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Quote:If they said he was actively fulfilling his reinstatement obligations, there is no violation.
If they said he was not actively fulfilling his reinstatement obligations, there is no violation.
If they said that they don't know if he is doing either, there is no violation.
Between the lines they've been pretty clear he isn't fulfilling any obligations.
Quote:Between the lines they've been pretty clear he isn't fulfilling any obligations.
Yeah, without saying much, they've made that clear.
Quote:Between the lines they've been pretty clear he isn't fulfilling any obligations.
I hadn't heard that. If that's the case, then I stand corrected. That's sort of what I thought hadn't really been commented on, which was the reason for this topic in the first place.
Quote:I hadn't heard that. If that's the case, then I stand corrected. That's sort of what I thought hadn't really been commented on, which was the reason for this topic in the first place.
When they've referred to his situation as tragic, and the GM has basically made it clear they're not expecting him back this year, I think they're saying as much as they can. The media has been chattering about him not fulfilling requirements. It's a host of information that is out there that isn't official, but gives a pretty good indication that he's not in a good place.
Quote:I hadn't heard that. If that's the case, then I stand corrected. That's sort of what I thought hadn't really been commented on, which was the reason for this topic in the first place.
Aside from using two 2nd rounders on the position,
Quote:
When asked about Blackmon's future, Caldwell responded:
"I think we've covered that," Caldwell said. "We've moved on for this year."
When asked if he would cut Blackmon, Caldwell said:
"We can't [cut him]. If that even happens."
Quote:“I think it’s an absolute tragedy … I think he’s such a talented guy,” Khan said, via Michael DiRocco of ESPN.com. “The best years [are] ahead of him but after a while it’s out of your control.”
Quote:Bradley also stated his disappointment in the situation.
"I feel at times there's probably a little emptiness," Bradley said. "There are some unknowns there and you don't know how it's working. You don't want to shut it off. I was hoping it would be better than where it is going. We haven't heard much and it doesn't sound like it's going in the right direction. Like Dave said, we can't count on him."
Heck that's some of that's not even between the lines, that's just flat out saying its not going well.
Edit.
Obviously they are not having direct contact with him, but you would think they would have ways an means of getting some info and what they are getting doesn't sound good.
Alcohol withdrawal is one of the worst to deal with and its possible to die from. He's gonna have to go through that for two weeks before he can even get started to get back.
Quote:Alcohol withdrawal is one of the worst to deal with and its possible to die from. He's gonna have to go through that for two weeks before he can even get started to get back.
If he hasn't gone through withdrawals already, then call me crazy but that's a really bad sign.
Agreed. The team has a greater vested interest in the player than either the league or the NFLPA. Teams should be allowed to contract independent health care professionals to administer whatever care the player requires. Additionally, the health care professionals should be able to brief the team and league of the player's progress while keeping medical information private in accordance with HIPAA rules. I concede, that's a fine line, but with disclosure waivers signed by the player it should be achievable. Almost anything is better than the system currently in place.
If you leave it up to the teams they'll rubberstamp that a guy is ready to get back into the league while he's filling out the application for reinstatement with a crackpipe dangling from his mouth. The teams interest is getting the player on the field, and the all other considerations fall by the wayside. There are also too many leaky sources around team facilities where confidentiality is of upmost importance (the fact that this thread is even started indicates the league does a very good job of this).
This isn't a situation where the player is banished and then shows up out of the blue a year later and says "I"m all better!! I'm ready to apply back in the league !!" The player is given a set of criteria and guidelines by Goodell he must meet before applying for reinstatement. The league provides the player with all the necessary rehab, counseling and resources during suspension (not to mention random drug testing). The league is getting constant updates as to the player's progress. The league gets constant updates and keeps a lengthy paper trail as to how the player is doing. I'm sure the teams get some general information as to how the progress is going from the league so they can steer their franchise accordingly, even if it's not involving specifics. Whatever excuses Blackmon makes for himself, not having structure and resources will be the last of them. We could be so lucky as to have the kind of structure and resources at our disposal by our employer in a similar situation. In my job, get a little more harsh penalty than a year's suspension and unlimited paid for counseling when you've failed multiple drug tests or had numerous run ins with the law in 2 years.
Quote:
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Agreed. The team has a greater vested interest in the player than either the league or the NFLPA. Teams should be allowed to contract independent health care professionals to administer whatever care the player requires. Additionally, the health care professionals should be able to brief the team and league of the player's progress while keeping medical information private in accordance with HIPAA rules. I concede, that's a fine line, but with disclosure waivers signed by the player it should be achievable. Almost anything is better than the system currently in place.
If you leave it up to the teams they'll rubberstamp that a guy is ready to get back into the league while he's filling out the application for reinstatement with a crackpipe dangling from his mouth. The teams interest is getting the player on the field, and the all other considerations fall by the wayside. There are also too many leaky sources around team facilities where confidentiality is of upmost importance (the fact that this thread is even started indicates the league does a very good job of this).
This isn't a situation where the player is banished and then shows up out of the blue a year later and says "I"m all better!! I'm ready to apply back in the league !!" The player is given a set of criteria and guidelines by Goodell he must meet before applying for reinstatement. The league provides the player with all the necessary rehab, counseling and resources during suspension (not to mention random drug testing). The league is getting constant updates as to the player's progress. The league gets constant updates and keeps a lengthy paper trail as to how the player is doing. I'm sure the teams get some general information as to how the progress is going from the league so they can steer their franchise accordingly, even if it's not involving specifics. Whatever excuses Blackmon makes for himself, not having structure and resources will be the last of them. We could be so lucky as to have the kind of structure and resources at our disposal by our employer in a similar situation. In my job, get a little more harsh penalty than a year's suspension and unlimited paid for counseling when you've failed multiple drug tests or had numerous run ins with the law in 2 years.
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There needs to be a structure in place to assure the team doesn't do that. Let's not get ridiculous here.
Yes, there are leaks within every organization, but teams would still be required to maintain that confidentiality by law. If someone leaks, it shouldn't be difficult to determine where the information came from.
Getting updates on the player's status, and trying to help him get the help necessary to put this behind him are two very different things. Even if it's managed at the league level, there should be a mandatory, structured program that players are required to participate in if they want to get reinstated. If they don't take advantage of the program, they're not getting back into the league.
NFL players don't live or work in the real world, so comparing your job situation to theirs is about the same as comparing apples to bulldozers.
You may not think that players operate in the "real world" but the legal ramifications of drug issues and employee confidentiality are almost universal. This is negotiated in the the collective bargaining agreement players collectively between the NFLPA and the NFL. Otherwise 32 teams would have to negotiate their own drug and behavioral policy guidelines with the NFLPA, which would be a nightmare ( Pete Carroll would personally help a player circumvent a drug test if he could get away with it) . Or do it individually player by player, which would be a bigger nightmare.
The only people who believe the current structure is actually a problem are fans who are upset they aren't getting updates on player information. I'm very confident the Jaguars are fully aware of what Blackmon's status is, and they've acted accordingly this offseason. I'm sure the Jaguars are frustrated, but it's not with the NFL it's with inheriting the previous regime's knucklehead who seems to have put other priorities ahead of contributing to the Jaguars
Quote: You may not think that players operate in the "real world" but the legal ramifications of drug issues and employee confidentiality are almost universal.
This is negotiated in the the collective bargaining agreement players collectively between the NFLPA and the NFL. Otherwise 32 teams would have to negotiate their own drug and behavioral policy guidelines with the NFLPA, which would be a nightmare. Or do it individually player by player, which would be a bigger nightmare.
The only people who believe the current structure is actually a problem are fans who are upset they aren't getting updates on player information. I'm sure the Jaguars are frustrated, but it's not with the NFL it's with inheriting the previous regime's knucklehead.
I understand how it's negotiated. My point is that the current system is garbage, and it has nothing to do with getting updates. I couldn't care less about whether I'm informed or not. My issue is that I want to see these players getting the help they need so that they can get back on the field and contribute. Call me a selfish fan for wanting a player on the roster to be out there producing, but that's what I care about.
If the league is going to come down harder on a player like Blackmon who is an alcoholic than they would someone who has caused harm to another human being leading up to and including death, there's a problem. Yes, Blackmon has an issue. It's not an illegal substance he's dealing with, and it's not a performance enhancer. So, why is he put in lockdown, preventing any contact with the team? And what does he need to do to violate the rules? Have a beer. That's it. Blackmon's situation could have been addressed very differently.
You're making a lot of assumptions ...
A. That Blackmon doesnt' have copius amount of support and structure given to him by the league. Every player is not only provided structure and help during his suspension, participating in it is mandated by the league if the player wants to resume his career. Blackmon hasn't been cast out to fend for himself, he's given all the counseling and rehab on the league dime through sources pre-approved by the NFLPA and his representation.
B. That Blackmon's indefinite suspension violation involves "having a beer". There seems to be a general feeling among Jags fans that the only issue Blackmon has is with alchohol because they know about the DUIs that are public police records. . The DUIs may very well be the tip of the iceberg for Blackmon along with failed drug tests and behind the scenes issues that the fans don't know about because the NFL keeps specific violations in confidential per the CBA. It's not hard to deduce that someone who has displayed as poor judgement and impulse control as Blackmon has a whole slew of issues and personal demons.
C. That having contact with the team is in any way beneficial to Blackmon. Blackmon's sole priority should be fixing Blackmon, not being pressured by his his teammates, coaches, employers and Jacksonville media. That's precisely why the NFLPA wants the players isolated
Quote:You're making a lot of assumptions ...
a) That Blackmon doesnt' have copius amount of support and structure given to him by the league. Every player is not only provided structure and help, participating in it is mandated by the league if the player wants to resume his career.
B) That Blackmon's violation involves "having a beer". The only reason we know about the DUIs is because it's public record. The DUIs may very well be the tip of the iceberg for Blackmon along with failed drug tests and behind the scenes issues that the fans don't know about because the NFL keeps violations in confidentiality.
c) That having "contact" with the league is in any way beneficial to Blackmon. Blackmon's sole priority should be fixing Blackmon, not being pressured by his his teammates, coaches, employers and Jacksonville media. That's precisely why the NFLPA doesn't want teams to have contact with the player.
You're right. I am making a lot of assumptions, just as you are.
We don't know what Blackmon's violations involve. Based on the history of multiple alcohol issues, it's safe to assume it's probably alcohol related. If it's not, so be it. We don't know.
You make the proclamation in your first point that they have all this structure in place to provide help. Then you say contact is not beneficial to him. So, which is it? You've taken both positions in this debate.
This has nothing to do with him being pressured by teammates or coaches or the media. If you think the NFLPA is honestly taking the best interests of the players into consideration here, you're kidding yourself. The league is focused on the league. The NFLPA is focused on the NFLPA. You disagree with more collaboration between the team/league and the player in helping him to fix himself. I think it's an imperative, especially with a disease such as alcoholism or drug addiction. If a player is in the program because of PEDs, it's a completely different thing all together, yet they're treated the same way.
Quote:You're right. I am making a lot of assumptions, just as you are.
We don't know what Blackmon's violations involve. Based on the history of multiple alcohol issues, it's safe to assume it's probably alcohol related. If it's not, so be it. We don't know.
You make the proclamation in your first point that they have all this structure in place to provide help. Then you say contact is not beneficial to him. So, which is it? You've taken both positions in this debate.
This has nothing to do with him being pressured by teammates or coaches or the media. If you think the NFLPA is honestly taking the best interests of the players into consideration here, you're kidding yourself. The league is focused on the league. The NFLPA is focused on the NFLPA. You disagree with more collaboration between the team/league and the player in helping him to fix himself. I think it's an imperative, especially with a disease such as alcoholism or drug addiction. If a player is in the program because of PEDs, it's a completely different thing all together, yet they're treated the same way.
He also seems to forget that these are very young men who require guidance. Plus, how and why would a team facilitate a player cheating on rehab when they have to take the league prescribed drug test? I can't think of anything that would be less beneficial to the team.
Quote:He also seems to forget that these are very young men who require guidance. Plus, how and why would a team facilitate a player cheating on rehab when they have to take the league prescribed drug test? I can't think of anything that would be less beneficial to the team.
I'm not following his logic either. The current policy definitely needs some tweaking.
Quote: And what does he need to do to violate the rules? Have a beer. That's it.
That reminds me. It was one beer at a golf course that got Matt Jones released from the team.
It just shows that players are under a microscope, and I feel like in Blackmon's case he might just not want to play ball if it means being in such a strict program. Football may not mean everything to him. His addiction might mean more at this point because he is young and immature, but alcohol and other substances are coping mechanisms for millions of people. To take away a coping mechanism and not help ween him off or provide a holistic rehab program might lead to Blackmon never applying for reinstatement.
The real shame is that Blackmon isn't treated as a person, and as fans we don't know the whole story. We have to live in an age where the commissioner is this strict with the program in his attempt to do what exactly? Show the public that the NFL is not comprised of thugs? I personally can't wait for Goodell to lose the concussion battle and realize how much he has tarnished the league's image by covering up that issue and focusing way too much on substance "abuse".
"Teams don't want to keep a veteran who will not dress on the opening day roster because once that player makes the team he is guaranteed his salary for the entire year, regardless if a team waives him, which then limits cap flexibility." - Michael Lombardi
Quote:"Teams don't want to keep a veteran who will not dress on the opening day roster because once that player makes the team he is guaranteed his salary for the entire year, regardless if a team waives him, which then limits cap flexibility." - Michael Lombardi
That has absolutely nothing to do with Blackmon since he's not costing them a roster spot or any salary while he's suspended.
Quote:That has absolutely nothing to do with Blackmon since he's not costing them a roster spot or any salary while he's suspended.
True, thats why he'll remain on the roster.
Quote:True, thats why he'll remain on the roster.
I don't think salary ramifications are what will keep him on the roster. The caliber of player he is will determine his future. The Jags recognize that if he's on the field, they're a better team. They're not going to walk away from him unless they're absolutely certain he just can't get back on the field.
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