Terrell Owens In "Reasonable Cause" Testing Program

[Hostile]

It would also be different if it were a Dallas o-lineman instead of TO. If it were Kyle Kosier, it would not make much of a news story. Owens obviously will bring the most press no matter what the circumstances of a story.

I would not be shocked if Owens ever used a performance enhancing drug. It would not surprise me at all if every player in the league used something at some time.

Exactly. This is a "story" because it's Owens, not because it is a sinister event.

 

[bbgun]

ESPN has procedures on how they will report a story?

League procedures. ESPN is merely the messenger.

 

[Alexander]

League procedures. ESPN is merely the messenger.

Mortensen in particular is a disgusting hypocrite.

Here he is reporting not one but two stories "confidential" in nature, when not long ago, he was writing pieces like this:

NFL should be embarrassed

By Chris Mortensen
ESPN.com
(Archive)





Updated: April 19, 2007

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What just happened to Gaines Adams, Calvin Johnson and Amobi Okoye is ridiculous, and embarrassing for the NFL.


That's right. The league gets this black eye, even though some will blame the National Football Scouting Combine, technically an independent entity but nevertheless in direct concert with the league when some 330 draft prospects are evaluated every February in Indianapolis.

As reported by Pro Football Weekly, those three highly rated players for next week's NFL draft admitted in one-on-one video interviews conducted during the combine that they had smoked marijuana.

Those video interviews are distributed throughout the league. Sure enough, there was a leak and now the public knows.


Jeff Foster, the president of the combine, would not confirm the report but said that a standardized list of questions for the video interviews are comprised by team personnel officials and conducted by team employees, much like the individual workouts.

Foster, who has an excellent reputation, is in his first year on the job and has worked hard to lock down some confidentiality issues, such as the leaking of Vince Young's Wonderlic scores last year.

"We have changed procedures, but clubs still have a lot of control in how they disseminate information," said Foster, who expects to have further conversations with the league's competition committee about such matters.
Mind you, as far as we know, none of these players tested positive for marijuana at the combine. There is a standard list of questions each of the players was asked, and they were encouraged to be honest. Ironically, only their good character prompted them to tell the truth when they were certainly within their right to pass on the question.

Bottom line: The question never should have been asked.

For one, that's why the league has players submit urine tests at the combine. If a guy has a real problem, chances are he is going to test positive. Players know well in advance of the combine that there is going to be a drug test. If a player tests positive, he'll undergo evaluation to determine whether he needs to be randomly tested for his first two years in the league.


The truth is, every personnel director and coach in the league suspects that more than 50 percent of the players smoke or have smoked marijuana during high school or college. It's why the NFL does not randomly test players for street drugs such as marijuana because, as one league official says, "We don't want to be the police. That's the job of law enforcement."

The league tests players once each year during a three-month window before training camp. A player is only tested randomly for street drugs if he has given reasonable cause, such as providing a positive sample during precamp testing, or having a run-in with law enforcement. Then he enters the substance-abuse program. (Don't confuse this with performance-enhancing drugs that are randomly tested for year-round without cause).


What personnel people and coaches hope is that a player who has smoked in college matures quickly and understands that habitual marijuana use can interfere with job performance, and it puts his ability to earn a good amount of money at risk.

NFL commissioner Roger Goodell no doubt has had a conversation with NFL Players Association executive director Gene Upshaw about this particular leak.

It was preventable. Don't ask the question. Now, three honest young men have their reputations stained in some form during a time that should be a great celebration for them and their families.

Will it hurt their draft status? Almost certainly not.

It's funny. I'm in the information business. If I had found out about this admission by the players, I do not believe I would have reported it unless there was a verifiable positive test to also disclose. That's not to indict the Pro Football Weekly. I may be in the minority on this issue.



"In a way, I had to smile because for a while there I thought Calvin Johnson was the most perfect man to walk the Earth in modern times," said a team general manager of the Georgia Tech star.


If I were NFL commissioner, I'd be mad about this entire process and the leak, and I'd be as mad as I was about Adam "Pacman" Jones and Chris Henry embarrassing the NFL with their off-field escapades.

On behalf of the league, Goodell should see to it that someone apologizes to Adams, Johnson and Okoye.

 

[tomson75]

Exactamundo. There is no "BS" to be found. This is all about procedures, not special scrutiny/persecution.

Look at BBgun! Closet optimist!

League procedures. ESPN is merely the messenger.

They could have used a better headline than "NFL to test TO for drugs more often". Believe it or not, there are those people out there that will simply take the title and run with it...rather than read it.

 

[Hostile]

League procedures. ESPN is merely the messenger.

No one argued that the league was biased. Calico felt ESPN was in the weight they give the story.

 

[joseephuss]

League procedures. ESPN is merely the messenger.

The messenger of information that is supposed to be confidential. A message that probably doesn't run if it was Sam Hurd that was in the situation. Oh, well. That is part of having TO on the team.

 

[WoodysGirl]

Jerry's not worried about T.O.'s 'procedural matter'

4:21 PM Mon, Jun 09, 2008 | Permalink | Yahoo! Buzz
Tim MacMahon E-mail News tips

The Cowboys just released a statement from Jerry Jones on Terrell Owens being placed in the "reasonable cause" testing program.

This was a procedural matter that was resolved last week.

We were aware of all of the facts prior to Terrell's meeting in New York, and we had no resevations about extending his contract. We make those decisions based upon our knowledge of a player over the course of his entire career.

We signed Terrell to the new contract, because there are no issues with Terrell.





Comments (2) Leave comment | E-mail entry

 

[bbgun]

Look at BBgun! Closet optimist!

They don't call me "Mr. Sunshine" for nothin'.

They could have used a better headline than "NFL to test TO for drugs more often". Believe it or not, there are those people out there that will simply take the title and run with it...rather than read it.

A poorly worded headline is pretty thin gruel. One of our own is in the crosshairs, so naturally some will try to turn this into a media conspiracy. Lame. There's no evidence that ESPN has over-reported or sensationalized the issue. Considering who TO is, the amount of coverage/scrutiny has been appropriate. This is a one- or two-day story at best.

 

[bbgun]

No one argued that the league was biased. Calico felt ESPN was in the weight they give the story.

I replied to BP, not Calico. Probably because I refuse to indulge "mediot" rants.

 

[5Stars]

They don't call me "Mr. Sunshine" for nothin'.



A poorly worded headline is pretty thin gruel. One of our own is in the crosshairs, so naturally some will try to turn this into a media conspiracy. Lame. There's no evidence that ESPN has over-reported or sensationalized the issue. Considering who TO is, the amount of coverage/scrutiny has been appropriate. This is a one- or two-day story at best.

It shouldn't be a story at all...but, condider the source.

 

[bbgun]

The messenger of information that is supposed to be confidential.

Are you kidding? News organizations run with leaks all the time, whether it's the NFL or the CIA. Your "culprit" is in the league office, not Bristol CT.

 

[ndanger]

I'm waiting for any reaction from Owens. If his solution was to have his agent receive and relay any communiques from the league, his agent failed him in this instance. If he should react negatively to anyone, his negativity should be directed solely at Rosenhaus--moreso if Rosenhaus himself advised Owens to let him take any calls on his behalf from the NFL.

However, if he shows displeasure towards the league for his unavailability, that's a pathetic stance for him to take. This minor action from the league was completely avoidable with some simple planning on his or Rosenhaus' part.

I must also include his agent because it's incredibly stupid of him to think that he could intercept all calls from the NFL for his client. "His voicemail box was full". You're an NFL agent representing many clients. Your favorite cell is probably ringing 24/7 in regards to their business affairs alone. Duh. Here's a simple solution, which both a player and his agent didn't think up between themselves:

Buy a dedicated, prepaid cellphone. tada.

A TracFone or similar prepaid cellphone would be... what?.. 125 or so bucks annually. Minutes purchased would be minimum. Why? Because the cell would only be necessary for the league to contact Owens once or twice a month.

Prepaid cellphones are more anonymously issued, so any privacy issue would be essentially negligible. The possibility of anyone at the league offices leaking out his cell number would be remote, to say the least. If his number were leaked out, who cares? Owens could tell Rosenhaus to send one of his lackeys to the nearest Wal-Mart for a new cellphone because there's no contract involved! One call to league office informing them of the new number and shazam! Old number dead. New number available to the NFL. tada part II.

All Owens would have to do is park his dedicated cell beside his personal one(s) and carry it with him on his person or in a bag wherever he goes. If the league calls him when he's carrying it, BAM! He knows. If the league were to call him when his dedicated cell is stuffed away in a suitcase, POWYOW! He'll get the message via voicemail, which wouldn't be clustered amongst any other calls, would it?

• Convenience
• Economical
• Practical

What's there not to love?

What's not to Love ? (A) People who think they know everything."Yikes"
(B)People who either watch too many superhero or Batman cartoons. " BAM!"
(C) People who are not rich spoiled atheletes trying to use practicallity."BOW"
(D)People who think that they are so much smarter than people they have never even met." YOWZA!"

(E)People who have never used a pre-paid cell phone themselves ,or have never bought their kids one, and don't know that they rarely get a signal in the area they are purchased for, much less say an area where a rich agent or spoiled rich football player might be. Like Cabo, Fijii, the plains of Africa, any remote area where they can get away from people who are forum dwellers.( BADA-BADA-BING!)

Seems like there is whole bunch not to love, I'm just sayin'.
You should look into being a sound effects engineer for Disney, I see a bright future for you there.

 

[Hostile]

I replied to BP, not Calico. Probably because I refuse to indulge "mediot" rants.

You and I have been conversing ever since you questioned why Calico was pissed that they reported the truth.

Either you get the fact it is bigger for ESPN because it is TO, or you don't. The fact that others can spot that fact causes them to get pissed about it.

ESPN may have reported the truth, but they will give it more weight than it deserves because of who it is, and that will piss some people off.

 

[DallasEast]

They don't call me "Mr. Sunshine" for nothin'.



A poorly worded headline is pretty thin gruel. One of our own is in the crosshairs, so naturally some will try to turn this into a media conspiracy. Lame. There's no evidence that ESPN has over-reported or sensationalized the issue. Considering who TO is, the amount of coverage/scrutiny has been appropriate. This is a one- or two-day story at best.

"Terrell Owens"???

"One or two day story at best"???

When has the media treated ANY Owens-related story, small or large in nature, as a one-shot report? It will be a miracle if ESPN or someone else doesn't ever mention this event again after Wednesday.

 

[tomson75]

A poorly worded headline is pretty thin gruel. One of our own is in the crosshairs, so naturally some will try to turn this into a media conspiracy. Lame. There's no evidence that ESPN has over-reported or sensationalized the issue. Considering who TO is, the amount of coverage/scrutiny has been appropriate. This is a one- or two-day story at best.

I agree....but at this point I find it rather hard to assume that the inappropriate headline was accidental. Either way, I don't really care much, just pointing it out.

 

[WoodysGirl]

"Terrell Owens"???

"One or two day story at best"???

When has the media treated ANY Owens-related story, small or large in nature, as a one-shot report? It will be a miracle if ESPN or someone else doesn't ever mention this event again after Wednesday.

To be fair, it's the top story on ESPN.com, but it's not part of their Breaking News header.

Looking at espnnews, there's no breaking news lead on the bottomline that I see right now referring to T.O.

I really don't see this being blown up like normal.

 

[DallasEast]

What's not to Love ? (A) People who think they know everything."Yikes"
(B)People who either watch too many superhero or Batman cartoons. " BAM!"
(C) People who are not rich spoiled atheletes trying to use practicallity."BOW"
(D)People who think that they are so much smarter than people they have never even met." YOWZA!"

Darn. I thought I knew all the cartoon special effects.

(E)People who have never used a pre-paid cell phone themselves ,or have never bought their kids one, and don't know that they rarely get a signal in the area they are purchased for, much less say an area where a rich agent or spoiled rich football player might be. Like Cabo, Fijii, the plains of Africa, any remote area where they can get away from people who are forum dwellers.( BADA-BADA-BING!)

Seems like there is whole bunch not to love, I'm just sayin'.

If Owens can use a cellphone, and there is any legitimate reason to think that he can't, why would he have any difficulty using a prepaid cellphone?

You should look into being a sound effects engineer for Disney, I see a bright future for you there.

My sound effects' resume isn't as impressive as yours, gosh darn it!

 

[dogberry]

Be nice to know from the NFL how many missed calls a year there are?


Per Ndanger, what happens when wealthy football players are in places outside of normal communication.

 

[5Stars]

Be nice to know from the NFL how many missed calls a year there are?


Per Ndanger, what happens when wealthy football players are in places outside of normal communication.

They need to go to the local Circle-K and buy a $20.00 phone card...


:laugh2:

 

[bbgun]

You and I have been conversing ever since you questioned why Calico was pissed that they reported the truth.

Either you get the fact it is bigger for ESPN because it is TO, or you don't.

Of course I get "it." And of course TO is bigger news in the same way that McCain or Obama is bigger news than a podunk city mayor. TO is treated differently because he is different. And I still contend that the amount and tone of the coverage has been appropriate considering who he is.

Bear in mind I'm basing my opinion on ESPN's print/website coverage. I haven't watched the talking heads yet.

The fact that others can spot that fact causes them to get pissed about it.

They have no case. There's no justification for anger. In this instance, ESPN is an innocent bystander. Let's save the vitriol for when they legitimately cross the line.

ESPN may have reported the truth, but they will give it more weight than it deserves because of who it is, and that will piss some people off.

Well, that's what separates the fans from the fanatics. The Roy threads are illustrative of that.