Browns look to avoid “Tebow situation” with Johnny Manziel at rookie mini-camp
May 13, 2014Browns reportedly offered a fourth round pick for Kirk Cousins
May 14, 2014Scott Fujita wrote a piece for FOX Sports on Tuesday that was a great read. In it, he chronicled his experience watching last weekend’s draft unfold and how he found himself rooting for the Browns. Check out the money line-
This was a move to get excited about. This was the pick that was going to change everything. I might travel out for a few (non-winter) home games in Cleveland this year! I may even reach out to Johnny Football to see if he wants to rent my condo in Crocker Park. Perhaps I could crash at his/my place when visiting, with dibs on his/my sofa. I mean, why not? I like to party.
Then I caught myself.
Who is this person fist-pumping in front of the TV on NFL Draft day?
Was I actually that conflicted when linebacker (and friend) D’Qwell Jackson and the Browns parted ways this offseason?
Why did I feel relieved when the Browns matched Alex Mack’s contract offer sheet from the Jacksonville Jaguars?
And had I really been so affected by every little up-and-down on that Browns roller-coaster ride these past 18 months.
Heaven forbid … Am I a fan?
Damnit. I think I am.
Awesome. And is anyone surprised that Fujita chose Crocker Park? To Scott I say there is plenty of room on the WFNY Cleveland sports bandwagon. You are welcome anytime.
****
So Neil Paine wants to know how a city could go 50 years without a major championship. Use math all you want Neil, but I’ve yet to see an equation to explain how much suffering the average Cleveland fan goes through in a lifetime.
By contrast, ever since the 1960s, Cleveland’s teams have been quite weak on average. If Cleveland had been lucky enough to stagger its successful runs in baseball and football across different eras, it’s unlikely the city would be looking at a streak of 49 years without a championship.
Exactly why Cleveland’s been so bad for so long is beyond the scope of this article. (Though there is a temptation to extend the blame for Cleveland’s sad streak to its economic decline.) What we do know: Cleveland’s teams found themselves caught in a perfect storm of bad players, bad luck and bad timing. Looking forward, perhaps Johnny Manziel will be able to turn the city’s fortunes around, or maybe he’ll flame out spectacularly.
Vegas probably wouldn’t put odds on it.
****
The NFLPA is negotiating a new drug policy that will have a higher trigger for a positive test and reduce the punishment for a failed marijuana test. It is too late to have an impact on Josh Gordon’s situation of course.
Since the news broke about Josh Gordon, I’ve seen an awful lot of comments that it is unfair that Gordon gets suspended for a marijuana violation, especially since the drug is legal now in states that have an NFL team.
My standard answer to this line of thinking is “so what?”. The players and the league have a policy in place. Whether you agree with everything in those policies or not really doesn’t matter. Even as a player, if you don’t want to agree to the stipulations, go take your talents somewhere besides the NFL. Know what you can and can’t put in your body and live with it. Politic your union to get the rules changed if you want. But don’t complain when you get busted doing what you aren’t supposed to be doing.
68 Comments
That deal went up in smoke
unless you’re actually employed by the president, congressman, or mayor in which case it is entirely reasonable for them to know that you are not impaired (either through alcohol or drug use) because it affects the performance of the job you where hired to do and may create unsafe workplace the liability for maintenance of which is owned by the employer.
marvin miller not great; this quote fairly asinine.
I think the results of the tests go back to the team trainer, but I don’t think he is able to tell anyone. I read something about it.
They (government employers) actually can’t absent reasonable suspicion (or whatever the standard is—I merely audited my Criminal Procedure class) because hair/blood(/and I think piss) testing constitutes as a search and seizure subject to fourth amendment protections.
They can’t share any medical information.
4- debatable, no facts
5- He swore he would make it right and not mess up again after last suspension. Moving forward, it has been each off season that has gotten him into trouble. We won’t be able to get anything much for him in a trade, so we will just have to see how things play out.
i’m saying if you’re mowing the mayor’s lawn he not only has the right but the responsibility to know if youre stoned because when you slice a toe off in his yard, he’s going to pay for it.
Blackmon was suspended for first 4 games and then got popped and suspended for the final 8 games (penalty consistent with second infraction) in 2013. Blackmon is eligible to apply for reinstatement before the 2014 season.
because it’s Cleveland.
i can’t see it that way. Where will any competition come from around the league? who is going to pay big for a guy who is so obviously not only 1 strike away from banishment but on a ticking clock? he CAN’T stay clean. it’s not a question of IF, just a question of WHEN. Who is going to want to give that kid anything?
If the Browns stand by him now, he owes them his career, and you can be sure they’ll bring that point up. I know Rosenhaus will sway whatever he needs to say but I don’t see other teams lining up to throw guaranteed money his way. In fact, I wouldn’t want the Browns to do it either, unless they can give him close to $0 signing bonus, and get a clause in there which forfeits his contract if he tests positive again.
totally. i can’t stand these arguments. I am for decriminalization of this drug, but i can’t stand there and support its use. And i can’t ever get on board with people bitching about a private employer giving you terms of employment that include drug testing.
Do we want our bus drivers getting high before coming to work? Because the argument that so many on this board are making today suggests they don’t have a problem with that. I do.
I don’t have a problem with smoking weed. I do have a problem with smoking weed – or anything – if the rules say you can’t. It’s not about the weed, it’s about the rule.
Marvin Miller was the executive director of the MLBPA. Did you expect him to have a more moderate stance – a stance that might be accepting of rules that could (a) have a direct negative effect on players’ careers, or (b) a direct effect on the legacy of his leadership?
in soccer, it’s a rule that you aren’t allowed to touch the ball with your hands, but it’s completely legal in the rest of life.
so why aren’t people going crazy about the fact that you can touch balls in your own home but not on the soccer field? And if you touch balls often enough on the field you will get thrown out of the game. If you touch lots of balls at home other things may happen.
Perfectly stated. End discussion.
http://media3.giphy.com/media/ZAdAS1xI8Ormg/giphy.gif
touch balls in your own home but not on the soccer field
hey saggy, a little too much information here, okay.
Mental note: No World Cup parties at saggy’s house.
I had strep about a month ago and codeine was prescribed for the pain relief.