Joined: 19 Jun 2006 Posts: 11363 Location: �I�[�X�g�����A Country:
Posted: Tue Nov 26, 2013 10:04 am Post subject:
shin2 wrote:
In other news, another Seattle Seahawks player is suspended for violating the NFL's drug policy . . . SOS
That's 2 in a week - cornerbacks Thurmond & Browner.
Seahawk fans are pretty pissed about both, but Browner was likely to be axed after this season anyway. He's the oldest and slowest of the starting CB's and Thurmond was doing a good job of filling in since he's been injured. We have good depth at CB including a rookie who's been on IR all year.
Still sucks though. BB has effectively ended his NFL career for a joint.
Joined: 19 Jun 2006 Posts: 11363 Location: �I�[�X�g�����A Country:
Posted: Thu Nov 28, 2013 8:45 am Post subject:
Anime Dad wrote:
That's 2 in a week - cornerbacks Thurmond & Browner.
Seahawk fans are pretty pissed about both, but Browner was likely to be axed after this season anyway. He's the oldest and slowest of the starting CB's and Thurmond was doing a good job of filling in since he's been injured. We have good depth at CB including a rookie who's been on IR all year.
Still sucks though. BB has effectively ended his NFL career for a joint.
Turns out Browner is a victim of the NFL's process for substance abuse.
Quote:
The question on every Seahawks fan's mind is: How did cornerback Brandon Browner get suspended for an entire year seemingly out of the blue?
The league's substance-abuse policy includes three stages, and a violation while a player is in the third (i.e., most severe) stage merits a full year's suspension. So, Browner obviously was in the third stage and did something wrong.
However, ESPN's John Clayton said on 710 ESPN that there were extenuating circumstances that likely led to Browner being placed in Stage 3.
To get to the third stage, a player must have already been enrolled in the testing program and failed three tests or in some way failed to cooperate with the evaluation process (e.g., missed a test, meeting, etc.).
A player can enter Stage 1 due to a positive test, risky behavior or self-referral. A positive test or failure to comply at that stage results in a fine equal to three game checks, plus advancement to Stage 2. At that point, the player is subject to unannounced testing up to 10 times a month.
A failed test in Stage 2 merits a fine and/or four-game suspension (which is what Seahawks cornerback Walter Thurmond just received). A second offense in Stage 2 can result in either a four-game suspension (if he was simply fined for the first offense) or a six-game suspension. Stage 2 lasts 24 months, but if a player has two missteps at any point, he immediately moves to Stage 3.
A player in Stage 3 remains there for the rest of his career. If he fails any test (or misses a test or condition of treatment), he is suspended for a calendar year. He must adhere to his treatment plan during that year, and the commissioner will thereafter determine when/if the player can return to the league. Another misstep means getting kicked out of the league indefinitely.
Clayton has the backstory on how Browner got to Stage 3.
Per Clayton's source, when Browner signed with Denver as an undrafted rookie in 2005, he came in with some substance-abuse questions and was placed in the program for testing and/or treatment.
The Broncos put Browner on injured reserve with an arm injury in August 2005 and then released him after training camp in 2006.
He then went to the CFL, playing for the Calgary Stampeders from 2007 to 2010 (he was a CFL all-star his last three seasons and won the Grey Cup in 2008).
According to Clayton's source, when Browner was released by Denver in 2006, he did not realize he had to stay in touch with the NFL for testing purposes.
He basically fell off the NFL grid and, according to Clayton's source, the meetings/tests he missed counted as failed tests and bumped him into Stage 3 by the time he signed with the Seahawks in 2011.
His four-game suspension for performance-enhancing drugs last season is a separate issue and apparently had no bearing on this suspension (PEDs and recreational drugs are treated separately).
Browner's appeal is ongoing and his agent likely is arguing that he is not to blame for these extenuating circumstances.
Clayton's report is corroborated by a report from Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com last November.
La Canfora told KJR then that Browner was being "tested regularly -- up to three times a week. So he�fs told people, �eLook, I knew what I was up against. I don�ft even drink a beer because I�fm so wary of having a positive for anything.�f So he�fs been adamant that �eI�fm not on anything. I�fve gone out of my way not to put any sort of substance, supplement or anything other than what you would normally eat and drink.�f�h
Browner's agent, Peter Schaffer, told reporters last November, �gBrandon Browner has no knowledge of how any illegal substance could have gotten into his system. �c He takes tremendous care of his body and he is very careful with what he puts into it. We�fre exploring all avenues to try and figure out how any substance out of the ordinary would be in his system.�h
But the bottom line is that Browner has now been found guilty of violating both drug policies, and based on where he is in the substance-abuse program, the punishment is a one-year suspension.
Clayton suggested that Browner likely would have to sue the NFL to try to win, a process that might take just as long as the yearlong suspension.
In the meantime, the 29-year-old Browner has ruined his only shot at a multimillion-dollar contract next offseason.
He might be eligible to return at the end of 2014, although teams might not consider him until after that season. And any team that does has to know that Browner is one misstep away from a lifetime suspension.
If Clayton's source is correct and Browner got partially railroaded to this point of no return, the cornerback would indeed be wise to pursue legal action against the NFL and see whether he could at least partly clear his name.
And props to Brady Hoke at Michigan going for two.
Two great games; part of a great weekend of college football. There were actually a number of games that came down to the final minutes. Proves once again that college football evokes more passion, produces more excitement, and is more entertaining than the NFL.
Conference championships will be played this weekend. Interesting to see what chaos will ensue if some upsets occur.
USC got itself a new head football coach. It was a safe conservative hire. Steve Sarkisian grew up in Southern California, coached at SC, is familiar with the PAC 12, and is well liked by the Trojan administration and boosters. He's a proven good recruiter as well. But losing Ed Orgeron, who is an elite recruiter, will hurt SC, to what extent, only time will tell. Don't blame Coach O for resigning (hard to stay on as an assistant when you've been the head man); don't blame SC for not naming him head coach for next year (they were looking at a longterm fix).
Joined: 13 Apr 2007 Posts: 12121 Location: It was fun while it lasted. Country:
Posted: Mon Dec 09, 2013 6:50 am Post subject:
The two early games on TV today were Eagles/Lions and Redskins/Chiefs (no protests from native Americans? ). Neither game was great technically, but the snow, the cold, the wind. Raw football, I loved it!!
The two early games on TV today were Eagles/Lions and Redskins/Chiefs (no protests from native Americans? ). Neither game was great technically, but the snow, the cold, the wind. Raw football, I loved it!!
Both of those games were Snow Bowls, particularly that Eagles-Lions game....
Joined: 13 Apr 2007 Posts: 12121 Location: It was fun while it lasted. Country:
Posted: Tue Dec 10, 2013 12:55 am Post subject:
bmwracer wrote:
Both of those games were Snow Bowls, particularly that Eagles-Lions game....
Here's an oddity from that game that I didn't notice even though I watched the game.
Neither team kicked a single point as the two teams opted instead to try for seven two-point conversions (succeeding on three). Detroit did attempt an extra point after one Lions score, but it was blocked by the Eagles. It was the first time in 56 years that an NFL game was played without a field goal or extra point kicked.
Here's an oddity from that game that I didn't notice even though I watched the game.
Neither team kicked a single point as the two teams opted instead to try for seven two-point conversions (succeeding on three). Detroit did attempt an extra point after one Lions score, but it was blocked by the Eagles. It was the first time in 56 years that an NFL game was played without a field goal or extra point kicked.
Yep, the two teams combined for 54 points and not a single one was by an extra point or field goal.
Speaking of field goals, Matt Prater of the Broncos set a new NFL record by kicking a 64-yard FG at the end of the first half. I was watching it live on TV--awesome.
Awesome would be an apt description of yesterday's NFL games; it's certainly a contender for the single-best day in NFL history. There was Prater's kick. There was the Eagles/Lions no-points-by-kicking game played in ankle-deep snow. There was the wild Ravens/Vikings game where five TDs were scored in the final two minutes and five seconds of the fourth quarter (six lead changes in the final quarter). There was the five-laterals last play of the Steelers/Dolphins game where if the Pittsburgh player had stepped two inches to his right it would have gone down as the greatest craziest ending to a game in NFL history. There was the Patriots scoring the winning TD with less than a minute to go against the Browns after a terrible pass interference call against Cleveland put the ball on the one-yard line (the Browns still almost won but a 58-yard FG attempt at the end fell a couple of yards short). There were the 49ers and Packers pulling out victories in the final minutes of their games. There was the fact that a record-90 TDs were scored on Sunday. Whew!
The colleges also had a good weekend (but not as terrific as the previous weekend). Northern Illinois lost the MAC championship against Bowling Green in a pretty big upset, not to mention depriving its conference of an eight-million dollar payout for not getting to a BCS bowl game which they would have gone to had they won. The only surprise to me in the Michigan State/Ohio State Big 10 championship game was that the Spartans only won by 10 points; I thought the Spartans would have won by at least two TDs against the overrated Buckeyes. The SEC championship game was entertaining with video-game-type scoring; Auburn's running attack is the best I've seen since the old Oklahoma wishbone days back in the 1970's. Duke's lopsided loss to Florida State in the ACC championship game should not detract from the truly remarkable season the Blue Devils had; hard to beat a team full of NFL prospects when your team is full of . . . eventual college graduates. The Pac 12 championship game went as expected with Stanford manhandling Arizona State. It sets up a really good match-up in the Rose Bowl between the Cardinal and the Spartans--old-school rock 'em sock 'em football. The big coaching news was Washington hiring Chris Peterson from Boise State to be their new head football coach; great hire and an upgrade from their previous coach who's now at USC. Husky fans who were angry at Sarkisian leaving are now jumping for joy.
Joined: 19 Jun 2006 Posts: 11363 Location: �I�[�X�g�����A Country:
Posted: Tue Dec 10, 2013 12:38 pm Post subject:
bmwracer wrote:
Actually, Wilson doesn't impress me, either... From what I've seen, Philly's Nick Foles is better than either of those two.
I agree Foles has gone well the last 6 or 7 weeks, but he hasn't come up against a real good defense. Wilson is set to break all sorts of records at the pace he's going at. He hasn't set a heap of passing records, but he doesn't have to, since the Hawks are a run-first team. But he has the highest completion percentage of deep bombs.
I think Russell Wilson is a terrific young QB who's only going to get better. He makes good decisions; he protects the football; he runs the read option better than any QB in the league; when he improvises, he does so better than most of the other QBs because of his athleticism and coolness under pressure; and he is very very smart.
Physically, he's got a strong arm and, more importantly, is a pretty accurate passer. People think he's small, but he's not--he's short and built like a linebacker.
I think he and Andrew Luck have the brightest futures of the young QBs.
Kaepernick is a work in progress. He was on a roll last season, and people expected a lot from him, but he's struggled, along with the rest of the Niners' offense; it's not all his fault they haven't been as productive as they were last year. You know, he's started fewer games in his career than Wilson, Luck, RGIII, Tannehill et al.
Foles is kinda interesting. He's benefited greatly from having a really good running attack, and he's made the most of his opportunities. I think the jury is still out on his durability. One of the big questions is how defenses will adjust to Chip Kelly's offense the second year when they have a season's worth of video and a whole off-season to figure it out. Will Foles, assuming he's the starting QB, be as prolific then. He's certainly been impressive with his decision making, but I suspect that's in part due to the many mental errors defenses have been making because of the up-tempo style. Plus, how many good teams have the Eagles played?
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). Neither game was great technically, but the snow, the cold, the wind. Raw football, I loved it!! 
Take nothing away from Kaepernick & co, just too good on the day. 
