Denver Bronco's defensive wrecking machine Von Miller has been suspended for 6 games. This was for running afoul of the NFL's drug "policy". Sounds simple enough, but upon closer inspection, one is left to wonder -- just what ARE the rules anyway?
According to USA Today, one source says Miller tested positive for marijuana back in 2011, and in the same article another source claims a positive test had nothing to do with his recent suspension. So which is it? Is that too much to ask? If he smoked dope two years ago and tested positive, as a first time drug offender, Miller would have been slapped with a 4 game suspension. But that didn't happen.
Two years later, the NFL wanted to up the punishment. They were talking about 8 games, maybe the whole year, but it was negotiated between the league and the union to settle on 6. Miller has accepted this suspension, but yours truly doesn't understand what's going on here.
Assuming he was "dirty" back in 2011, why didn't they punish him then? According to the same article, a first-time offender would be subjected to a 6 game suspension if he didn't successfully complete the first phase of the program, and had two subsequent violations during the second phase.
Stop right there.
What are these "phases" anyway? Does he have to blow and drop everyday in Phase One? Maybe Phase Two means giving motivational speeches to high school kids and selling Girl Scout cookies door-to-door. Beats me. Sports fans have no idea what's going on, and it appears the media doesn't either -- else they'd give reports with, god forbid, a little substance to them, in place of their usual sensationalism and wild conjecture.
Here's what I think I know. This whole brouhaha over drug policies in various sports needs to be WAY more transparent. Why should the leagues and unions be allowed a "confidentiality clause" in their agreements when it comes to such things involving players?
Out with it. We, the fans, have a right to know. After all, one way or the other, we're the ones paying for all this. It's not the scribes that get in to games for free with their press passes and sit in the press boxes, nor the talking heads on TV that seem to have nothing better to do than try to turn some kid setting off firecrackers into the possibility of imminent nuclear war -- or at least a terrorist attack.
But that's what they do. If they don't know, or understand what's REALLY going on, it appears they just wing it as they go along. Anything to fill out a column or clog up air time with giga sound bytes.
Personally, I'd prefer a little more truth and objectiveness about such things. And some hard facts wouldn't hurt either, before they go running off again with their next story.
As for Von Miller? I'm not convinced even he completely comprehends what has recently happened.
In his mind, maybe it's better to accept the 6 game suspension than the alternative.
That would be him standing up and saying, "Hey, wait a minute. This isn't right. I'm going to fight it". That would likely result in him being high on the NFL's "hit" parade forever.
Like they say, it's not nice to fool with Mother Nature.
But pissing off Roger Goodell and his NFL henchmen is a downright bad, repeat BAD, career decison. Those guys have LOOOOONG memories.
Se you on Oct. 20, Von. Keep your head up.
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