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Browns receiver Josh Gordon suspended 2 games

Wow I am shocked. From all the rumblings about the delays, it really sounded like a reduced punishment was going to be negotiated.
 
It’s official. The NFL has suspended Browns receiver Josh Gordon for a full year, effective immediately.

The banishment, first proposed more than three months ago and languishing on appeal until today, has been announced by the league.

“Appeals officer Harold Henderson has upheld the suspension for the 2014 NFL season of Cleveland Browns wide receiver Josh Gordon for violating the NFL Policy and Program for Substances of Abuse,” the NFL said in a statement. “The suspension is effective immediately. Gordon’s eligibility for reinstatement will be determined following the 2014 season.”

Gordon, whose suspension comes under the substance-abuse policy, likewise has issued a statement acknowledging the situation.

““I’’d like to apologize to my teammates, coaches, the Cleveland Browns organization and our fans,” Gordon said. “I am very disappointed that the NFL and its hearing officer didn’’t exercise better discretion and judgment in my case. I would like to sincerely thank the people who have been incredibly supportive of me during this challenging time, including my family, my agent, my union, my legal team, and the Cleveland Browns staff.””

Gordon will need even more support over the next year, since he will be prohibited from receiving any assistance from the NFL or the Browns. It’s a sad situation, with Brown banished for smoking a substance that is legal in two of the 22 states in which the NFL does business. At a time when he may have an addiction.

At a time when Ray Rice will miss only two games for knocking out his then-fiancée, now wife.
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link
 
infantrycak said:
Damn, who is he taking contrition lessons from, JFF?
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From PFT:

Now that the NFL has suspended receiver Josh Gordon for the 2014 regular season (and, if the substance-abuse policy is applied as written, a full calendar year), the question becomes whether Gordon will continue to fight the ban.

Per a source with knowledge of the situation, all options currently are on the table, including legal action.

Any lawsuit would face an immediate and aggressive challenge from the NFL under the Federal Arbitration Act, which requires courts to respect the outcome of private litigation. Only in rare circumstances can a court throw out the results of a private arbitration procedure, and the standard for scuttling the outcome is high.

Gordon’s best bet could be to fashion a plausible legal theory and attempt to secure a so-called “preliminary injunction,” which would prevent the NFL from implementing the suspension under the litigation concludes. Former Vikings defensive tackles Pat Williams and Kevin Williams successfully delayed, but failed to defeat, a suspension in the StarCaps case.

If litigation is going to be filed, it needs to be filed soon. At this point, there’s a chance it will be.
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“I am very disappointed that the NFL and its hearing officer didn’t exercise better discretion and judgment in my case."

That quote is gold.
 
Read bottom to top:



Jayson Braddock @JaysonBraddock · 2m

Pot meet kettle MT @ProFootballTalk Josh Gordon expresses disappointment that hearing officer "didn't exercise better discretion & judgment"
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Jayson Braddock @JaysonBraddock · 1m

Cleveland knew a year long suspension was coming, banked on appeal. Drafted 2 players in 1st round. Neither one a wide receiver. Moving on.
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Jayson Braddock @JaysonBraddock · now

No one is upset that Justin Blackmon is banished. Only upset because of the year Gordon had & our own selfish desire to see him on the field
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Jayson Braddock @JaysonBraddock · 1m

Why was a player w/ the talent of Josh Gordon in the Supp Draft? Cause he passed out at a Taco Bell drive thru w/ Willie Jefferson.
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Jayson Braddock @JaysonBraddock · 2m

Roger Goodell said years ago that teams that draft players w/ character issues, will get punished. Gordon came to CLE as weay of Supp Draft.
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Jayson Braddock @JaysonBraddock · 16s

Seems like Josh Gordon is a victim. Everyone upset that the appeal took so long. Why did the Browns bank on the appeal working? Bigger issue
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Jayson Braddock @JaysonBraddock · 2m

IDEA: Have them, tell him, to stop...smoking...weed MT @NFL_ATL @AlbertBreer (Josh Gordon decision) His camp is looking at alternatives.
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Jayson Braddock @JaysonBraddock · 1m

Any news on Josh Gordon
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Playoffs said:
Translated: My lawyers wrote this and we're suing the NFL.
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See this is what I don't get. I understand that Mary Jane is not as harmful as alcohol and getting a 1 year suspension is defiantly too severe where a player put a beatdown on his girl and only gets 2 games. there is some injustice...

HOWEVA!!!


Correct me if I am wrong, isn't this Gordon's 2nd-3rd time getting busted for substance abuse? Knowing or even having an idea of what could happen, shouldn't you be smart enough to stay as afar away from anything that might give you a positive result?

So basically he is gonna sue the NFL for his stupidity?

Am I wrong or is that not logical?
 
On the one hand, going towards suing the NFL.............on the other hand, is now requesting permission from the Browns to join the Calgary Stampeders of the CFL...........:cool:
 
CloakNNNdagger said:
This is bound to become spicier............the Browns have refused his request.
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There is a CFL rule actually preventing him playing in the CFL which was brought in after the Ricky Williams stint north of the 49th.

I think Gordon is going the legal route. Will be interesting to see it play out - however with the prospect of a DUI to be summoned before the NFL panel yet, I'm not sure I'd be wanting to poke that bear.
 
mattieuk said:
There is a CFL rule actually preventing him playing in the CFL which was brought in after the Ricky Williams stint north of the 49th.

I think Gordon is going the legal route. Will be interesting to see it play out - however with the prospect of a DUI to be summoned before the NFL panel yet, I'm not sure I'd be wanting to poke that bear.
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This CFL rule only applies for players under contract in the NFL. So the Browns still hold all the cards. And, if Gordon finds a way around this CFL rule now or in the future as a way back to the NFL, for those that maintain that this denial only goes to the impedence of his "rehab," be aware that the CFL tests for performance-enhancing drugs, but not recreational drugs, including marijuana. It did Ricky Williams' rehab a lot of good, didn't it?
 
BullNation4Life said:
So basically he is gonna sue the NFL for his stupidity?

Am I wrong or is that not logical?
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He was in stage 2 of the drug program for 3 failed college tests.

http://fieldandcourt.com/component/k2/item/246-what-to-expect-if-josh-gordon-loses-his-appeal.html

The strongest claim Gordon will argue is that under Ohio law (but using the NFL’s cutoff levels) he did not test positive for marijuana or, more accurately, THC metabolites.

As I’m sure you know by now, the NFL divides a player’s urine into two bottles: bottles “A” and “B.” If bottle “A” is positive for the THC metabolite, then bottle “B” is used to confirm what was in bottle "A."

According to Section I(C)(3)(e) of the NFL's Substance Abuse Policy, as long as bottle “B” contains the THC metabolite (at any level), then the sample is considered positive and the player is subject to the league’s discipline.

Ohio law differs.

Under Ohio law (Ohio Code 123:1-76-07), only “specimens which test negative on the initial test or negative on the confirmatory test shall be reported as negative.” If the NFL is bound by Ohio law, Gordon’s confirmatory test was negative. Hence, he did not test positive for marijuana as claimed by the NFL.
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The quote above is not really a response to you, but I feel like this will be a good place to put this article. Anyway, my belief is that the people like to say "But those are the rules!" as their argument about why this suspension is a proper response to the rule being broken sound like authoritarian boot lickers to the highest degree. When you have Ray Rice playing Love in an Elevator and gets two games, but reefer madness gets you a whole season, you can see silly this really looks. I think Gordon himself isn't the sharpest tool in the shed, but he's not out there beating people up (Yes the DUI is bad, and really that should be more at the forefront than the pot) or murdering them.

And I doubt the NFLPA barged in on the owners during the last CBA and demanded there be a clause in the new agreement that lets the owners take away millions of dollars away from it's players for something that most of them do anyway. If the NFL wanted to lower the punishment for getting caught high, I'm pretty sure the NFLPA would be amenable to that.
 
b0ng said:
He was in stage 2 of the drug program for 3 failed college tests.
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As explained by Mary Kay Cabot of the Cleveland Plain Dealer during a Tuesday visit to PFT Live, Gordon was in Stage 3 of the substance-abuse program at the time of his most recent alleged violation.

The highest level of the program, Stage 3 happens only after multiple violations of the policy. Under the terms of the policy, the player remains in Stage 3 for the rest of his career.
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Ed Werder @Edwerderespn
Josh Gordon again violated collectively-bargained drug policy. Point missed is NFL goal is intervention to help in addition to punishing

Source: "They're dealing with an issue they've never dealt with before, confronting something that's haunted them all their lives."

Source: "For you to get to stage 3, you're weighing all the consequences in your head and still making the wrong deicsions." (Continued)

Source explains Josh Gordon suspension: "To get to Stage 3 (drug program), you don't care and that's when you know it's a real issue."
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CloakNNNdagger said:
This CFL rule only applies for players under contract in the NFL. So the Browns still hold all the cards. And, if Gordon finds a way around this CFL rule now or in the future as a way back to the NFL, for those that maintain that this denial only goes to the impedence of his "rehab," be aware that the CFL tests for performance-enhancing drugs, but not recreational drugs, including marijuana. It did Ricky Williams' rehab a lot of good, didn't it?
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Which I understand to mean that provided that the Browns do not release him (which is a very long shot still), he will not be able to play in the CFL.

If he is getting released from his NFL contract as a result of all this, then he may have bigger issues in trying to get reinstated, and dealing with the DUI (along with as you mention, not sorting out any problems he currently had with weed).
 
Josina Anderson · @JosinaAnderson
#Browns WR Josh Gordon has a new job. He will be the goodwill ambassador for the Sarchione Auto group in Randolph, Ohio, which includes Sarchione Ford and Sarchione Chevrolet . He will be working in all aspects of their car business including as an on-floor salesman. Gordon will also be heading all of their local community efforts including with the Wounded Warriors Project. He starts this weekend.
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According to Mike Florio, Josh Gordon and Welker could be back this year if the NFL changes their drug policy...Got this off my FF page

Appearing on NBC's NFL Kickoff 2014, Profootballtalk's Mike Florio reported Josh Gordon and Wes Welker's suspensions could be reduced or "go away completely" if the NFL and NFLPA agree on a new drug policy.
According to NFL.com's Albert Breer, Sunday is a "soft deadline" for an agreement. The Washington Post has since confirmed PFT's report. The sides have been trying to hammer out a pact that would allow testing for HGH. As a concession, the league would then raise the threshold for positive marijuana tests, and move amphetamines from the PED policy to substance-abuse policy. First-team substance abuse violations do not mandate a suspension. The situation is still very much up in the air, but it appears Gordon is worth stashing.
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BullNation4Life said:
According to Mike Florio, Josh Gordon and Welker could be back this year if the NFL changes their drug policy...Got this off my FF page
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That was IF the deal came through BEFORE their first games..........the NFL announced that the deal will not get done until AT LEAST next week.........and then I would still not hold my breath.
 
Friday, September 5, 2014 9:29 pm
Josh Gordon: 'I'm over' being in limbo
By Elizabeth Merrill
ESPN.com

CLEVELAND -- Banished Cleveland Browns receiver Josh Gordon says he has no plans to sue the NFL and is moving forward regardless of whether the league decides to revamp its drug-testing policy.

"The whole being in limbo thing, I'm over it," Gordon said Friday. "I'm not waiting on the edge of my seat anymore."

Asked to pinpoint the last time he smoked marijuana, suspended Browns receiver Josh Gordon said, "I think it was before I got into the league. I don't know."

Gordon, suspended for a year for a failed marijuana test, also said Friday that he voluntarily checked himself into a rehab clinic in July, though he doesn't consider himself an addict. Gordon said he spent two weeks at a clinic in Malibu, California, but had to leave before the 30-day program was over to get to training camp and prepare for his appeal.

The appeal failed last week, as the NFL announced that arbitrator Harold Henderson upheld Gordon's suspension. Gordon said he was leaving the Browns' facility when he heard the news. He said he failed a drug test this past winter because of secondhand smoke.

Gordon's "A" sample tested at 16 nanograms per milliliter, a bare one nanogram per milliliter above the 15-nanogram-per-milliliter threshold, while Gordon's "B" sample -- which theoretically should be consistent with the "A" sample, as it comes from the exact same specimen -- tested at 13.63 ng/ml, lower than the threshold, sources previously told ESPN.

Asked by ESPN.com on Friday to identify the last time he smoked marijuana, Gordon said that it's been a while.

"I think it was before I got into the league," he said. "I don't know."

Asked why he checked himself into rehab if he doesn't consider himself an addict, Gordon said, "Just to see. ... To seek out some help on decision-making. Not drug use or drug abuse, but decision-making. Life skills. How to be your own person and stuff like that."

Negotiations to revamp the league's performance-enhancing drug policy, and possibly implement HGH testing, have intensified, ESPN's Adam Schefter and Chris Mortensen reported Thursday. The NFL and NFLPA are trying to come to an agreement before the start of Sunday's games.

Gordon said the reality of not playing for a year has "definitely hit me." Up until last week, he had held out hope that his suspension would be lowered to eight games.

He said his Browns teammates have texted him, asking how he's doing. He said he misses the structure of football, but plans to keep busy. He will do some work for a local car dealership, he said, because he's interested in cars and in possibly owning a dealership someday. He's also working out and plans to do some charity work in the community.

"People probably expect me to be hidden in a dark room somewhere, going crazy and never coming out," Gordon said. "That's definitely not going to happen. That's just not me.

"I plan to spend it staying busy, that's for sure. Staying positive and surrounding myself with positive, good people who are only here to support me. Nothing to tear me down negatively. Just carry on about life. There's definitely life outside of football."

Gordon confirmed that he did check into possibly playing in the CFL in the hours after he found out he lost his appeal. He can't play in the CFL because he's under contract with the Browns. He said money wasn't the reason he checked into it. He just wanted to stay in shape and stay active.

Gordon was suspended for two games in 2013 for testing positive for codeine. He maintains that he was on the codeine as prescribed medicine for strep throat. In July, Gordon was arrested in North Carolina for driving under the influence.
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Makes you wonder if this is in response to a potential back door deal.
 
For those that are interested, this is a very good review in-depth article re. interpretation of Marijuana testing.

Understanding THC & Detection Times

Marijuana (THC) is a mixture of dried leaves and flowering tops of the hemp plant Cannabis sativa. The agents that produce the hallucinogenic and other biological effects of marijuana are called cannabinoids. Marijuana is usually smoked, but may also be ingested, either incorporated into food or as a tea. It is rapidly absorbed from the lungs into the blood with rapid onset of effects; the onset is slower but prolonged when ingested.

The cannabinoid 9-tetrahydrocannabinol (?9-THC) is generally accepted as the principal psychoactive ingredient in marijuana and its sister drug hashish although other cannabinoids may contribute to the psychological and physiological actions of these drugs. ?9-THC is distributed in and absorbed by various fatty tissues and then is very slowly released to the plasma; it is then metabolized in the liver to over 24 metabolites and eventually excreted in the urine and feces. The metabolite 11-nor-?9-THC-9-carboxylic acid (THCCOOH) is the primary urinary marker of THC use. While immunoassays will react to THCCOOH and other THC metabolites to varying degrees, the confirmation assays are designed to detect only this metabolite.

THC use continues to be a major problem for law enforcement personnel as well as drug counseling and treatment professionals. Various surveys or studies show that THC is still the most frequently used illicit drug. Only tobacco and Ethanol have higher usage rates reported in most surveys. Reliable testing services are an important tool in detecting and monitoring drug use and/or compliance with treatment protocols or drug free orders.

Much of our understanding of detection times is based on research that was done on older, less specific methods and on non-clinical studies. New reagent systems have improved the specificity of commonly employed immunoassays to the THCCOOH metabolite, thus reducing the rate of false positives. This increased specificity has also apparently narrowed the window of detection, particularly for the casual user.

The results of a new controlled clinical study (1) published in the October 1995 issue of the Journal of Analytical Toxicology, shows that the window of detection for casual users is much narrower than previously assumed. It also emphasizes the inter and intra-individual variability that is part of the problem in monitoring drug use.


The study involved measuring all urine samples from a group of subjects for a period of one week after smoking a placebo, low dose THC cigarette and a high dose THC cigarette on three separate occasions. Dosing was random and spaced a week apart so as not to bias results by the effects of one dose on the following dose. The individuals in the study were all chronic users that demonstrated a series of consecutive negative urines prior to starting the dosing studies.


The data showed that using the 100 ng/ml positive cutoff resulted in a detection time of as little as 6 hours to about 24 hours after smoking the low dose cigarette and 5.6 hours to about 51 hours after smoking the high dose cigarette. There was no difference in the time of last consecutive positive and the last detected positive after smoking the low dose cigarette.

However, after the high dose cigarette, there were individuals whose last positive result occurred significantly later than their last consecutive positive result. The last consecutive positive result occurred at as little as 4 hours after dosing to as much 40 hours later.

The individual whose last consecutive positive occurred at 4 hours was the same individual who had the last reported positive result of about 51 hours, thus emphasizing the extreme variability of excretion rates in randomly collected drug specimens (Table 1.).

When the positive cutoff is lowered to 50 ng/ml the window increases somewhat but the variation in detection times is greater. Detection time at 50 ng/ml ranged from of as little as 6.4 hours to about 48.5 hours after smoking the low dose cigarette and 18 hours to about 78 hours after smoking the high dose cigarette. The last consecutive positive after smoking the low dose cigarette occurred at as little as 6.4 hours up to about 45 hours. The last consecutive positive result after the high dose cigarette occurred at as little as 4 hours after dosing to as much 48 hours later. As with the data collected at 100 ng/ml, there were individuals whose last positive result occurred significantly later than their last consecutive positive result. In this group, the individual whose last consecutive positive occurred at 4 hours had a last reported positive result of about 57 hours (Table 2.).

Even when using a cutoff level of 20 ng/ml (Table 3.) or GC/MS (Table 4.), the detection window only exceeded four days in two of the six individuals who smoked the low dose cigarette. After a high dose cigarette, the last detectable positive was at 149.5 hours ( 6 days) for one individual, but most fell between 2.5 days and 3.5 days.




Table 1. DETECTION TIME RANGES at 100 ng/ml CUTOFF
Type of cigarette: Last consecutive pos. Last positive
Low dose cigarette 6 to 24 hours 6 to 24 hours
High dose cigarette 4 to 80 hours 5.6 to 51 hours



Table 2. DETECTION TIME RANGES at 50 ng/ml CUTOFF
Type of cigarette: Last consecutive pos. Last positive
Low dose cigarette 6.4 to 45 hours 6.4 to 48.5 hours
High dose cigarette 4 to 48 hours 18 to 78 hours



Table 3. DETECTION TIME RANGES at 20 ng/ml CUTOFF
Type of cigarette: Last consecutive pos. Last positive
Low dose cigarette 9.3 to 68.5 hours 23.3 to 127.2 hours
High dose cigarette 4 to 78.4 hours 58.5 to 149.5 hours



Table 4. DETECTION TIME RANGES at GC/MS 15 ng/ml CUTOFF
Type of cigarette: Last consecutive pos. Last positive
Low dose cigarette 8.0 to 68.5 hours 8.0 to 68.5 hours
High dose cigarette 4 to 78.4 hours 57.0 to 122.3 hours


The same authors published a paper in Clinical Chemistry in 1994 (2.) showing the value of lowering the screening cutoff level from 100 ng/ml to the current federal guideline of 50 ng/ml. For the purposes of this study, they used the following definitions:



"True positive" = immunoassay positive (≥ 50 ng/ml) and GC/MS positive (≥ 15 ng/ml);
"True negative" = immunoassay negative (< 50 ng/ml) and GC/MS negative (< 15 ng/ml);
"False positive" = immunoassay positive (&#8805; 50 ng/ml) and GC/MS negative (< 15 ng/ml);
"False negative" = immunoassay negative (< 50 ng/ml) and GC/MS positive (&#8805; 15 ng/ml).


The study examined approximately 1000 specimens at the 100 ng/ml and 50 ng/ml cutoffs for several of the currently available THC immunoassays. As might be expected, lowering the cutoff to 50 ng/ml significantly increased the rate of recovery of true positives, decreased the rate of false negatives and had only a small increase in false negatives (Table 5.).

The data presented for the assay we use at SRL showed a more than doubling of the true positive rate from &#8776; 4.7% to &#8776; 11.2%, with the false negative rate dropping from over 10% to under 4%. The false positive rate increased slightly from &#8776; 0.4% to &#8776; 1.2%. Our experience with this assay agrees with this study, i.e. when using the 50 ng/ml positive cutoff the recovery rate of true positives is significantly increased without a significant increase in the risk of false positives.




Table 5. EFFECT OF LOWERING POSITIVE CUTOFF
Cutoff level True Positives False negatives False positives
100 ng/ml &#8776; 4.7% &#8776; 10.4% &#8776; 0.4%
50 ng/ml &#8776; 11.2% &#8776; 3.9% &#8776; 1.2%


These two studies show the difficulty of detecting and monitoring drug use. Successful detection of infrequent low-level marijuana use is enhanced by using assays employing the lowest practical detection limits and totally random and unpredictable sample collections. Scientific advances have improved our ability to reliably identify and quantify cannabinoids in urine, but the interpretation of these results remains a difficult task.

The following is some information that you may find helpful in interpreting positive marijuana (THC) results.

The only truly reliable way to pinpoint time of use is through serial plasma studies (3.), but quantitative urine THC values can give you some indication of the level and timing of drug use when serial samples are collected. The quantitative value is influenced by many factors, such as frequency and duration of use, quality of the marijuana, personal metabolism, etc. and can vary significantly throughout the day. As a general rule of thumb, the higher the value, the more likely the use of marijuana has been heavy and/or recent.



Levels below 100 ng/ml are relatively low and would correlate with light use or heavier use more than 48 hours prior to the urine collection.
Levels between 100 and 250 ng/ml are moderate and are best interpreted in relationship to previous results or reliable data on usage history.
Levels between 250 and 750 ng/ ml are high and are more likely to represent current use (within the prior 72 hours), but are still best interpreted in relationship to the factors mentioned above.
Levels exceeding 750 ng/ml are very high and have a good correlation with usage within the past 48 to 72 hours.


The half-life of THC can vary markedly, but for most people it is one to three days (3.). That means that the THC level can be expected to decrease by about 1/2 every 24 to 72 hours during a period of abstinence. Typically, levels drop to below 100 ng/ml fairly quickly, with low levels (below 50 ng/ml) persisting for longer periods of time. Levels between 20 and 50 ng/ml have been reported in individuals with histories of chronic heavy use for as much as 2 or 3 months after use is discontinued.

Current research has shown that passive exposure may result in low level positives (up to about 30 ng/ml) if the exposure conditions are severe enough. That means heavy smoke in a confined, non-ventilated space for an extended period of time. The data also suggests that THC is not likely to be detectable for more than about 24 hours after such exposure. It is unlikely that most people would tolerate the extreme conditions necessary to produce a positive result from passive exposure. The federal guidelines for work place testing have reduced the cutoff level for positive results from 100 ng/ml to 50 ng/ml, because it can be safely assumed that levels exceeding 50 ng/ml represent use of THC rather than exposure to side stream smoke.
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BullNation4Life said:
See this is what I don't get. I understand that Mary Jane is not as harmful as alcohol and getting a 1 year suspension is defiantly too severe where a player put a beatdown on his girl and only gets 2 games. there is some injustice...

HOWEVA!!!


Correct me if I am wrong, isn't this Gordon's 2nd-3rd time getting busted for substance abuse? Knowing or even having an idea of what could happen, shouldn't you be smart enough to stay as afar away from anything that might give you a positive result?

So basically he is gonna sue the NFL for his stupidity?

Am I wrong or is that not logical?
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Yeah, as an avid pot smoker myself, I don't feel bad for him or see that he got hosed at all in this individual case. Only because he has had multiple offenses now where he knew the rules and the ramifications and he was to brain dead to comply when he had all of this to lose. You really have to be incredibly stupid to throw all of that away just to smoke some weed, when it isn't hard to stop for a few months. Plus, it is soooooo easy to pass NFL drug tests. My buddy used to work for a company that collected the urine samples, and they give them hours to prepare and it is scheduled. These guys have a good amount of time to clean their system out if they really needed to. Gordon's offenses may be silly and minor, but he refused to mature and comply with the rules to make the living he was making. I don't think he was treated poorly here. I'd also be fine if he got just an 8 game suspension as well.

The way people keep trying to compare his situation to Rice's situation are freaking i_diots. They aren't comparable at all, and Gordon has multiple offenses and situations that he should have learned from and made adjustments in his life towards.
 
...
Adam Schefter @AdamSchefter · 1m

When a new drug policy is approved as early as this afternoon, Josh Gordon's suspension expected to be reduced to 8 games, per source.
 
And the latest (perhaps final?) answer is 10 games with another 2 possible - although those would likely be in 2015 if they happen.
A league source confirms that the Browns receiver’s suspension will be reduced from 16 to 10 games as a result of the new substance-abuse policy. The specifics aren’t clear, given that his latest positive test for marijuana exceeded the prior threshold of 15 ng/ml by only one ng/ml. The new limit is 35 ng/ml.

Gordon also will be subject to another two-game suspension once his pending DUI charges are resolved, if he is convicted or pleads guilty to the charges. It’s unlikely that those charges will be resolved before the end of the 2014 regular season.
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LINK
 
Josh Gordon has gotten the cold shoulder from some Cleveland Browns since suspension, he says in interview
"The lowest point of all this I think was the disassociation from a lot of friends you thought were close or you thought you were kind of cool with really not checking on you anymore, [not] hitting you up anymore, [not] wanting to hang out,'' Gordon says. "As far as even people in here (with the Browns), I don't want to throw names around, but I can see it.

"I'm definitely really observant so I see how people might just be more standoffish (than) they were before. It's kind of like a disease. People they want to see it, but they don't really want to touch it."
...
Gordon said he agreed with [Browns GM Ray]Farmer that he has to prove himself all over again to a new staff and some new teammates.
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Yeah, that's what happens when you let people down too many times.
 
Albert Breer @AlbertBreer
Whether or not the Browns pay Josh Gordon for Sunday's game will determine whether he accrues the year. Gordon can appeal with the NFLPA.

Need 6 games. He had 5 coming into this week.

You need 4 years to become a UFA. He now has 2, doesn't get a 3rd.

Josh Gordon missed the Browns' walkthrough today, leading to the suspension. Huge bc it keeps him from accruing the year toward free agency.

Yikes ... RT @Browns: The Browns have suspended WR Josh Gordon for a violation of team rules. WR Phil Bates has been added to the roster.
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Adam Schefter &#8207;@AdamSchefter 5m5 minutes ago

Browns WR Josh Gordon flunked another drug test and now will be subject to a one-year banishment, per league sources. More on ESPN @ 6 pm.
0 replies 3,111 retweets 607 favorites
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nfl_g_manziel11_600x400.jpg


They haven't "wrecked this league". But, they have wrecked this team.
 
Albert Breer &#8207;@AlbertBreer
NFL drug policy: "Alcohol is prohibited only if a player's treatment plan explicitly prohibits alcohol." A fail is > .06 g/dl on urine test.

This was for alcohol. This step for Gordon would be 1-year banishment. Means no going to the facility at all.
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An Open Letter To Charles Barkley & Co.
Yes, I have a “problem,” but it’s not the one all of you seem to think it is.
By Josh Gordon

Dear Sir Charles, Stephen A., Cris and other interested parties,

Thank you for your recent outpouring of concern about my well being. In what has been a difficult time for my family, friends and fans, you&#8202;-&#8202;and those like you&#8202;-&#8202;have taken it upon yourselves to express just how much you care about me and my future. For that, I am truly appreciative.

The thing is, though, you don’t even know me.

Sporting News &#10004; @sportingnews
Charles Barkley fears Josh Gordon will die if he doesn’t change his ways. http://www.sportingnews.com/nfl/sto...-alcohol-suspension-espn?eadid=SOC/Twi/SNMain &#8230;
1:27 PM - 26 Jan 2015
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Chuck, you have never so much as shook my hand, let alone exchanged a single word with me. Few of you have, to be honest. Respectfully, your worry over my “problems” with substance abuse and my twisting descent into darkness and, apparently, my impending death, is misplaced&#8202;-&#8202;mostly because you have very little idea what you are talking about. None of you do, even those of you who seem curiously obsessed with the goings-on in my life:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yh2CE1GLTFI
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You’re done with me, Stephen A.? That presumes we ever actually got started. How, exactly, can you be “done” with someone you have never had a meaningful conversation with beyond a quick First Take spot? Regardless, I am relieved that you no longer need to harbor sympathy for me&#8202;-&#8202;mostly because I never asked for it, never wanted it, and certainly never needed it. I am not a victim here; I never claimed to be one, either.

And Cris, your level of interest in my life is even more puzzling, especially considering we have never met, either.
Pro Football on ESPN &#10004; @ESPNNFL
Cris Carter on Josh Gordon: "For me, my concern is his well being because today is a lonely day...there are no winners today."
4:04 PM - 27 Aug 2014
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In addition to being concerned about me&#8202;-&#8202;like when you publicly called for the Browns cut me so I could learn the same lessons you learned&#8202;-&#8202;you also stated as fact that “we are dealing with addiction here.” Know this: We are not dealing with anything, Cris. We are not the same. Not at all.

So, in the interest of lifting the heavy burden of my welfare off your collective consciences, I’d like to set the record straight about a few things.

First, words cannot express the remorse and regret I feel over this latest incident. I acknowledge that the repeated transgressions that have led up to this point have damaged my credibility, and for that, the only person to blame is me.

I have let down many in Cleveland&#8202;-&#8202;my Browns teammates, our hard-working coaching staff, the team’s ownership, and the loyal fan base that wants nothing more than to win. Playing there is different than in many other cities. We feel the fans’ pain. We know how important this is to them.

Also, I have disappointed the family and close friends who have always stood by me&#8202;-&#8202;no matter how tough things have been at certain points in my life. Believe me, there have been more dark days than I care to remember.

Most importantly, I have failed myself. Again.

I failed myself when started using marijuana regularly as a young teenager. I failed myself when I ruined a once-in-a-lifetime chance to be Robert Griffin III’s running mate during his Heisman Trophy-winning season at Baylor. I failed myself when I didn’t check with the league office to ensure that my doctor-prescribed, codeine-based medicine was allowed under NFL guidelines. I failed myself when I was arrested for driving a motor vehicle with a blood-alcohol level over the legal limit. I failed myself when I missed a team walkthrough late in the season and was suspended for the final game of the year.

But you know what, Charles, Stephen A., Cris and everyone else? I also have succeeded.

I succeeded by escaping a youth riddled with poverty, gang violence and very little in the way of guidance or support. I succeeded by narrowly avoiding a life of crime that managed to sink its clutches into almost all of my childhood friends. I succeeded by working tremendously hard on my craft and my body to even have a chance to play professional football for a living. And, contrary to popular belief, I succeeded by overcoming my longstanding relationship with weed&#8202;-&#8202;because I knew I was risking my future over it.

Truth is, I have not smoked marijuana since before I was drafted by the Browns in 2012&#8202;-&#8202;and there are years’ worth of drug tests to prove it.

So, then how did I get here, you ask? That’s easy. I messed up. But to even begin to understand why I messed up, you need to know the Josh Gordon that existed before the NFL.

I don’t speak of it often, and even less so publicly, but I faced a fair amount of hardship growing up. My father was pretty much out of the picture, which left my mom to fend for herself with three sons at home. She did the best she could, but there were large stretches of time as an adolescent when I was completely alone&#8202;-&#8202;with no supervision, no one to guide me, and no one to keep me in line.

We lived in a poor section of Houston called Fondren, and to say it was a rough place would be putting it lightly. The other kids in the neighborhood weren’t well off, either, but it always felt like we had even less to our name. We moved at least seven times, and things were so bad sometimes, there were days I would come home from school and there would be no electricity, heat or hot water.

Over time, particularly after my older brothers moved out, I started hanging out with the wrong kind of people. The kind who would think nothing not only of carrying guns, but using them. Back then, smoking marijuana wasn’t an addiction for any of us&#8202;-&#8202;we were still boys, basically. It was just what everyone did. It was everywhere, just like alcohol was.

So Charles, Stephen A., Cris&#8202;-&#8202;you judge me now, but what if you came from where I come from? Heck, maybe you did experience similar upbringings, but I wouldn’t know, because I do not know you. Each of you have dealt with more than your fair shares of self-inflicted controversies, though, that I do know.

Again, I make no excuses for my past. That culture didn’t make me do anything I didn’t want to do, but when you judge me without actually knowing me, you deny the existence of the world I come from.
Later, when I went to college, it was like a dream come true, but in retrospect, I wasn’t ready for it. I had to have that opportunity taken away from me before I could really look within myself and decide what I wanted for my future. Was I going to continue to break rules to get high, or was I going to get straight and make the most of my God-given talents?

I made my choice when it came to the NFL, and I haven’t wavered.

Now, I messed up again. It happened about four weeks ago.

As most everyone knows, I missed a considerable portion of the 2014 season because I was suspended by the league. The details in relation to my reinstatement, however, are important to understand.

In connection with the DWI case, the league&#8202;-&#8202;in consideration of the fact that my blood-alcohol level was just .01 over the legal limit&#8202;-&#8202;agreed to shorten my punishment from four games lost to two. These games were tacked on to my eight-game suspension that had been levied on account of my inadvertently inhaling second-hand marijuana smoke last offseason.

That punishment&#8202;-&#8202;while harsh, given what my lab results clearly showed, including a backup sample that was under the league threshold&#8202;-&#8202;was just. I foolishly put myself in a precarious situation, one which I could have easily avoided if I had thought more clearly about the potential ramifications of my actions and who I chose to spend time around.

As a strict condition to my reinstatement in Week 12, I had to agree not only to abstain from drinking for the rest of the season, but also to submit to an alcohol screen as part of my in-season drug testing under the league’s substance-abuse protocol. Did I think that was excessive given I had never had any issue whatsoever with alcohol? Yes. Did I think it was hypocritical that a professional league making hundreds of millions of dollars off beer sponsorships was telling me not to drink? Yes. Did I so much as blink at the condition? No.

My primary concern was&#8202;-&#8202;and is&#8202;-&#8202;being the best football player I can be; I really didn’t even view it as much of a punishment or sacrifice.

On Jan. 2 of this year, just days after our season ended earlier than we all had hoped&#8202;-&#8202;and yes, my actions during the prior offseason definitely contributed to our failure to make the playoffs; it killed me seeing our guys fight so hard when I wasn’t out there with them&#8202;-&#8202;I boarded a private flight to Las Vegas with several teammates. During the flight, I had two beers and two drinks. It was the first time I had consumed so much as a drop of alcohol since July 4, 2014, the day of the DWI.

Anyone who knows me knows that I am not much of a drinker. Even calling me a social drinker would be an exaggeration, but at that moment, on that flight, I made a choice. The wrong choice, as it turned out.

Upon landing, I received the all-too-familiar notice by phone that I was to report to a testing location within four hours. I failed the test, obviously, and the rest is history &#8230; colored by media speculation and faux outrage.

In the end, of course, I failed myself.

It doesn’t matter if I thought that the league-imposed restriction on drinking had expired at the end of the regular season; what matters is that I didn’t confirm whether or not that was the case. Now, that oversight has further jeopardized my relationship with my team and our fans, my reputation, and maybe even my career.

So that’s it, Charles & Co.

These are the actual facts surrounding my situation, and these are my words. What comes next is uncertain. I haven’t decided whether to appeal the latest suspension. That’s a matter for my agent and me to discuss.

To those of you who traffic in lies and innuendo over fact, with seemingly no consequences for your actions
Benjamin Allbright @AllbrightNFL
Josh Gordon has now not gone any calendar year since the seventh grade without failing a drug test...
3:04 PM - 25 Jan 2015
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I really don’t know how you get away with it.

What I do know is the following: I am not a drug addict; I am not an alcoholic; I am not someone who deserves to be dissected and analyzed like some tragic example of everything that can possibly go wrong for a professional athlete. And &#8230; I am not going to die on account of the troubled state you wrongly believe my life to be in. I am a human being, with feelings and emotions and scars and flaws, just like anyone else. I make mistakes&#8202;-&#8202;I have made a lot of mistakes&#8202;-&#8202;but I am a good person, and I will persevere.

If I have a “problem,” it is that I am only 23 years old&#8202;-&#8202;with a lot left to learn. I’ve come a long way from those mean Fondren streets, but it’s clear that I can be a better me&#8202;-&#8202;one who kids coming up to me for selfies and autographs can be proud of. I want that future for myself. And I truly believe that what I am going through right now will only make me stronger. I believe that my future is bright.

If you see me someday, Chuck, Stephen A., Cris, or any other well-intentioned person to whom this letter is directed, please come on over, shake my hand, and say hello. I won’t be holding a grudge, but I will expect you to admit you were wrong about me.

Sincerely,

Josh Gordon, No. 12
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It's been reported that Gordon's representatives urged him to refrain from going public with the above.
 
PHOENIX, Ariz. -- Hall of Fame receiver Cris Carter revealed Friday that there's a good reason he's never met Josh Gordon.

In an interview with Mad Dog Sports Radio's Adam Schein on radio row at the Super Bowl, Carter explained that he was asked to helped Gordon, but that Gordon ultimately refused.
...

"The reason why we haven't met is because his people reached out to my people like a lot of people in the league who have kids that are struggling,'' said Carter, who overcame an addiction to drugs and alcohol after former Eagles coach Buddy Ryan cut him in 1990. "They wanted to meet. They wanted me to do something with him. But I told them I wouldn't do anything with him until he had a certificate from a clinic, a rehab facility of 28 days.

"And when he had that certificate, I would meet with him and then I would try to help him. They refused. They said he didn't need any help. He refused to do it. He had a short period of time where he did go to rehab but he wouldn't have graduated. In substance abuse they understand that. He didn't get the certificate and then he went to training camp.

(That's) the reason why I haven't met him -- and he's the only receiver of the elite receivers and the young receivers in the league that I haven't met.''
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http://www.cleveland.com/browns/index.ssf/2015/01/cris_carter_on_josh_gordons_le.html
 
Playoffs said:
An Open Letter To Charles Barkley & Co.
Yes, I have a “problem,” but it’s not the one all of you seem to think it is.
By Josh Gordon
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Quite a letter, and he (or whoever wrote it) makes a lot of good points. But, the results are the results. Gordon has made a lot of mistakes that have jeopardized his football career. And like it or not, people paid to comment will give their opinions. Gordon had brought this on himself. I agree with his agents; Gordon would have been better served keeping his mouth shut and stop making mistakes.
 
Lucky said:
Quite a letter, and he (or whoever wrote it)...
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If he wrote it, could be the beginning of something good. (I have to think someone helped with the internal comma punctuation, but who knows?)

This I have a quibble with: "My primary concern was&#8202;—&#8202;and is&#8202;—&#8202;being the best football player I can be." He's still not a good route runner and still blows up plays by missing the call.

I've heard many a similar soliloquy presented by people who ended up discovering they had a problem. But that's just it -- I don't know Josh, so will wait and see.
 
Playoffs said:
An Open Letter To Charles Barkley & Co.
Yes, I have a “problem,” but it’s not the one all of you seem to think it is.
By Josh Gordon



It's been reported that Gordon's representatives urged him to refrain from going public with the above.
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I don't know him, but it sure looks like a good imitation of DENIAL going on here if he doesn't really have a problem. But I suspect he just hasn't fallen far enough yet to admit he has the problem. Lashing out is classic denial.
 
Marshall said:
I don't know him, but it sure looks like a good imitation of DENIAL going on here if he doesn't really have a problem. But I suspect he just hasn't fallen far enough yet to admit he has the problem. Lashing out is classic denial.
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The problem with the denial argument is that it is self fulfilling for everyone. By definition those who do not have anew addiction problem and therefore should deny are convicted. I.e. it's a horseshit argument used to condemn.
 
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