In the 2013 NFL season, Josh Gordon was considered to be one
of the best wide receivers in the game. His 87 receptions and 1,646 receiving
yards were among the tops in the league. This included a banner day 10 catches
for 151 yards against my beloved New England Patriots.
Two years later, he is currently watching NFL football
games from his couch.
His suspension history started in 2013 when he violated the
NFL’s substance abuse policy by testing positive for marijuana. The following
season, he violated the NFL’s substance abuse policy by testing positive for
marijuana for a second time and received a ten game suspension. Finally, Gordon
received a one-year suspension in 2015 due to testing positive for alcohol use.
He received a one-year suspension on the grounds of a “repeat offender” clause
that is written in the NFL player and owner labor agreement.
Josh Gordon is the victim of a backwards logic that is the
NFL and their rule making. The NFL remains to view marijuana as a dangerous drug
that has high risk for abuse, even though states such as Colorado and
Washington have outright legalized the product for recreational and medicinal
usage.
On the flip side there is a man by the name of Greg Hardy. In
2014, this NFL defensive lineman was found guilty (in court, nonetheless) of assaulting
his ex-girlfriend and was sentenced to 18 months in prison along with a ten
game suspension by the NFL. After his girlfriend dropped the charges, the NFL
decided to reduce his suspension to only six games.
How can the NFL look in the mirror with any sort of good
consciousness after allowing a convicted woman beater to only serve a six game
suspension? And at the same time, suspend a player who enjoys smoking a joint
every once in a while ten games? The NFL Legality is completely and utterly
flawed.
According to http://www.si.com/nfl/2015/02/09/carolina-panthers-greg-hardy-domestic-abuse-charges-dropped ,
ReplyDeleteGreg Hardy was found guilty in the original bench trial, but he insisted he was innocent and appealed. At which point, the charges were dropped because his accuser failed to appear. This does not mean his girlfriend dropped the charges, it means the state did.
"How can the NFL look in the mirror"
The NFL is not capable of looking in a mirror.
"with any sort of good consciousness"
The NFL is not a conscious being.
"after allowing a convicted woman beater"
His conviction was overturned upon appeal.
"The NFL Legality is completely and utterly flawed."
I disagree. According to http://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/nfl/browns/2014/08/27/josh-gordon-cleveland-browns-nfl-suspension-appeal/14418925/ , Josh Gordon has a long history of failed drug tests, including in college. This shows not only a weakness of character, but an inability to abide by the same rules everyone else in the NFL is expected to follow.