The Morning Kickoff …
J.G. on his way: The Browns never emptied Josh Gordon’s locker.
Twelve days after Gordon was suspended indefinitely – with his “eligibility for reinstatement (to be) determined following the 2014 season,” according to the principal’s note – Gordon’s neatly pressed jerseys and other team wear hang in his newly assigned locker, awaiting his return.
What does that tell you?
This wasn’t a 1- or 2- or 4-game suspension handed down by the NFL marijuana border patrol. This was the ultimate NFL suspension. INDEFINITE!!!! One-year minimum. Banishment.
Yet his locker wasn’t cleaned out? What, are they paying homage to him? Is there a candle in there somewhere burning until he returns?
Gordon’s high-powered team of lawyers, which set a record for volume of testimony in his appeal to the league “high court” on marijuana, never played the Star Caps chip and never filed suit seeking a court injunction to keep Gordon in uniform.
What does that tell you?
Gordon, a native of Houston, had no reason to stay in Cleveland during his indefinite suspension. He was locked out of Browns headquarters and unable to have any contact with the team. So why would he stay in Cleveland? To sell cars?
What does that tell you?
It tells me that that Gordon’s lawyers – probably even the Browns -- were tipped that he would be reinstated soon.
It’s all dependent on the NFL and the players union agreeing to a new drug policy, which could come as early Tuesday. If the union and the league dawdle, Gordon’s return would be delayed.
But his return is inevitable.
And when Gordon is reinstated, if I were him, I would sue for total reimbursement of every game check missed -- over $48,000 in his case.
Damage control: Gordon’s “crime” was testing positive for marijuana while he was in Stage 3 of the NFL’s flawed, if collectively bargained, substance abuse program.
Gordon reportedly registered a 16 (nanogram per millimeter) on the marijuana-o-meter – just 1 point above the ridiculously low NFL threshold of 15. Air traffic controllers are held to a threshold of 50. Olympic athletes have a threshold of 150.
The new NFL policy reportedly would set 50 as the new threshold, same as Major League Baseball.
Which would mean Gordon didn’t really flunk.
Which would mean Gordon was suspended for no reason.
Which would mean the leading receiver in the NFL last year should have been playing in Pittsburgh when the Browns lost by three points to the Steelers on Sunday.
Which would mean the Browns got kicked in the face by the Steelers (see: punter Spencer Lanning’s face mask meeting Antonio Brown’s right cleat) and by the NFL.
Meanwhile …
San Francisco pass rusher Aldon Smith received a nine-game suspension for violating two NFL policies.
Smith was suspended four games for a second drunken-driving arrest (substance abuse policy) and five games for a fracas in 2012 at a Smith party at which weapons were fired, Smith was stabbed, and five illegal weapons were found by detectives at Smith’s house (personal conduct).
Nevertheless, terms of Smith’s suspension allowed him to attend team meetings and use the 49ers’ facilities. Of course, he didn’t test positive FOR MARIJUANA.
Meanwhile …
Baltimore Ravens running back Ray Rice was suspended two games initially by the NFL in May for some sort of physical abuse of his future wife in an Atlantic City casino hotel elevator.
On Monday, the release of the security video inside the elevator by TMZ showed Rice belting his future wife with a hard left, dragging her out of the elevator on her knees and setting her on the floor, face down.
The video prompted the Ravens to fire Rice, to whom they had pledged their love and support. After the Ravens took the NFL off the hook, the NFL wielded an “indefinite” suspension.
Wow. That’s the same suspension as the one the NFL gave Gordon. For flunking a marijuana test by the slimmest of margins.
Of course, the players union had collectively bargained the terms of marijuana testing. I suppose that the idea of a football player belting a woman and dragging her out of an elevator never came up in league labor negotiations in 2011.
Another J.G. suspension to come: After Gordon is reinstated, he may eventually be subject to another suspension.
The league wants the new substance abuse policy to include a two-game suspension for a first-time DWI conviction. Gordon was arrested for DWI in Raleigh, NC, on July 5. Gordon’s hearing on that charge recently was postponed until November.
Drunken driving is a real bad thing. Suspension of Gordon for that offense, if convicted, would be justified.
The rest of this mess that the NFL and NFLPA find themselves in has been a bad comedy of errors.