The Wiz Posted August 17, 2016 Posted August 17, 2016 Hold the phone, aren't players responsible for themselves?Only if it hurts the league image.
FireChan Posted August 17, 2016 Posted August 17, 2016 Only if it hurts the league image. Huh? Didn't we just hear about how it's Dareus' personal responsibility to not smoke weed? Why does it change with prescription narcotics? Why is Dareus responsible to not smoke the Ganj, but when another player is nabbing some opioids on the side, the NFL needs to hand hold them?
Deranged Rhino Posted August 17, 2016 Posted August 17, 2016 I get that it's an illegal substance, in most places anyways, but can't understand why they are concerned with a drug that offers no competitive edge when it comes to a players ability. I get the public image part but when you're suspending guys for 4+ games for smoking weed while suspending guys for 1-2 games for domestic violence, you've got your priorities wrong. Maybe it has something to do with sponsors. These guys don't like the thought of legalized marijuana cutting into their profits...
Saxum Posted August 17, 2016 Posted August 17, 2016 What kills me is that its the offseason. I can understand if its during the season but come on. They are getting paid in the off season and dont start getting paychecks until September. So if someone wants to smoke some weed in May or June, who cares? As long as they are clean when they report back for work Now that being said, rules are rules and Dareus knew them. He really did put himself first and that pisses me off CBF I agree with you underlined but I doubt you meant it with your post. Any player with a signing bonus is getting paid in off season even if it is not divided that way. The way any veteran player could solve issue is only sign 1 year contracts and make sure they were clean when they started being paid but no player will do that because they know they will get more money other way. Players will fight tooth and nail to avoid paying back portion of bonus even though that money would not be paid at least as much if team knew they would be unavailable due to their actions.
The Wiz Posted August 17, 2016 Posted August 17, 2016 Huh? Didn't we just hear about how it's Dareus' personal responsibility to not smoke weed? Why does it change with prescription narcotics? Why is Dareus responsible to not smoke the Ganj, but when another player is nabbing some opioids on the side, the NFL needs to hand hold them?I've stated neither of these. My point is the nfl either needs to care about both or care about neither. Having a program for substance abuse should include guys on pain meds and not just weed.
FireChan Posted August 17, 2016 Posted August 17, 2016 I've stated neither of these. My point is the nfl either needs to care about both or care about neither. Having a program for substance abuse should include guys on pain meds and not just weed. I can see what you mean with the second part, but how do you enforce it? Drug test for painkillers? Do you think it's NOT Dareus' personal responsibility to not smoke weed? I assumed that was your stance because, well, it's pretty rare to see another side.
The Wiz Posted August 17, 2016 Posted August 17, 2016 I can see what you mean with the second part, but how do you enforce it? Drug test for painkillers? Do you think it's NOT Dareus' personal responsibility to not smoke weed? I assumed that was your stance because, well, it's pretty rare to see another side. I don't know how they would test for drugs they were supposed to be taking. Only thing I can think of would be multiple tests a week to monitor opiate levels. I guess this is why my stance would be to just forget about weed and tests for PEDs. I absolutely put the blame on dareus. No way around it he only has himself to blame.
FireChan Posted August 17, 2016 Posted August 17, 2016 I don't know how they would test for drugs they were supposed to be taking. Only thing I can think of would be multiple tests a week to monitor opiate levels. I guess this is why my stance would be to just forget about weed and tests for PEDs. I absolutely put the blame on dareus. No way around it he only has himself to blame. Do you think multiple tests weekly is feasible? Will that be a PR nightmare? Would the NFL PA stand for it? So then I pose the same question, if Dareus is personally responsible for taking illicit drugs, why is not the personal responsibility of other players taking illicit drugs?
Best Player Available Posted August 17, 2016 Posted August 17, 2016 Maybe it has something to do with sponsors. These guys don't like the thought of legalized marijuana cutting into their profits... Anheuser Busch pumped at least 2 million four years ago help defeat California's poorly written bill to legalize For recreational use. I suspect this years bill will pass by a large margin.
PromoTheRobot Posted August 17, 2016 Posted August 17, 2016 There is a legit reason to risk it, it offers an alternative to powerful and much more addictive prescription pain medications. Some (not all for sure, but some) players use it because prescription pain killers are flat out dangerous to use at the levels these people need to use them on a daily basis. On the other hand, you could smoke a little weed, not become physically addicted and cause minimal (if any) additional harm to your body. The ONLY reason it is still illegal is because giant pharma lobby big time to keep it that way so they can keep patients addicted to their artificially created medications instead of someone growing their own medication. The gov't is bought and paid for. It's that simple. There is another reason: Big cop. Law enforcement uses weed to justify large portions of their budgets. Make weed legal and police departments lose some of their funding. Weed was made illegal in the first place because it was what Mexicans and later Black people smoked. There was a fear that white youth would pick up the habit too because of that crazy Jazz music, Then in the 70's Nixon had pot made a Schedule 1 drug because you can't jail Viet Nam war protesters for speaking out but you could jail them for weed.
JBalz Posted August 17, 2016 Posted August 17, 2016 4 games for some marijuana? man this is some bull***t, marijuanas not a drug.
The Wiz Posted August 17, 2016 Posted August 17, 2016 (edited) Do you think multiple tests weekly is feasible? Will that be a PR nightmare? Would the NFL PA stand for it? So then I pose the same question, if Dareus is personally responsible for taking illicit drugs, why is not the personal responsibility of other players taking illicit drugs? No, I don't think it's feasible, PR friendly or agreeable to the NFLPA which is why I say scrap testing for weed and stick to the PEDs. It is their responsibility. Which is why I said if they are going to have a program for guys using weed they should have players being prescribed pain killers in the program as well. Or when they're prescription up, have them on a list test again later. Or do random tests for pain meds on guys that are healthy(relatively). I understand meds for injured players(guys not playing because of the injury) but players popping an oxy because their big toe hurts shouldn't be allowed. Edited August 17, 2016 by The Wiz
Deranged Rhino Posted August 17, 2016 Posted August 17, 2016 Anheuser Busch pumped at least 2 million four years ago help defeat California's poorly written bill to legalize For recreational use. I suspect this years bill will pass by a large margin. Yup. They're not above nudging the league to keep marijuana on its banned substance list -- just for the optics alone. The NFL is the most popular show on television, if the league takes a stand to remove marijuana from its list it would send a message to its huge fan base. That's a message the beer companies don't want out there... not until they get their ducks in a row cornering the emerging legal marijuana market of course.
PromoTheRobot Posted August 17, 2016 Posted August 17, 2016 Yup. They're not above nudging the league to keep marijuana on its banned substance list -- just for the optics alone. The NFL is the most popular show on television, if the league takes a stand to remove marijuana from its list it would send a message to its huge fan base. That's a message the beer companies don't want out there... not until they get their ducks in a row cornering the emerging legal marijuana market of course. Or at least until Anheuser-Busch comes out with "Budweiser Blunts."
Deranged Rhino Posted August 17, 2016 Posted August 17, 2016 Or at least until Anheuser-Busch comes out with "Budweiser Blunts." Absolutely true. That's what I meant by cornering the market. They're working on it now, once they secure their stake I'm pretty certain the NFL will have a change of heart about it's stance on the Devil's Lettuce.
Dorkington Posted August 17, 2016 Posted August 17, 2016 It's like that in life as well...most drug offenses carry more time than rapes and murders. I think i've read the average child rape carries like an 18 month sentence whereas the average drug sentence is over 3 years Drugs being 'easy' and addictive, combined with for-profit prisons... its really quite the scheme we've built here.
Mr. WEO Posted August 17, 2016 Posted August 17, 2016 It's not as much of a myth as you'd think. I think that it is getting better but it isn't perfect. I have a handful of friends that played in the league as recently as 2014 (one who was suspended for a banned substance) for a total of 9 different franchises (3 all seemed to have a stop in Cleveland). They easily got pain pills in doses. The stories of how freely they flowed through the Saints locker room (including a pretty prominent HC) are pretty wild. Here is an article from when they were busted a few years back (in sort of the height of their arrogance): http://www.cbssports.com/nfl/news/report-feds-weighing-big-fine-against-saints-in-vicodin-case/ As I said, narcotic regulation has changed significantly since the Saints cabinet raid. Take it from someone who prescribes narcotics. It's become very cumbersome--especially in NYS. Most physicians would rather not write these scripts at all if they could avoid it. Reading is fundamental, nice tales though. http://www.espn.com/espn/eticket/story?page=110128/PainkillersCurrentUse ""The trainers and the doctors used to go down the aisle and say, 'Who needs what?'" Turley said. "If you had something hurting and needed a painkiller to take the edge off so you could sleep that night, they made sure you had it." A scientific study conducted by researchers at Washington University in St. Louis found that retired NFL players misuse opioid pain medications at a rate more than four times that of the general population. The study, co-funded by ESPN and the National Institute on Drug Abuse, provides new evidence to suggest the roots of that misuse can be traced to the misuse of painkillers during players' NFL careers. The research findings were published Jan. 28 in Drug and Alcohol Dependence, a peer-reviewed, scientific journal" You should have read the whole article: "In Birk's experience, which includes a decade with the Minnesota Vikings, team doctors were responsible in the way they stored and dispensed prescription painkillers. "They're pretty cautious. They're not just passing them out," Birk said. "I could count on one hand the times I was given one painkiller. I've never been prescribed a bottle of 30 of them or anything like that." The prescription pain medications stored at team facilities -- referred to within league medical circles as "common stock" -- are required to be kept under lock and key in secure rooms. Team medical staffs are subject to routine pill-by-pill audits conducted by league security officials, all designed to ensure the medications are stored and prescribed responsibly." "Connor told ESPN the purpose of the meeting was so DEA officials could make certain NFL team physicians fully understood the federal laws governing the storage and safe handling of prescription pain medications. "There's no question that the DEA is paying closer attention," Connor said. "The pendulum has shifted over to prescription pain medication, just as it was on the performance-enhancing drug issues in the past." Times have changed, as I said. While there is no question that in the past that narcs were freely handed out, that is no longer the case. Most players who abuse the pills obtain them illegally, according to this same article. But your statement that "countless" current players are addicted to narcotics isn't supported by that article.
Mark80 Posted August 17, 2016 Posted August 17, 2016 (edited) There is another reason: Big cop. Law enforcement uses weed to justify large portions of their budgets. Make weed legal and police departments lose some of their funding. Weed was made illegal in the first place because it was what Mexicans and later Black people smoked. There was a fear that white youth would pick up the habit too because of that crazy Jazz music, Then in the 70's Nixon had pot made a Schedule 1 drug because you can't jail Viet Nam war protesters for speaking out but you could jail them for weed. Not sure on this one. While I would certainly agree that Private Prisons and their lobbying are to blame as well since they are paid by the number of inmates they house and they house a crap load of criminals just because of weed offenses (or previous weed offenses which are priors and lead to bigger sentences for other crimes, that is, getting them "in the system"). Knowing policing relatively well as I have family involved in higher levels of policing, I can guarantee you that most police would welcome not having to police this so they could spend more of their time on crimes that actually matter. Edited August 17, 2016 by Mark80
Over 29 years of fanhood Posted August 17, 2016 Posted August 17, 2016 Maybe it has something to do with sponsors. These guys don't like the thought of legalized marijuana cutting into their profits... They need to evolve into the cannibev industry... Then all is ok
Deranged Rhino Posted August 17, 2016 Posted August 17, 2016 They need to evolve into the cannibev industry... Then all is ok It's coming (video courtesy of Chef)
Recommended Posts