Here is why the NFL is rushing to get the new drug testing deal done.

Goodell

                                                      Roger Goodell

Clearly fans of any team with a player that has been suspended are excited about the possibility of getting those players back. But understand that the NFL and NFLPA have been working on a new drug policy for more than 3 years. What is the rush go get it done now?

Let me say that I have no inside information about the issue but I do think I know what is going on. And we will know if I am right by what is in and is not in the new policy.

Here is what I believe is driving the NFL to try to get a new deal—As I said here several weeks ago, the new pressure on the NFL is the different results of the Gordon test.

I have a feeling that the NFLPA is pressuring the NFL to get this new deal done or it will explore the cancellation of the entire drug testing program because of unreliable test results. There is no excuse or explanation for a single urine sample yielding two so different results. That is a threat to the weed testing at a minimum or the entire testing policy at a maximum.

The … Read more at FryingPanSports

The entire NFL drug testing program is at risk over Gordon.

 

There is a reason we have not heard a word about the possible suspension of Browns WR Josh Gordon. A suspension based on one sample slightly over and the other well under the limit could generate a law suit by the NFLPA. That suit could easily knock down the entire drug testing program.

The problem is this—How can 2 tests of the same sample come up with 2 entirely different results? That result puts the entire program and methodology in question. If the methodology is flawed, should the league be able to continue testing? A judge will clearly side with the players.

The other issue is the NFL level of failure is 100 lower than that of the Olympics. If the league can not get the same result from the same sample, what validity does the test have? The obvious answer is none.

So Commissioner Roger Goodell must step carefully or risk throwing the baby out with the bath water. If there was a negotiated settlement, it would have been announced already. I am betting that the League will hope this debacle just fades away. If the league decides to punt, there will be no announcement. At this point for … Read more at FryingPanSports

Josh Gordon is too stupid to be a Brown.

GordonThis is NOT a mug shot!

Over the holiday weekend, Josh Gordon was ticketed for speeding. Given his current issues with the league, that is not smart. But when the policeman was at the vehicle, he smelled pot. That is just plain stupid.

Gordon’s NFL career is at risk. It is currently spinning around like a leaf caught by the wind suspended by a single strand of a spider’s web. It is clear that he cares more about his friends and smoking weed than he does about his career or his team. That is unacceptable. He clearly does not get what it takes to be a professional athlete. There are rules and to be in the league you have to abide by them. That is true even if the NFL is duplicitous in its weed policy. It hold NFL players to a measure 10 times more strict than the Olympics at the same time it is testing to see if weed can help players recover from concussion syndrome.

He could well be suspended not for a year but for life. He will go back to Houston and likely run again with the same guys that got him into trouble in … Read more at FryingPanSports

Player’s suit over Toradol hurts NFL’s drug suspension legitimacy

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Note: On News, Notes & Rumors tonight we will be joined by former Browns QB Kelly Holcomb. Friday we have all pro RB Abner Haynes. Join us at 6 PM EDT on or https://fryingpansports.com/radio-show/.

A dozen former NFL players are suing the league over the use of the pain killer Toradol before and during games without advising them of the side effects of the drug. This suit is one of several against the league dealing with health issues. But the use of a pain killer like Toradol by the league drills holes in its drug policy.

The use of pain killers is just another example of the NFL’s duplicity about drug use. While they have a test 10 times more stringent than the Olympics on weed, they are funding a study to see if that drug helps in recovery from concussion syndrome. While they want to appear tough on weed, they are negotiating with the NFLPA to swap testing for marijuana for testing for human growth hormone. The league injects players with a drug without telling them about the side effects and penalizes them for taking a prescription drug unless they have approved it prior to use.

Every time … Read more at FryingPanSports

The NFL must revisit its drug policy.

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The NFL has “jumped the shark” with the drug policy.  The phrase “jump the shark” refers to the TV show Happy Days trying to increase viewership with an episode where Fonzie jumped a tank of sharks.

 

The NFL has gone way too far in its attempt to keep “dangerous” drugs out of the league.  Last week the NFL announced that Cleveland WR Josh Gordon had been suspended for two games for a violation.  Because the NFL never releases the exact nature of the violation, we have to take what Gordon said about what drug was involved.

 

Gordon distributed the following statement.  “In February, I was diagnosed with strep throat for which a doctor prescribed antibiotics and cough medicine. Apparently, the medicine I took contained codeine, which is prohibited by the NFL policy.” 

 

In my opinion the off-season use of a prescribed codeine cough medicine is in no way harmful to the game.  In fact the suspension flies in the face of the league’s alleged focus on player safety and well being.  The league should support the players getting well under the care of a healthcare professional.

 

I believe the league should review the policy against prescribed use … Read more at FryingPanSports