Josh Gordon letter/Suspended without pay for at least one year

[Ramrasta]

I don't give people like this a pass because they write (supposedly it was him) a nice sob story excuse letter to the media. Prove that you are going to change with your actions because you have told us before that you would change. Can you even trust what he is saying? I understand everyone's willingness to believe this guy because he has shown that he can be elite but I'm not going to slide this dude a check based on faith when all he did is let down his teammates and coaches. The most foolish of fools is the one who fools himself.

 

[jrry32]

I think BlueCoconuts is dead on. It wasn't even a week ago that I was mocking Gordon to the Rams and I wanted him. But this was the final straw for me. I read the letter. It came off as completely disingenuous. If you think you fucked up and are to blame, you wouldn't make excuses. You wouldn't talk about how harsh it was for the NFL to suspend you for failing the drug test even though your B sample passed. You wouldn't talk about how harsh the NFL policy is and how you didn't deserve to have the alcohol policy applied to you because you barely drink. You wouldn't have made sure everyone knew how tough your life was growing up and how the bad crowd around you got you involved in this mess.

You'd man up, admit you fucked up, and apologize without reservations, without excuses, and without a bunch of justifications for why what's happening to you is unlucky, unfair, etc.

I could accept if he simply pointed out that he got confused...obviously, that's what he's considering appealing. And there's no reason to apologize without mentioning it if that's what your appeal might be based on because if you did, the NFL could use it against you.

But the rest of it was a bunch of "woe is me" fake bullshit as far as I'm concerned. The kid is adamant that he doesn't have a problem. This is the same kid that has been suspended each of the last three years, got kicked off of TWO college teams, and missed his entire final year in college due to suspensions.

How many fuckups does it take for people to stop believing the guy? How many people have this bad of luck? The guy failed enough drug tests to get kicked out of Baylor and Utah. And then his bad luck follows him to the NFL where he has been suspended for four different incidents(3 failed tests and a DUI). EDIT: I'm sorry, five different incidents. The Browns suspended him for the last game for not showing up to the walk through.

So the guy basically had some reason why every test he's failed was due to some bad luck or innocent mistake...I CALL BULLSHIT.

 

[jrry32]

I don't give people like this a pass because they write (supposedly it was him) a nice sob story excuse letter to the media. Prove that you are going to change with your actions because you have told us before that you would change. Can you even trust what he is saying? I understand everyone's willingness to believe this guy because he has shown that he can be elite but I'm not going to slide this dude a check based on faith when all he did is let down his teammates and coaches. The most foolish of fools is the one who fools himself.

Exactly.

Keep in mind this is the same person that was suspended by his TEAM for the final game of the year because he didn't bother to show up to a walk through. Keep in mind that there have been rumors that he was not in the sort of shape they expected him to be when he came back and had skipped meetings prior to his one game suspension. Keep in mind the guy, HIMSELF, admitted that he didn't know the playbook when he came back from his suspension.

This guy has been suspended for FIVE DIFFERENT REASONS in the NFL already. He's 25 years old. Gordon was suspended once at Baylor in 2010 and then kicked off the team in 2011. Gordon then transferred to Utah where he was kicked off THAT team for failing a drug test.

So lets put this in perspective...the guy has been suspended or booted off a team EIGHT times since 2010.

And yet people still think he deserves another chance. I hope Josh Gordon is not a feline because he's getting awfully close to that ninth life.

 

[VegasRam]

good letter. i'd be extremely impressed if i knew he actually wrote it all himself. he's still an idiot for the sheer amount of times he's gotten in trouble for this stuff but anyways the alcohol ban IMO is complete bullcrap. wtf does that have to do about weed? society is so back-asswards and hypocritical its unbelievable. doctors will shell out pain pills and sleeping pills and all kinds of drugs that are addictive, severely impare you, are bad for your long term health or can kill you in high doses. THAT's all well and fine for the NFL and the US government to allow to be dished out and pop them like skittles but God forbid someone smokes a plant that grows out the ground to relax, sleep or ease some pain and next thing you know your fired from your job or have cuffs slapped on you. crap....started going into a rant. I'm done lol. good read.

100% agree.

 

[Yamahopper]

How can his team and teammates ever count on him?
He's a loser. All that talent and he screws away his life.
I feel for the guy, but all he's a reinstatement and one more bad decision form never playing again.

 

[12intheBox]

You guys can have Dudley Do Right running bubble screens. I'll take Flash Gordon running a go. Were looking for football players not nannys.

And let's see the NFL for what it is - the substance abuse policy in the NFL is completely ridiculous. When the NFL isn't tied at the hip with Budweiser, then maybe they can have a little credibility.

Is Gordon to blame? Sure. Does he admit that? Many times. Our society is so quick to judge others - and I'm not just talking about football - we love looking down our noses at other people - myself included.

 

[jrry32]

You guys can have Dudley Do Right running bubble screens. I'll take Flash Gordon running a go. Were looking for football players not nannys.

And let's see the NFL for what it is - the substance abuse policy in the NFL is completely ridiculous. When the NFL isn't tied at the hip with Budweiser, then maybe they can have a little credibility.

Is Gordon to blame? Sure. Does he admit that? Many times. Our society is so quick to judge others - and I'm not just talking about football - we love looking down our noses at other people - myself included.

That's great. You have Josh Gordon run go get you a car at the dealership.

You better bet I'll look down my nose at a kid whose got this timeline but continues to act as if he's just fine and just is some unlucky, innocent soul:
2010 - Suspended by Baylor(Drugs)
2011 - Kicked off Baylor's team(Drugs)
2012 - Kicked off Utah's team(Drugs)
2013 - Suspended by the NFL(Drugs)
2014 - Suspended by the NFL(Drugs)
2014 - Suspended by the NFL(DUI)
2014 - Suspended by the Browns(Conduct)
2015 - Suspended by the NFL(Alcohol)

 

[12intheBox]

Take a look at some of the names in the NFL Hall of Fame - would you look down your nose at those guys if they had similar histories? Would you have wanted them on your team?

 

[jjab360]

I can't stand these media clowns that stand up on their high horse and judge these players as if they're disappointed parents or something.

 

[jrry32]

Take a look at some of the names in the NFL Hall of Fame - would you look down your nose at those guys if they had similar histories? Would you have wanted them on your team?

Those players aren't Josh Gordon. Lets not deviate from the topic at hand. It's kind of hard to run go routes when you're not on the field.

So no, I wouldn't want any player in the HOF on my team if he's going to be suspended all year.

This...
2010 - Suspended by Baylor(Drugs)
2011 - Kicked off Baylor's team(Drugs)
2012 - Kicked off Utah's team(Drugs)
2013 - Suspended by the NFL(Drugs)
2014 - Suspended by the NFL(Drugs)
2014 - Suspended by the NFL(DUI)
2014 - Suspended by the Browns(Conduct)
2015 - Suspended by the NFL(Alcohol)

Is not bad luck.

And it's crazy to think that I would have taken the guy even after the first seven fuckups. I guess that speaks to our ability to accept that sort of thing from talented players. But there is a straw that breaks the camel's back. And Gordon broke the camel's back. He's suspended for an entire season. After narrowly avoiding(on appeal) being suspended for all of last year.

How many lies will it take for people to stop believing this guy? It's like Manziel. All this bullshit about how he's going to change...but he never does. Where has Gordon ever shown that he's going to change? Where has he ever shown that he can be relied upon?

I don't care how talented he is, he does me no good if he can't get on the field.

 

[LACHAMP46]

Addiction, by it's very nature, is the reason he'd say, "I don't have a problem, I'm not an addict, I'm not an alcoholic...." But you have to admit, his crimes pale in comparison to serious substance issues....I'm pulling for him, and I think he'll succeed, but his tale is dangerous to many who battle drug abuse...
Open letter to Josh, if you weren't an addict, you wouldn't have been even tempted to drink knowing the type of consequences you may face if you were wrong...You definitely wouldn't hang around guys that blaze and could "contaminate" you and cause your "second hand smoke" positive test...Lots of excuses, but he's only 23...definitely worth a risk in my book.

 

[12intheBox]

I get that players have to adapt to their environment - and the NFL substance abuse policy is a part of their environment, and I'm all for personal accountability - something that is also sorely lacking in the world - but at some point you have to step back and see the forest. Lawrence Taylor is one of the most calibrated players of all time in the league and he had a crack habbit for crying out loud!

I know the league has a line to walk here - players are role models and all that - but I wonder if they perpetuate the problem with all of their testing and their suspensions.

 

[jrry32]

I get that players have to adapt to their environment - and the NFL substance abuse policy is a part of their environment, and I'm all for personal accountability - something that is also sorely lacking in the world - but at some point you have to step back and see the forest. Lawrence Taylor is one of the most calibrated players of all time in the league and he had a crack habbit for crying out loud!

I know the league has a line to walk here - players are role models and all that - but I wonder if they perpetuate the problem with all of their testing and their suspensions.

And if Lawrence Taylor or Michael Irvin played in today's NFL, there's a very real possibility that both guys would be out of the league due to their drug issues. Times have changed.

Personally, I think marijuana should be legalized...but it hasn't been. And until it is, you have to obey the law or face the consequences.

 

[12intheBox]

And if Lawrence Taylor or Michael Irvin played in today's NFL, there's a very real possibility that both guys would be out of the league due to their drug issues. Times have changed.

Personally, I think marijuana should be legalized...but it hasn't been. And until it is, you have to obey the law or face the consequences.

Meh - screw the law. Alcohol is legal - Gordon had some drinks after the season was over - and yet here we are.

In my eyes, the NFL is the real problem here - some team is going to get really lucky taking a chance on Gordon - I hope it's us.

 

[LesBaker]

A couple of things come to my mind.

The first is this..........you can't fix stupid. It has to fix itself. So far he's not willing.

Second.....LOL at anyone who thinks he wrote that.

Lastly he doesn't really care, so if he doesn't then I don't either.

I wouldn't want him on the Rams because he's going to bounce himself out of the NFL, we've seen this movie in pro sports before. Guys get suspended and miss lots of game time and NFL or MLB or NBA or NHL prep and training and they have big drop offs when they finally do get back.

Good luck to him, but I don't give enough of a shit to feel anything other than ambivalence and I have to work a bit to muster that up.

 

[Faceplant]

Great letter. Wonder who actually wrote that.....

 

[12intheBox]

Why are we theorizing that he didn't write this, again?

 

[tonyl711]

Comes across like a whiny bitch making excuses to me. The terms said until the end of the season, not his season. Its not hard to figure out, if he was confused he should have asked.

I don't think he's a bad guy, but he has broken rules time and time again, and that's on him. Instead of excuses and "poor me" he should actually stop breaking the rules. The letter was well written, and terms may be harsh, but they were laid out for him. May be unpopular, but I don't feel bad.

I inhaled some second hand marijuana smoke??? come on now, I was only .01 over the limit, seems like a you all need to stop picking on me letter, doesn't want to admit fault without an excuse behind it.

 

[jrry32]

Meh - screw the law. Alcohol is legal - Gordon had some drinks after the season was over - and yet here we are.

In my eyes, the NFL is the real problem here - some team is going to get really lucky taking a chance on Gordon - I hope it's us.

Gordon got popped for a DUI. Part of his terms were that he couldn't drink and would be tested for alcohol. You want to know who brought this on Gordon? Gordon.

Alcohol is legal. But if you have a job and your employer suspects you of coming into work drunk, do you honestly believe they can't have you take a drug test and then fire you if you test positive for alcohol?

Gordon accepted the deal with the NFL for his DUI and part of the terms were his getting tested with alcohol. You want to blame someone. You want to know how the real problem is. It's Josh Gordon.

Grown ups face consequences when they don't follow the rules. Gordon is a grown up.

 

[12intheBox]

Gordon got popped for a DUI. Part of his terms were that he couldn't drink and would be tested for alcohol. You want to know who brought this on Gordon? Gordon.

Alcohol is legal. But if you have a job and your employer suspects you of coming into work drunk, do you honestly believe they can't have you take a drug test and then fire you if you test positive for alcohol?

Gordon accepted the deal with the NFL for his DUI and part of the terms were his getting tested with alcohol. You want to blame someone. You want to know how the real problem is. It's Josh Gordon.

Grown ups face consequences when they don't follow the rules. Gordon is a grown up.

"Accepted the deal" - as if he had shred one of bargaining power.

Has anyone suggested that Gordon came to work drunk? Sure, a private employer can generally fire an employee for almost anything / although the tax exempt status the NFL enjoys makes it a touch more complicated. But again, this is a league that completely markets itself around alcohol. Does Jim Irsay lose the colts if he takes a drink / pops a pill?

When I look back at myself in my early 20s - I was legally an adult but I was a full blown idiot still in most respects. Thank goodness my life wasn't under the microscope.