Why is the NFL (and sports leagues in general) so involved with players lives?

[Cowboy Brian]

I understand they have a huge investment in these young guys and you can't have an Aaron Hernandez situation, but if someone is smoking a little weed on a weekend (which I personally don't), who cares? Particularly if its from a dispensary and is presumably prescribed.

These players basically have to sign away their lives while they're in the league. I heard the expression "golden handcuffs", which is used in the business world to describe very demanding jobs that pay well but leave you with almost no work-life balance. Athletes have tremendous work life balance, but not much freedom. It doesn't seem just. There should be limits, but I think the league is getting way too strict.

 

[muck4doo]

Performance enhancing drugs do need to be monitored. I don't care if Josh Gordon wants to smoke a little weed during the off season.

 

[Hoofbite]

It's a business.

Are you saying that a successful business wouldn't want to look like it endorses a behavior that violates federal laws?

Seems like a stretch. /s

 

[DallasCowboys2080]

Agreed. I wonder if it's impacting the level of talent available. It's way strict now. Very dictorial and authoritarian than usual. Like who wants to live in North Korea for 3 -10 years?


Make your money and run though. Set for life so it's a crazy trade off.

 

[QuikZ06]

I agree in a way, that the league or leagues are pretty strict, but as you mentioned they have a HUGE investment in these guys. Should they be allowed to smoke weed "casually" IMHO, NO! Look, as with most here we go to work (no matter what it is, factory work, office work etc) and there are rules we have to abide by, and staying away from drugs is one of them. Random drug test are part of most jobs, background checks, credit checks etc so these guys shouldn't be exempt. We don't get paid anywhere near what these guys make, so I think it's a tiny sacrifice for the money they are given.

These guys have relatively short careers, so why not just wait until you retire to go ahead and get high or stoned everyday of your life if you want. Who knows, I could be looking at it in the wrong way...

 

[Cowboy Brian]

I agree in a way, that the league or leagues are pretty strict, but as you mentioned they have a HUGE investment in these guys. Should they be allowed to smoke weed "casually" IMHO, NO! Look, as with most here we go to work (no matter what it is, factory work, office work etc) and there are rules we have to abide by, and staying away from drugs is one of them. Random drug test are part of most jobs, background checks, credit checks etc so these guys shouldn't be exempt. We don't get paid anywhere near what these guys make, so I think it's a tiny sacrifice for the money they are given.

These guys have relatively short careers, so why not just wait until you retire to go ahead and get high or stoned everyday of your life if you want. Who knows, I could be looking at it in the wrong way...

I think most company's and industries need to back off from the ridiculous level of oversight and control they have over how their employees live. If someone smokes weed 24/7 and it destroys their ability to work, can them. Someone smokes weed on Saturdays instead of going to the bar, that's their business in my opinion. Someone takes an ambien to sleep, that's their business. My philosophy is if it impacts the business then it can be the company's business, otherwise they should stay the heck out of it.

Like employees using Facebook during the day - that impacts their business, fair game for them to get involved.

 

[DallasCowboys2080]

I agree in a way, that the league or leagues are pretty strict, but as you mentioned they have a HUGE investment in these guys. Should they be allowed to smoke weed "casually" IMHO, NO! Look, as with most here we go to work (no matter what it is, factory work, office work etc) and there are rules we have to abide by, and staying away from drugs is one of them. Random drug test are part of most jobs, background checks, credit checks etc so these guys shouldn't be exempt. We don't get paid anywhere near what these guys make, so I think it's a tiny sacrifice for the money they are given.

These guys have relatively short careers, so why not just wait until you retire to go ahead and get high or stoned everyday of your life if you want. Who knows, I could be looking at it in the wrong way...

So Zeke went to a dispensary and looked around and didn't consume? What's it to them he did nothing illegal? Way too much shackles being placed on these guys. It's a bit much. I wonder if very talented individuals avoid going into the NFL because of a prison slave system they don't want to be apart of for 3-10 years. It's pretty tough already but add on all these really tight and rigid rules. Extreme! Lots of people need to decompress or medicine themselves for health reasons especially with something as demanding as living in the NFL north Korea.

 

[QuikZ06]

So Zeke went to a dispensary and looked around and didn't consume? What's it to them he did nothing illegal? Way too much shackles being placed on these guys. It's a bit much. I wonder if very talented individuals avoid going into the NFL because of a prison slave system they don't want to be apart of for 3-10 years. It's pretty tough already but add on all these really tight and rigid rules. Extreme! Lots of people need to decompress or medicine themselves for health reasons especially with something as demanding as living in the NFL north Korea.

As I mentioned in another thread, it's just common sense. Cowboys are in the news way too often for drugs, so why not just stay away. I guess it's just not as easy as I think it is.

 

[DallasCowboys2080]

As I mentioned in another thread, it's just common sense. Cowboys are in the news way too often for drugs, so why not just stay away. I guess it's just not as easy as I think it is.

Understood. Being a Cowboy comes with great responsibility as does just being a player in the NFL. You have to be above reproach.

Woodson just came out saying the Cowboys wouldn't have any rings with the media restrictions in effect now. How much other talent is the strict north Korea NFL limiting themselves from out there? Maybe Quincy Carter would have taken us to our 6th SB IF he was just allowed to light up a joint before a game?


Oh and QC is still listed as a free agent. Can you believe it???? Someone said he was too stoned to fill out his retirement papers.


Long live Quincy Carter!!! I still believe in alternate reality Quincy Carter.

 

[JohnnyTheFox]

This isn't exclusive to the sports world. Nowadays{some} Companies want to monitor their employee's social media outlets, do numerous drug tests and even do credit checks before you get hired. Its gotten silly if you ask me.

 

[jrumann59]

I think most company's and industries need to back off from the ridiculous level of oversight and control they have over how their employees live. If someone smokes weed 24/7 and it destroys their ability to work, can them. Someone smokes weed on Saturdays instead of going to the bar, that's their business in my opinion. Someone takes an ambien to sleep, that's their business. My philosophy is if it impacts the business then it can be the company's business, otherwise they should stay the heck out of it.

Like employees using Facebook during the day - that impacts their business, fair game for them to get involved.

Except business are governed by risk. Health insurance, liability insurance, etc. All of that plays a factor in the price point you pay a good or services, would you be willing to pay $6 for loaf of brad if a bread company decides that it will allow risky behavior and in doing so they have to pay more vehicle fleet insurance, liability insurance and health insurance plus additional money for lost man hours.

 

[jimmy40]

make millions of dollars or smoke pot. huh, what should I do?

 

[Don Corleone]

I think most company's and industries need to back off from the ridiculous level of oversight and control they have over how their employees live. If someone smokes weed 24/7 and it destroys their ability to work, can them. Someone smokes weed on Saturdays instead of going to the bar, that's their business in my opinion. Someone takes an ambien to sleep, that's their business. My philosophy is if it impacts the business then it can be the company's business, otherwise they should stay the heck out of it.

Like employees using Facebook during the day - that impacts their business, fair game for them to get involved.

There is a tremendous cost of hiring and firing people. Rules are rules. My health insurance cost is based on my habits. There is an intensive screening process I go through every year where they test for everything. Hair samples are included. Add that the companies aren't always making the rules. The insurance companies demand more information to keep your premiums lower. Pretty soon, we will all be required to wear fit bits to get health insurance. Even car insurance companies are promoting monitoring tools to see how their customers actually drive. That will be mandatory eventually. It is all about information and your habits!

 

[big dog cowboy]

I think most company's and industries need to back off from the ridiculous level of oversight and control they have over how their employees live. If someone smokes weed 24/7 and it destroys their ability to work, can them. Someone smokes weed on Saturdays instead of going to the bar, that's their business in my opinion.

Clearly you don't understand the implications of an employee participating in something like that.

 

[dogunwo]

These guys have relatively short careers, so why not just wait until you retire to go ahead and get high or stoned everyday of your life if you want. Who knows, I could be looking at it in the wrong way...

When your body and brain are at risk, I think it's too simple to suggest that the smoking weed that players do is just for fun.