The frustration with Josh Gordon
Not again.
That was the popular sentiment on social media Sunday afternoon after it was reported that Cleveland Browns receiver Josh Gordon was facing a year-long suspension for another failed drug test. This one is for alcohol, which Gordon gets tested for because of a DUI.
Gordon is no stranger to suspensions. He was suspended twice in college for marijuana and if this latest news is true, it will be his third ban from the NFL for violating the league's substance-abuse policy. That doesn't include a one-game suspension handed out by the Browns in Week 17 for a violation of team rules.
If Gordon only made headlines off the field, the Browns would have given up on him a long time ago. But his 2013 season is ingrained in our minds. Gordon's 1,646 yards and nine touchdowns in 14 games left us all wanting more.
Fans want to see him play. Fantasy football enthusiasts want to draft him. Writers want to compare him to Calvin Johnson. But Gordon refuses to let that happen.
Despite Gordon's lack of discipline, not everyone places the blame solely on him for his troubles. There seem to be two common opinions on Gordon:
1) He is being judged harshly and the league shouldn't waste time testing for things like marijuana and alcohol.
Im done with defending Josh Gordon. But being subjected to random alcohol tests for 2 years? That's ridiculous.
— Larry Beyince (@DragonflyJonez) January 25, 2015
2) If you want to play in the NFL, you have to follow its rules.
"But alcohol is legal!" people need to realize that for Josh Gordon it wasn't "legal" if he wanted to play in the NFL. He picked the bottle.
— Matt Miller (@nfldraftscout) January 25, 2015
Unfortunately for side number one, Gordon has lost any benefit of the doubt at this point. Testing other players for alcohol may seem extreme, but for Gordon it's downright rational.
The league is basically telling Gordon they'll pay him millions of dollars to play a sport he loves, as long as he avoids drugs and alcohol. They're not asking him for a kidney or his first born.
Gordon's situation bears a resemblance to Cris Carter's. The Hall of Famer was cut by the Philadelphia Eagles prior to the 1990 season for drug and alcohol issues. Carter was just a year older than Gordon is now when he was released, but made the most of a second chance with the Minnesota Vikings.
It remains to be seen if Gordon will get another chance, and if he does, it's probably going to be his last. It's hard to stomach the thought of so much talent going to waste, but that is an increasingly real possibility.
The majority of those associated with the NFL appear to want him to succeed. Gordon just has to want it as badly as everyone else.