2014 Cleveland Browns Offseason Thread

• wildcats20

  

  BR1986FB;1648324 wrote:Mort tweeted that Gordon is exploring the option of playing out the year in the Canadian Football Legue? Is this even possible?

  Apparently no.
  

  @AdamSchefter: Browns official to @PatMcManamon on Josh Gordon to CFL: "He can’t per his nfl contract…and you can say a source says he can’t…"

• wildcats20

  

  and
  
  @mortreport: CFL official says league rules prohibit a suspended player like Josh Gordon who is under contract from playing in CFL. @ESPNNFL
• Commander of Awesome

  

  BR, I understand that being around ppl taking pot is up to gordon etc... However the NFL's threshold is a joke. The Olympics has a 5x times higher limit than what Gordon tested at, and his levels are right in line with walking by a guy who was lighting up.
  
  Gordon needs to be accountable for his actions, sure, but this is beyond fucked. This is some hardcore punishment. Best example I can think of is cutting off someone's hand for standing next to a guy stealing.
  
  Goddell and the arbitrator can both GFT for this whole ordeal.
• Rotinaj

  

  Gordon is a moron and responsible for fucking the offense(team) this year. The shitty NFL rules and the people who enforce them can still GFT though.
• Dr Winston O'Boogie

  

  The rule affecting Gordon is a rule that was made in bargaining unit negotiations with the NFLPA. The NFL didn't really have any choice to make - the whole case is black and white. Why it took the league so long to issue its ruling, I have no idea. But Gordon and the Browns cannot act surprised. They should have assumed all along that the suspension would be for the full year.
  
  The issue has nothing to do with the severity of "this" crime versus "that" crime. Drug use penalties were negotiated and agreed to by the players.
  
  I used to work for a company where tobacco use was grounds for termination, even though tobacco is legal. I thought the rule was stupid myself and I no longer work at the company in part because I don't want to work for an employer with rules like that. But while I was there, I knew that if I smoked a cigar on the golf course on a Sunday afternoon and then was randomly tested the next day at work, I faced sanctions. My working there was my tacit agreement to abide by that rule. If Gordon wants to play in the NFL, he must look at this way.
  
  On a personal level, I hope Gordon gets the help he needs. Abuse/addiction is nothing to mess with and will ruin his life if he doesn't get a handle on it.
• BR1986FB

  Dr Winston O'Boogie;1648333 wrote:Why it took the league so long to issue its ruling, I have no idea.

  I think the reason it took so long was that the league may have been looking for an "out" as to how to reduce the suspension. Explosive players like Gordon are good for the league. As you mentioned, I think the league didn't have a choice but to slap the full year on him.
• thavoice

  Dr Winston O'Boogie;1648333 wrote:The rule affecting Gordon is a rule that was made in bargaining unit negotiations with the NFLPA. The NFL didn't really have any choice to make - the whole case is black and white. Why it took the league so long to issue its ruling, I have no idea. But Gordon and the Browns cannot act surprised. They should have assumed all along that the suspension would be for the full year.
  
  The issue has nothing to do with the severity of "this" crime versus "that" crime. Drug use penalties were negotiated and agreed to by the players.
  
  I used to work for a company where tobacco use was grounds for termination, even though tobacco is legal. I thought the rule was stupid myself and I no longer work at the company in part because I don't want to work for an employer with rules like that. But while I was there, I knew that if I smoked a cigar on the golf course on a Sunday afternoon and then was randomly tested the next day at work, I faced sanctions. My working there was my tacit agreement to abide by that rule. If Gordon wants to play in the NFL, he must look at this way.
  
  On a personal level, I hope Gordon gets the help he needs. Abuse/addiction is nothing to mess with and will ruin his life if he doesn't get a handle on it.

  Agreed. It was the actual appeal and the ruling by an arbitrator that took so long.
  Also, the browns should have made plans for this when they heard of the positive. Draft a WR, and then work them all in his spot during the preseason. He could still get his timing with the QB's in extra practice, but they should have planned for the worst case scenario.
  Local factory has an anti smoking policy as well...and people have gotten canned by second hand smoke.
• IggyPride00

  

  I think the league didn't have a choice but to slap the full year on him.

  They didn't. It was always going to have to be all or nothing based on the way the CBA is written. People were floating 4-8 games but it was never a possibility. The Browns knew that the entire time, as did Gordon.
• jmog

  Commander of Awesome;1648329 wrote:BR, I understand that being around ppl taking pot is up to gordon etc... However the NFL's threshold is a joke. The Olympics has a 5x times higher limit than what Gordon tested at, and his levels are right in line with walking by a guy who was lighting up.
  
  Gordon needs to be accountable for his actions, sure, but this is beyond fucked. This is some hardcore punishment. Best example I can think of is cutting off someone's hand for standing next to a guy stealing.
  
  Goddell and the arbitrator can both GFT for this whole ordeal.

  Your analogy is way off.
  
  1. His levels were on par with sitting in a car with people smoking for an extended period of time, NOT "walking by someone smoking". You know this, you are just using hyperbole to make a point.
  2. Your theft analogy would be more accurate if it was "going into a store with your buddy when you KNOW he was going to steal something, and getting put in jail".
• BR1986FB

  Found this ironic....
  
  From @hammernation19: This league helped Baltimore and screwed over Cleveland? Never heard that one before...
• Automatik

  

  Johnny Jamboogie
  
  [video=youtube;B0_aBMgBo_k][/video]
• derek bomar

  

  jamboogie is a better nickname
• hangonsloopy

  

  Con_Alma;1648309 wrote:In addition, these "beyond awful" rules were agreed to by the players association quite some time ago.

  Yep. If I was Gordon I'd be more pissed at the nflpa than Goodell.
• vball10set

  hangonsloopy;1648402 wrote:Yep. If I was Gordon I'd be more pissed at the nflpa than Goodell.

  Good point--it seems like they're the forgotten entity here.
• Dr. KnOiTaLL

  

  You guys think there's any chance Gordon sues the NFL, in which case he would be allowed to play? I know a couple weeks ago, an attorney posted a long post about legal proceedings in a scenario where Gordon might have a shot. Do you think this is realistic or is the case closed period?
• like_that

  

  Dr. KnOiTaLL;1648423 wrote:You guys think there's any chance Gordon sues the NFL, in which case he would be allowed to play? I know a couple weeks ago, an attorney posted a long post about legal proceedings in a scenario where Gordon might have a shot. Do you think this is realistic or is the case closed period?

  I doubt it.
• Commander of Awesome

  

  Dr. KnOiTaLL;1648423 wrote:You guys think there's any chance Gordon sues the NFL, in which case he would be allowed to play? I know a couple weeks ago, an attorney posted a long post about legal proceedings in a scenario where Gordon might have a shot. Do you think this is realistic or is the case closed period?

  No bc Breowns.
  
  If he were a vikings player, ala Star Caps, then yes. SMH fuck Goddell. Scumbag POS
• sportchampps

  There's how many players in the NFL that can pass these tests even at the low threshold. The level they test for is no excuse when 99% of the league passes with no problem. It's 100% Gordon's fault. The NFL and Goodell aren't trying to "fuck" the Browns. Their playing by the rules that have been in place for a long time. Gordon knew the rules and choose to put himself in a stupid position that he could fail a test. The Browns and every other team in the NFL knew Gordon had problems with weed before he even came into the NFL. The Browns took a chance on him and it backfired for this season.
  
  Blaming the NFL and Goodell just makes Browns fans look dumb. Not to mention even after he failed he still got a DUI.
• BR1986FB

  Color me shocked that this comes down a day later....
  
  Adam Schefter @AdamSchefter 3m
  So the Ray Rice Fallout continues with a new domestic violence policy. Six games for 1st offense, lifetime ban for 2nd.
• sportchampps

  BTW the NFL just added a policy on domestic violence. 6 games or more for first incident and a lifetime ban for a second incident.
• Dr Winston O'Boogie

  

  THe new domestic violence policy is obviously all reactionary to Ray Rice. It still has zero bearing on Gordon's case though. The rules - as negotiated and agreed to by the players' union - are crystal clear. There is nothing to blame on anyone else besides Gordon. It's not a matter of screwing the Browns either. This is an open and shut case. It was entirely brought down by Gordon's decisions.
  
  Again, I have a lot of sympathy for people who get into abuse and addiction patterns. But one of the main points to recovery is that the individual must be held accountable for his actions related to using. Anything else is enabling.
• thavoice

  Commander of Awesome;1648427 wrote:No bc Breowns.
  
  If he were a vikings player, ala Star Caps, then yes. SMH fuck Goddell. Scumbag POS

  Diff type of situation.
  
  Those players tested positive for a diuretic that was banned. The star caps had something in it called bruem-a-something I cannot recall the full name that is a diuretic. This was NOT listed in the ingredients. ALSO, the distributor of this product also stated they did not know that was in the supplement either and was recently fined like 50K because of that.
  
  
  but you browns fans can blame everyone and anything else other than the true person at fault...and that is Gordon himself.
• BR1986FB

  thavoice;1648435 wrote: but you browns fans can blame everyone and anything else other than the true person at fault...and that is Gordon himself.

  Not me. I have no issue with him being suspended, as he's the fuckup, but Rice should've gotten equal, or worse, punishment. Sends a horrible message.
• vball10set

  BR1986FB;1648436 wrote:Not me. I have no issue with him being suspended, as he's the fuckup, but Rice should've gotten equal, or worse, punishment. Sends a horrible message.

  
  I agree, but I do have an issue with how long it took for the ruling to come down--there's no excuse for that.
• thavoice

  BR1986FB;1648436 wrote:Not me. I have no issue with him being suspended, as he's the fuckup, but Rice should've gotten equal, or worse, punishment. Sends a horrible message.

  I cannot disagree. Rice shoulda got more, and appears now things have changed with the new rules in place.