A Fan’s Letters to Josh Gordon, the NFL and the Browns
Dear NFL and Roger Goodell,
I am angry with you!
Your handling of the Josh Gordon situation, from the outside looking in, was horrendous. Instead of moving forward with the process early in May it was delayed until a final ruling at the end of August. Instead of addressing Gordon and the Cleveland Browns in a timely manner you chose to take your sweet time and impact the team and player.
I think your policies and procedures, from what I understand of them, are poorly written and often seem like you do whatever you want with them anyways. If true, Gordon’s B sample was below your minuscule line for testing positive. Yet because the A sample was barely above you still chose to follow your P&P to their letter.
Yet instead of a 3 person panel, as has been described as the appeals process in the past, you had 1 person handle Gordon’s appeal. Letter of the law when it comes to samples but not the appeals process? Terrible.
Yet a few days prior to the announcement of the Gordon suspension being upheld, you announced that Matt Prater was being suspended for 4 games. Yep Prater was scheduled to be suspended, by the letter of your law, for the full season but was only suspended for 4 games. He never even had an appeals process. You negotiated with his lawyer, but not Gordon’s? I mean I know he is a kicker, but again you didn’t follow the letter of your own law.
I am not one to bring up the Ray Rice situation, I am glad you fixed that quickly. Yet if protecting the shield is as important to you as you say it is, how can you let such dichotomous suspensions happen? Prater and Gordon deserved the same suspension. Maybe Gordon gets another game or two for his DUI, that would be fair.
I am glad to read that Gordon can apply for reinstatement, possibly, at the end of the 2014 season. Yet there again you aren’t following your letter of the law. Based on your policies Gordon should not be able to apply for reinstatement until 365 days later. It benefits Gordon and the team but still shows the problem with your handling of this situation.
Finally stop banning players from their support systems with their team. A guy who has a problem with a recreational drug and is then suspended from work has a ton more recreational time. Not exactly caring for the player there are you? I also understand why the league, and the CFL, won’t let Gordon play up north but since you technically kicked him out of the league indefinitely and didn’t suspend him, at least if you followed your policies, what right do you have to deny him work? He doesn’t work for you at this moment. Let him do something. No work, no money sounds like something right out of a movie, a movie a lot about smoking weed (Warning Explicit Word):
Please get your act together. I know I am not alone. You know it is bad when other teams’ fans think the Browns got the short end of the stick.
Sincerely,
Jared Mueller – Just a Fan