.

Problem is they lost Colvin and Morris and it got worse from there. 06 Lost Rodney and Seau.

 

[long distance]

Eh, from who? Let he whose team has never a defensive starter suspended for PEDs cast the first stone.

Its not about that
Ninkgate would mean accusing Pats of stashing injured players on suspension to make additional space on the roster ...

 

[AtomicDawg]

Good company here.

 

[BradyFTW!]

Playing football the way it is done today is not natural. To put your body through this 16 (up to 23 times a year depending on preseason and playoffs) is not natural. Of course that assumes you don't get serious injuries which are common.

The human body was never designed to do what we ask these people to do. To take that consistent pounding week after week for years while also running a 4.50 and being 200 plus pounds while doing it.

Most of the guys who play DL, OL, LB, RB, TE are on something (not saying other positions don't but these are the most common). If you are not you are in the minority IMO.

I am not saying it is okay but every team has a number of guys that do it and could not hold up if they did not.

Yeah, I think part of why I'm unfazed by this is that I assume pretty much every DL, OL, LB, TE, RB and S is on PEDs anyway. If some fan from another team wants to give us **** over Nink, just point to whichever starter of theirs has been suspended under the same policy in the last few years. At this point, I don't see the point in event pretending to care unless it's a franchise QB or something.

When you assume everyone's on PEDs anyway, individual positive tests don't mean much.

 

[IllegalContact]

Can suspended players train together?

 

[BradyFTW!]

Its not about that
Ninkgate would mean accusing Pats of stashing injured players on suspension to make additional space on the roster ...

To believe this would require you to accept that Ninkovich was willing to give up 25% of his salary and take on a negative reputation in a contract year, while giving his potential replacement a chance to showcase his skills and tank his negotiating leverage, all to hand the team an extra roster space for 4 weeks.

In short, it's such a stupid theory that even after the last year and a half of deflategate I still think it's too stupid to get any traction.

 

[JetFan79]

Nothing to activate him from. He would have made the team and been a game-day inactive. Now he's on the suspended list instead and the Pats get an extra roster spot for those 4 games. So could be "better" for us if Nink was going to miss 4 weeks anyway.

BB really is a genius. Months ago he probably saw Nink misses a couple games because of injury and decided to spike Nink's Gatorade with PEDs.

Extra roster spot. I'm in awe.

 

[Deus Irae]

Its not about that
Ninkgate would mean accusing Pats of stashing injured players on suspension to make additional space on the roster ...

To believe this would require you to accept that Ninkovich was willing to give up 25% of his salary and take on a negative reputation in a contract year, while giving his potential replacement a chance to showcase his skills and tank his negotiating leverage, all to hand the team an extra roster space for 4 weeks.

In short, it's such a stupid theory that even after the last year and a half of deflategate I still think it's too stupid to get any traction.

Some caller (long distance, was that you?) just floated the idea on WEEI.

 

[BelichickFan]

Can suspended players train together?

LOL, can they alternate viewing parties over the 4 weeks ?

It actually depends on the "offense". Josh Gordon is allowed to be with the team during his 4 games this year.

 

[TBR]

Yeah, I think part of why I'm unfazed by this is that I assume pretty much every DL, OL, LB, TE, RB and S is on PEDs anyway. If some fan from another team wants to give us **** over Nink, just point to whichever starter of theirs has been suspended under the same policy in the last few years. At this point, I don't see the point in event pretending to care unless it's a franchise QB or something.

When you assume everyone's on PEDs anyway, individual positive tests don't mean much.

That's definitely not how I'd look at it.

Ninkovich aside, a lot of these positive tests and suspensions are truly from over the counter, store-bought supplements.

It's unfair to a lot of players to have their reputations damaged by these tests which seem to be very broad and not specific in terms of what triggered the positive result.

 

[deters]

Well, could be a win win. We get another player in his absence and he heals up. Not as upset as I normally would've been.

 

[FreeTedWilliams]

He should have told the league that he bought the supplements from Ashley Manning.

 

[Deus Irae]

Ninkovich's failed test occurred mid-summer. As Ninkovich told ESPN, another source is adamant it was an over-the-counter supplement.

Giving up the 5th for Mingo begins to be more fully fleshed out...

 

[Mack Herron]

Well, could be a win win. We get another player in his absence and he heals up. Not as upset as I normally would've been.

And get over $300k in cap space to boot.

 

[Froob]

@robertweathers nailed it about Nink not making the roster.

 

[Urgent]

I'm not happy, regardless of the coincidence with his injury.
Love Nink as a player. This does nothing to improve his role as a leader of the team.