Wasting Talent and Choices

[Loyal]

In considering Josh Gordon and his getting busted for marijuana use, it has always seemed crazy to me that an athlete is given such a golden opportunity to become a millionaire before age 30 and they choose to risk it for weed. It's here where those that see nothing wrong with marijuana say something like "marijuana is a victimless crime and it's legal in some states...the NFL cares more about marijuana use than beating his wife." So from these comments, I guess they are saying that players that smoke weed are protesting an inane rule/law....which seems crazy to me, since they only have to do it for about 3 years (average length of an NFL career).

Let me ask you....this is a an old Twilight Zone episode which was interesting to me, IF a millionaire offered you one-million dollars to not speak a word for a year, would you do it? (That was the premise of that episode)
Hell, I would...
So if you were an athlete and had been asked to not smoke weed (with the added emphasis being that it's still illegal under federal law) for the length of an NFL career for millions, would you do it? If both behaviors are inane (talking and weed usage), but you gain big money for not doing it as a condition of employment, would you?

 

[Loyal]

FYI...in the Twilight Zone episode, the "rich guy" tried every temptation to get the guy to talk, but did not. At the end of the year, he went to the rich man to receive his reward, but then received the shocking news the rich man did not have it. But still, the victim did not talk, because he had his vocal cords cut so that he would be assured of winning the bet...
I bet he thought FUKK ME!

 

[rdw]

FYI...in the Twilight Zone episode, the "rich guy" tried every temptation to get the guy to talk, but did not. At the end of the year, he went to the rich man to receive his reward, but then received the shocking news the rich man did not have it. But still, the victim did not talk, because he had his vocal cords cut so that he would be assured of winning the bet...
I bet he thought FUKK ME!

I remember that episode... love the old twilight zone show!

For a few million bucks I'd give up anything for a year and wouldn't break a sweat.

 

[Loyal]

I remember that episode... love the old twilight zone show!

For a few million bucks I'd give up anything for a year and wouldn't break a sweat.

Me too. I have 145 episodes DVRed that I am watching. Sometimes I see an episode that I have never seen before, which was normally from the first year of the show. It's probably my favorite series of all time.

 

[Elmgrovegnome]

I feel the same way. Why risk it just to smoke weed. It isn't hard to stop. I know from experience.

I think it comes down to the "High School Superstar" treatment. These kids get away with anything they want. They grow up having their asses kissed and get treated better than the rest of the student body. They feel untouchable. That mindset can get ingrained into them. They do what they want, when they want. That's not going to change.

I really don't even think the issue with Gordon really is that he smokes weed. The real issue is that he has been caught several times and refuses to conform to the rules. Goodell has no use for a player so willing to blatantly disregard league reprimands. Taking him back would be a sign of weakness with the rulebook and opens the door for other players to push the discipline boundary. Goodell does not want to be the flexible parent that doesn't follow through with his threats.

 

[SteezyEndo]

Let me ask you all this. This goes wayyyyyyy- beyond...

What is a humans, or individual sole purpose in what we know as life?...You'd be amazed...

Alot of people who have done things that society at a judicial level consider bad which trickled down to the common level which deem marijuana bad....

Fact Checks

https://www.quora.com/Did-Einstein-smoke-marijuana

Did he? who cares freaking genius...

https://azarius.net/news/306/Carl_Sagans_essay_on_cannabis/

Do I need to continue?...

Just because Josh Gordon likes to puff on the herb shouldn't be judged individually. If he is great at football. He is simply great at football. They should reinstate him.

 

[Loyal]

Let me ask you all this. This goes wayyyyyyy- beyond...

What is a humans, or individual sole purpose in what we know as life?...You'd be amazed...

Alot of people who have done things that society at a judicial level consider bad which trickled down to the common level which deem marijuana bad....

Fact Checks

https://www.quora.com/Did-Einstein-smoke-marijuana

Did he? who cares freaking genius...

https://azarius.net/news/306/Carl_Sagans_essay_on_cannabis/

Do I need to continue?...

Just because Josh Gordon likes to puff on the herb shouldn't be judged individually. If he is great at football. He is simply great at football. They should reinstate him.

Steezy, you ignored the argument. It's not about the meaning of life or whether Einstein thinks brilliantly on pot, it's whether an opportunity is worth wasting for weed? I know that you are saying that weed is a harmless good thing, which was the basis of my reasoning. If you could give up anything that you don't actually need for a few years for the opportunity to earn millions of dollars, is it worth doing? IF you know that the violation of that agreement could result in the loss of millions and you still do it, whose fault is that?

 

[SteezyEndo]

Point is you should still make millions if you are talented. The agreement is bullanyways.... Yes I "really" do get it. Its the rules...Blah Blah whatever.

 

[Loyal]

Point is you should still make millions if you are talented. The agreement is bullanyways.... Yes I "really" do get it. Its the rules...Blah Blah whatever.

It's actually about character and the ability to control oneself to complete a team's goals. If you know the rules and break them, you are telling the team and the NFL that they are not more important than a desire to light up. It's the whole "there's no 'I' in team" idea.

Talent alone will only get you so far in life, because no one owes you anything just for being talented.

 

[SteezyEndo]

It's actually about character and the ability to control oneself to complete a team's goals. If you know the rules and break them, you are telling the team and the NFL that they are not more important than a desire to light up. It's the whole "there's no 'I' in team" idea.

Talent alone will only get you so far in life, because no one owes you anything just for being talented.

As far as I'm concerned Josh Gordon was a professional on the field and conducted himself fine on TV. I never would of known he smoked herb til some jackass exploited it publicly, and smeared his image.

 

[jrry32]

Would I not smoke weed if I were an athlete? Yes.(I already don't.)

Would I not talk for a year for a million dollars? No.

Do I think marijuana should be criminalized? No.

Do I think athletes should be let off the hook because marijuana shouldn't be criminalized? No.

 

[Loyal]

Would I not smoke weed if I were an athlete? Yes.(I already don't.)

Would I not talk for a year for a million dollars? No.

Do I think marijuana should be criminalized? No.

Do I think athletes should be let off the hook because marijuana shouldn't be criminalized? No.

Really? Man, maybe I am too desperate for a payday because it would change my life for the better, but I would do it. I would think of it as a sabbatical for cash..lol

 

[MadGoat]

So if you were an athlete and had been asked to not smoke weed (with the added emphasis being that it's still illegal under federal law) for the length of an NFL career for millions, would you do it? If both behaviors are inane (talking and weed usage), but you gain big money for not doing it as a condition of employment, would you?

Don't forget, for added difficulty the NFL banned him from drinking as well. Then it gets worse. There are other players all around you smoking weed all the time, yet somehow they aren't getting caught, or they fail tests, fight their suspensions, and win. Talk about feeling like the deck is stacked against you.

As much as half of Gordon's issues may be alcohol related. When he bailed on the Browns last year, the most common rumor was that he was off the wagon after a positive paternity test and bound to fail his alcohol test as soon as he was reinstated.

How many movie stars, novelists, lawyers, doctors, and parents have lost everything due to alcohol? Millions. It isn't just a pro athlete or money issue. Is it any better when a parent gets their kids taken away because they can't stay sober? Worse, I'd say, but it happens all the time, even to smart and successful people.

 

[jrry32]

Really? Man, maybe I am too desperate for a payday because it would change my life for the better, but I would do it. I would think of it as a sabbatical for cash..lol

I enjoy talking. Life would not be enjoyable if I couldn't. Money is money. There is plenty of time for me to make money. That's a year of my life that I'll never get back. Plus, talking is important to my job.

 

[Zodi]

In considering Josh Gordon and his getting busted for marijuana use, it has always seemed crazy to me that an athlete is given such a golden opportunity to become a millionaire before age 30 and they choose to risk it for weed. It's here where those that see nothing wrong with marijuana say something like "marijuana is a victimless crime and it's legal in some states...the NFL cares more about marijuana use than beating his wife." So from these comments, I guess they are saying that players that smoke weed are protesting an inane rule/law....which seems crazy to me, since they only have to do it for about 3 years (average length of an NFL career).

Let me ask you....this is a an old Twilight Zone episode which was interesting to me, IF a millionaire offered you one-million dollars to not speak a word for a year, would you do it? (That was the premise of that episode)
Hell, I would...
So if you were an athlete and had been asked to not smoke weed (with the added emphasis being that it's still illegal under federal law) for the length of an NFL career for millions, would you do it? If both behaviors are inane (talking and weed usage), but you gain big money for not doing it as a condition of employment, would you?

I'm a truck driver. Can't smoke, or even drink for that matter. I wouldn't do anything to risk my job, my career, and my reputation. I definitely don't make millions, but if I did, I don't think my core behavior would change too much. Life is all about personal values.

With that being said, I think the point you're trying to make just misses the mark. These guys playing in the NFL are in the entertainment business. And the NFL may want their image to be family-friendly, but how much do they make in sponsorships from alcohol companies?

I mean, think about the life of, say, an OBJ. Players like him are constantly being invited to parties involving fellow celebrities, musicians, etc. Nobody else in entertainment is tested for things like marijuana-- hell, I think the NHL doesn't test for it, period. So these young millionaires not only have this life changing event financially, but socially. Their peers are living however they want, and surrounded by temptation, I bet a lot of NFL players just assume suspensions just "won't happen to them".

I'm not defending the actions of a Josh Gordon type player, but you can certainly see why it happens so frequently.

 

[Loyal]

I'm a truck driver. Can't smoke, or even drink for that matter. I wouldn't do anything to risk my job, my career, and my reputation. I definitely don't make millions, but if I did, I don't think my core behavior would change too much. Life is all about personal values.

With that being said, I think the point you're trying to make just misses the mark. These guys playing in the NFL are in the entertainment business. And the NFL may want their image to be family-friendly, but how much do they make in sponsorships from alcohol companies?

I mean, think about the life of, say, an OBJ. Players like him are constantly being invited to parties involving fellow celebrities, musicians, etc. Nobody else in entertainment is tested for things like marijuana-- hell, I think the NHL doesn't test for it, period. So these young millionaires not only have this life changing event financially, but socially. Their peers are living however they want, and surrounded by temptation, I bet a lot of NFL players just assume suspensions just "won't happen to them".

I'm not defending the actions of a Josh Gordon type player, but you can certainly see why it happens so frequently.

Well, I was trying to not have the same old conversation that goes back and forth about following the law vs harmless herb, argument. Like you, I drove commercially for almost 20 years..Before that, I was in the Navy for 6 years, both of which did surprise urinalysis tests. When I was in the Navy, the stake may not have been as high, but the principle was the same...Sailors doing what sailors do on the weekends, especially in Tijuana...I turned pot down so often that I can't count the times, and cocaine more than once..Again, I had the same choice as these athletes: use pot and be at risk to face dishonor (which I think is worse) through a less than honorable discharge that would follow you all of your life. True or not, that's what I thought then. I had smoked pot in high school, but made the quality choice that it was not worth the risk. Same was true as a commercial driver, choices... No doubt these athletes have influences in their life that can lead to poor choices, but you just have to cut ties with friends and family that really don't care about you or your career if they influence you to do things like this. I made choices on who I would spend time with on my Sailor weekends, and normally it was either restaurants and a movie, or an occasional get drunk weekend.

In the end it's about free will and consequences. Do what you want because I don't care, it's "your" life. But a person can never whine about a consequence that he doesn't like, when he chooses to break a rule that he essentially agreed to when he took NFL money...JMHO.

 

[Loyal]

I enjoy talking. Life would not be enjoyable if I couldn't. Money is money. There is plenty of time for me to make money. That's a year of my life that I'll never get back. Plus, talking is important to my job.

I'm different I guess..I would count it as a well lived year myself, because often conversation can be useless. There are other ways to communicate without words, and not talking can bring focus and peace of mind, at least for me...

Plus, 1 million dollar wage for year doesn't get much better at my age!

 

[Alaskan Ram]

I sell out for money.

Am I proud of it?
No.
How many of my core values would I compromise to put food on the table?
As long as I live in a country where big pharma, big corrections, and big oil rule....i imagine I'll continue to compromise a shit ton of my core values.

Jump? How high? Yes master.

 

[jrry32]

I'm different I guess..I would count it as a well lived year myself, because often conversation can be useless. There are other ways to communicate without words, and not talking can bring focus and peace of mind, at least for me...

Plus, 1 million dollar wage for year doesn't get much better at my age!

If the conversations bring you joy and laughter, it's not useless. If they don't, you're talking to the wrong people. You can rationalize everything away to being useless. For me, the point of life is happiness and satisfaction. Conversation is a thing that helps me achieve that. I won't give it up for money.

 

[Loyal]

If the conversations bring you joy and laughter, it's not useless. If they don't, you're talking to the wrong people. You can rationalize everything away to being useless. For me, the point of life is happiness and satisfaction. Conversation is a thing that helps me achieve that. I won't give it up for money.

FOR ME, that's not true. I was explaining for me, conversations can be useless...I enjoy being alone with my thoughts...For you, well, you know you.