Toucher: Josh Gordon's One-Year Marijuana Suspension Ridiculous
BOSTON (CBS) - The National Football League upheld its one-year suspension for Cleveland Browns wide receiver Josh Gordon on Wednesday, after the All Pro 23-year-old failed a drug test in the offseason while having a DUI charge levied against him.
Gordon's off-field issues date back to college, and failed drug tests at Baylor caused him to be red-flagged upon entering the NFL. Gordon violated the league's substance abuse policy in 2013 as well and was suspended for the first two games, but still managed to lead the league in receiving yards with 1,646.
His on-field acumen clearly proves marijuana is not a performance enhancer, and with the country's softening stance on marijuana, 98.5 The Sports Hub's Fred Toucher was furious discussing the suspension Thursday morning.
Fred outlined a number of reasons why the suspension is asinine.
1. Are we sure Josh Gordon even failed this last drug test?
Fred: "Josh Gordon's results on this test are totally ridiculous. You take two urine samples and they are split into two bottles labeled A and B. They randomly select a bottle to which the test will be taken on. They tested the B bottle and it was barely above allowable by the NFL. Then they tested the A bottle and it was below what was required for suspension. Gordon argued it was second-hand smoke, and the NFL sat around for four months debating this. They tested him 70 times, and then the one time that it came up positive, one urine sample was a microscopic amount over what was allowable. It is absolutely ridiculous. I'm not convinced he smoked marijuana that third time."
2. The league's double standard, and levying lesser punishments for more severe crimes
Fred: "In a world where (Colts owner) Jim Irsay can drive around with a briefcase full of cash and a bag full of pain pills and nary a suspension led his way. (Former player) Leonard Little can kill someone in a DUI, get a second DUI -- which he was found not guilty -- and play 16 games. By the way, when he killed someone when he was drunk he was suspended for eight games. How can you suspend Ray Rice for two games for being on video (hitting his fiance)?"
3. It seems the NFL would rather its players take prescription drugs than smoke marijuana
Fred: "Pain medication is basically pharmaceutical heroin, and the league hands that out like candy, but you are not allowed to smoke marijuana. These are arcane, archaic rules. Completely asinine. I would encourage my players to smoke marijuana so they would not develop these horrible addictions to pain medication. [Marijuana] is a legal product in certain states and is a non-addictive substance."
While Fred railed against the NFL, he did not disagree that Josh Gordon needs to smarten up. He also criticized Gordon for his DUI, which is obviously far worse than any failed drug test.
Former NFL veteran Mike Flynn, filling in for Rich Shertenlieb, says "rules are rules," and both hosts placed blame on the NFLPA for ever allowing these rules into their collective bargaining agreement with the league.
Listen below for the full discussion:
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