News: Unconfirmed: Gregory fails another drug test

[Hoofbite]

Or you can question the validity of their rules and challenge the merit and push for change. I'm not a sheep that blindly follows orders.

The level of hypocrisy is unacceptable by the NFL. Heroin is a national epidemic, yet they act like its marijuana that's killing people left and right

The NFL doesn't condone heroin use. The fact that opioids are used legally in the NFL doesn't mean they support illicit use of street drugs. You may as well back that claim up by suggesting the NFL supports meth use because some players have prescriptions for adderall. Pretty simple to se where the cutoff is for the NFL. They support compliance with state and federal law.

They aren't going to condone illicit drug use just because the entire country knows the drug should be legal. What large business entity would decide for themselves which federal laws or regulations they are going to openly disregard?

 

[superonyx]

Why do people commit crimes? Mental disorder?

Many reasons...and yes mental disorders do contribute to criminal behaviors. Unless you think it's a coincidence that 60% of people in prison have mental disorders. It cost less to lock them up than treat them in medical facilities. Plus the for profit prison system have been huge political donors over the years.
It's not a coincidence that the richest country in the history of the world has the highest incarceration rate and the highest reincarnation rate in the world. We go for the cheap punishment instead of an empathetic treatment programs. It's easier to convince the masses of this personal responsibility narrative.

 

[StarBoyz83]

I can't say I blame him. I'd rather smoke up then make millions of dollars playing a game and retire in my 60s instead of my 30s.

 

[Smashin222]

The NFL doesn't condone heroin use. The fact that opioids are used legally in the NFL doesn't mean they support illicit use of street drugs. You may as well back that claim up by suggesting the NFL supports meth use because some players have prescriptions for adderall. Pretty simple to se where the cutoff is for the NFL. They support compliance with state and federal law.

They aren't going to condone illicit drug use just because the entire country knows the drug should be legal. What large business entity would decide for themselves which federal laws or regulations they are going to openly disregard?

Because there's no obligation for a private employer to enforce federal drug law? Would they suspend players for smoking cigarettes before the age of 18? What about a 20 year old rookie drinking? Suspension?

Employers choose what regulations to enforce on their employees. The justification from Goodell is that marijuana is addictive and unhealthy. Great. Let's get rid of booze and cigarettes and all the crap that gets advertised during NFL games too. Say goodbye to all the addictive and unhealthy pharmaceuticals the league makes millions in advertising from.

 

[Smashin222]

Because there's no obligation for a private employer to enforce federal drug law? Would they suspend players for smoking cigarettes before the age of 18? What about a 20 year old rookie drinking? Suspension?

Employers choose what regulations to enforce on their employees. The justification from Goodell is that marijuana is addictive and unhealthy. Great. Let's get rid of booze and cigarettes and all the crap that gets advertised during NFL games too. Say goodbye to all the addictive and unhealthy pharmaceuticals the league makes millions in advertising from.

To make this more clear: if a guy gets arrested and charged, that's a different story. To my understanding, Gregory has had 0 legal issues. So why is the NFL enforcing drug laws more stringently than....the US federal government? Also note that use of marijuana is not illegal, even under Federal law. So he's being punished in excess of what law enforcement would be capable of. Again, being under the influence of marijuana is not illegal. Possessing it is illegal, selling, cultivating. But he's not testing positive for possession, he's testing positive for ingestion.

He's a moron. He made terrible decisions and his punishment is predictable. But we should push for change because its a dumb rule. MLB and NHL don't. So why does the NFL?

 

[FuzzyLumpkins]

The NFL doesn't condone heroin use. The fact that opioids are used legally in the NFL doesn't mean they support illicit use of street drugs. You may as well back that claim up by suggesting the NFL supports meth use because some players have prescriptions for adderall. Pretty simple to se where the cutoff is for the NFL. They support compliance with state and federal law.

They aren't going to condone illicit drug use just because the entire country knows the drug should be legal. What large business entity would decide for themselves which federal laws or regulations they are going to openly disregard?

They are going to do it because they can leverage a concession from the NFLPA out of the negotiation and there will be no public backlash as a result of it.

This notion that they are driven by some overarching morality seems incredibly naive to me. Waiting until the public saw the Rice video to crucify him shows that very clearly.

They are a firm comprised of 32 other firms who have to agree on common action. The common interest is the game, money, and control.

 

[lostar2009]

Kind of like alcohol or opioids?

To an alcoholic yup. Some say they can't function in the morning without it. It's like it helps level there mind.

 

[big dog cowboy]

http://cowboyswire.usatoday.com/201...-tmz-suspension-goodell-legalize-jerry-jones/

Already suspended for the entire calendar year of 2017, it appears Randy Gregory might never play football for the Dallas Cowboys, or any organization again. According to TMZ

Appreciate the article, but all it states is what we already know....according to TMZ.

Still looking for any validation on this story.

 

[Hardline]

Has this been confirmed yet?

 

[Cowboy_Shawn]

Appreciate the article, but all it states is what we already know....according to TMZ.

Still looking for any validation on this story.

I understand the need to have a rock solid confirmation on an issue like this, but when it comes to Gregory, when there's smoke there tends to be fire.

Therefore even though we don't have concrete evidence that this news is true, I'm 99.99% sure that the report is accurate.

 

[big dog cowboy]

I understand the need to have a rock solid confirmation on an issue like this, but when it comes to Gregory, when there's smoke there tends to be fire.

Therefore even though we don't have concrete evidence that this news is true, I'm 99.99% sure that the report is accurate.

It's worthless TMZ and the Cowboy brand is one of the most high profile anywhere.

If this news were true then NFLN, ESPN, Fox, CBS, NBC.....someone would have something on this.

The fact there is nothing else out there pretty much tells me this isn't true. It could be don't get me wrong. Just strange there is nothing about this anywhere yet.

 

[CWR]

I have no experience with drugs. So, I have no idea what he or others are going through. We are all unique and have different DNA. Some medicine and drugs act differently in each of us. I seem to be allergic to most antibiotics and a lot of medical drugs where other people can tolerate them easily. Just the way my DNA is, I guess. Even the simple stuff like cold medicine on the pharmacy shelves doesn't agree with my body. Although, my doctor said a lot of that stuff on the pharmacy shelves shouldn't even be legal to sell.

I think it is silly that the NFL gets all bent out of shape when it comes to weed. The stuff will soon be legal throughout the whole country. It is just a matter of how soon. The big elephant in the NFL room is the human growth hormones and other stuff athletes are pumping into their bodies to get an advantage on the field.

Youre absolutely right. The fact we can drink alcohol and be given scripts for any number of mind altering substances yet marijuana is illegal is corruption at its finest. There are most definitely bigger risks. That being said the system is what it is. Id love to partake after a stressful 24 hour shift but I dont, because I cant, Id lose my job. That is the sacrifice I make to keep my household running. Unfortunately Gregory refuses to do the same.

Also like to add I know he has problems. Alot of us do but we simply can not self medicate with marijuana.

 

[FuzzyLumpkins]

Youre absolutely right. The fact we can drink alcohol and be given scripts for any number of mind altering substances yet marijuana is illegal is corruption at its finest. There are most definitely bigger risks. That being said the system is what it is. Id love to partake after a stressful 24 hour shift but I dont, because I cant, Id lose my job. That is the sacrifice I make to keep my household running. Unfortunately Gregory refuses to do the same.

Barbiturates are handed out like candies and are much, much more addictive and much, much more impairing and dangerous.

The reason why you have to be tested is most likely because of worker's comp insurance or similar bond and if you were to ask them for actuarial data to justify testing for marijuana they could not provide it. Firms don't do drug testing unless required typically because it is expensive.

Of course the NIDA and similar Nixon era war on drugs infrastructure will not allow it to be studied.

I understand your sacrifice but it is a sacrifice you are forced to make under the duress of losing your job and that doesn't seem to be a compelling justification.

 

[manster4ever]

That's what the idiot Goodell doesn't get.

Correct....or if he does, he simply doesn't care. I'd think it's the latter with that awesome person. I hate him for so many different reasons.

 

[Hoofbite]

Because there's no obligation for a private employer to enforce federal drug law? Would they suspend players for smoking cigarettes before the age of 18? What about a 20 year old rookie drinking? Suspension?

Employers choose what regulations to enforce on their employees. The justification from Goodell is that marijuana is addictive and unhealthy. Great. Let's get rid of booze and cigarettes and all the crap that gets advertised during NFL games too. Say goodbye to all the addictive and unhealthy pharmaceuticals the league makes millions in advertising from.

And states can block public funding from going to NFL teams if they choose. Sponsors can bail out if they choose. Really easy for the NFL to start picking and choosing which drugs they'll ignore until you start to consider that there may be repercussions. And for what? So 1 or 2 guys out of the entire league don't have to look for other jobs?

Goodell's justification is likely no more thought out than just accepting the federal position on the matter. I'm not sure why punishment for weed has anything to do with either beer or pharmaceuticals. They're both regulated at the federal level and they're both legal. If you're simply going to look for a situation in which they are not legal and using that as the basis for drawing a comparison, I'd say your wasting your time. The NFL assuredly wouldn't support underage drinking and the fact that underage drinking is against the law doesn't mean the NFL has to treat beer as though it's illegal across the board. The NFL also wouldn't support tackling random strangers on the street, but tackling is football.

Try hard enough and you can make any legal activity a crime. That's not a good enough reason to paint the NFL as being hypocritical because you personally don't think weed should be a punishable substance.

As for me, I don't think weed should be illegal but that doesn't change anything. It is illegal and as long as it is I don't expect the NFL to change how they handle players who test positive for it. The only change short of it being decriminalized by the federal government may be that they decide that they are no longer going to test for any recreational usage. Given that a case can be made to classify most of the other illicit drugs as "performance enhancing", it likely wouldn't have much of an effect on the number of substances that they are testing for. They may have to punish all positives from there on out as a PED offense, but who really knows.

Beyond that, I don't expect any change until the law changes. Until then, 1 or 2 players every couple of years will have to deal with it.

 

[Hoofbite]

They are going to do it because they can leverage a concession from the NFLPA out of the negotiation and there will be no public backlash as a result of it.

This notion that they are driven by some overarching morality seems incredibly naive to me. Waiting until the public saw the Rice video to crucify him shows that very clearly.

They are a firm comprised of 32 other firms who have to agree on common action. The common interest is the game, money, and control.

Not necessarily morality. There's plenty at stake beyond their moral standing. They may use it as a bargaining chip, but I don't think they need to. While a large percentage of the players would likely be in favor of no longer being tested for it, how many are willing to give up something in exchange when they can very easily just continue on as they have been by getting around the positive results?

The lack of punishment for the drug would have little impact on the player pool. One thing we can probably agree on is that there are a far greater number of players who use than there are players who are caught. IMO, that's a pretty weak bargaining chip for the vast majority of the league. They are already getting around the rule, and some are not using at all. Why trade anything for something that you already have?

 

[FuzzyLumpkins]

Not necessarily morality. There's plenty at stake beyond their moral standing. They may use it as a bargaining chip, but I don't think they need to. While a large percentage of the players would likely be in favor of no longer being tested for it, how many are willing to give up something in exchange when they can very easily just continue on as they have been by getting around the positive results?

The lack of punishment for the drug would have little impact on the player pool. One thing we can probably agree on is that there are a far greater number of players who use than there are players who are caught. IMO, that's a pretty weak bargaining chip for the vast majority of the league. They are already getting around the rule, and some are not using at all. Why trade anything for something that you already have?

The lack of punishment would have no negative outcomes.

There are also some very high profile players that this would impact such as Gordon and Gregory. There is the historical example of Ricky Williams. There are all of the failed tests and diluted samples from recent draft processes. Also there are all the players we do not consider. Our consideration is hardly exhaustive.

As for the strength of the demand you are not considering the number of players who partake. It's often bandied around that half do. Them not having to jump through hoops and act clandestine would be be compelling for almost all of them.

 

[Falco78]

It is a damned shame and yes I have dealt with addiction issues, but the bottom line is it is still a choice

 

[cowboyfan4life2]

What a moron, don't let the door hit you on the way out.

 

[Melonfeud]

Move on.

If you are a fan and say let's give him another chance you need to move on to another team yourself. You cannot say you love the Cowboys and put up with this mess.

He "never" should have been drafted by our front office in the first place (which I blame them for this pick).

The organization wasted another second round pick on this player which could have been used on someone productive.

Aw,,come on,Dwight!
I know how you see it,but to imply that fellow Cowboy fans who don't see it from your inflexible view should pick another team to be their favorite?,,,,

The man smokes weed,and blew off his end of the agreement, as far as I know he didn't kill anyone, yet in the zero grey area of your black and white world you seem to have placed him(and anybody who doesn't see it like you do) on the other side of the fence,, I'll grant you the fact of pointing out the loss/ wreckage left in his wake of non compliance but inviting fellow fans to roll over to another team is beyond overboard.
( friend, I would ask your opinion from your elevated view concerning the whole medical marijuana/ 2nd amendment/ zero Grey area of the Feds,,, but won't)