Chris Mortensen says some owners are complaining about their guys current drug suspensions and about how it isn't fair that Gordon and Welker's suspensions would be terminated and a handful of other players' suspensions wouldn't.
Thoughts on that? Do you think the NFL should clean slate on player suspensions, or only clear a select number of minor offenders?
Personally, I think it'll be a travesty if Josh Gordon gets off that easy, and I think the suspensions should just be grandfathered to avoid any sort of unfair rulings. After all, when the rules existed, they were broken, regardless of if they were changed afterwards or not.
As for Gordon, he's a guy who clearly has a problem. The only difference between him and Justin Blackmon is that he actually wants to play football still.
To add onto that, if the NFL wants to appease everyone and try to muscle through another mini-PR disaster, they'll go with a clean slate, and reinstate anyone currently serving a drug-related suspension...
That would mean Justin Blackmon's suspension would be null and void, but he'd more than likely face the music over his recent DUI.
Pity.
The thing is, if they hadn't started throwing out lifelong bans for pot smoking the NFL wouldn't be looking quite as bad right now with the Ray Rice situation. The tough stance on substance abuse has really backfired on them in a major way.
If they are changing the policy, they need to lift the bans on ALL players currently suspended under the policy. Otherwise, it just looks like they arbitrarily changed to rule to help certain players and certain teams for certain agendas.
Quote:The thing is, if they hadn't started throwing out lifelong bans for pot smoking the NFL wouldn't be looking quite as bad right now with the Ray Rice situation. The tough stance on substance abuse has really backfired on them in a major way.
If they are changing the policy, they need to lift the bans on ALL players currently suspended under the policy. Otherwise, it just looks like they arbitrarily changed to rule to help certain players and certain teams for certain agendas.
When Welker, Blackmon, and Gordon got suspended, they broke rules that were in place. Regardless, all suspensions should stand. Gordon doesn't deserve a suspension reduction, unless the NFL PA requires it to agree to the new drug policy.
Quote:When Welker, Blackmon, and Gordon got suspended, they broke rules that were in place. Regardless, all suspensions should stand. Gordon doesn't deserve a suspension reduction, unless the NFL PA requires it to agree to the new drug policy.
Well all or none is what would make sense. I just can't see how you lift bans on some but not others. But I don't necessarily believe all bans shall stand. Based on what? If they are admitting the mistake that the penalties were ill-conceived, why not? They can do whatever they want. They aren't the government. The problem with not lifting the ban is how do we know there aren't other secret players who failed tests that they are trying to protect?
I feel I already know the answer to this but will the new drug policy have any effect on Blackmon's suspension?
I remember when the HGH testing was brought up a couple years ago it was rumored that HGH use was rampant in the NFL to the tune of 30% - 40% of players using. It'll be interesting to see if this is true once testing begins and who is guilty of doing so.
Quote:I feel I already know the answer to this but will the new drug policy have any effect on Blackmon's suspension?
As it stands? It won't. But I doubt the NFL is just going to pick a handful of players to reinstate. As Mortensen said at the half of the MNF game, NFL owners of other teams are already complaining about the unfairness of that.
It's going to be all or nothing or you're going to see some very unhappy owners.
Maybe we could see Ace back for Indy?