Though the Detroit Lions tried to stay mum on why they sent defensive tackle C. J. Mosley back home from London before the Atlanta Falcons game, and suspended him for a couple games, the truth is apparently finally leaking out. At that, it's been soft pedaled as a "marijuana related issue".
Personally, though a non-partaker, yours truly has no problem with weed. And anybody that thinks it's not just a matter of time before it becomes legal across the board in the US is kidding themselves. That ball started rolling a few years ago, has steadily picked up momentum, and there's no stopping it. The question is not if, but when?
According to a recent report, Mosley got caught with some weed in his London hotel room. Further, it's been alleged he had disconnected the smoke alarm in that room. If true, it doesn't take a genius to figure out what was likely going on. He was smoking dope.
And that raises some interesting questions concerning the Mosley case that haven't even been asked yet, let alone answered.
Whether one advocates for or against legalized marijuana, it still remains quite illegal by Michigan law and, last time I looked, Detroit, where Mosley flew out of on his way to London, was still in Michigan. It's also illegal in all of the United Kingdom. And I'm also pretty sure London remains part of the UK, though the Brits have recently softened their stance on those found with small quantities. Usually, it's just confiscated and a warning given. Still, it's technically against the law.
So connect the dots. Unless Mosley landed at Heathrow and made a quick score on the street before he got to the team hotel, not too likely, he had weed in his possession when he got on the Lions' flight from Detroit to London. This is crossing international borders with an illegal substance. Sure, it's nit-picking, but how come the point hasn't been raised? If instead of being an NFL player, Mosley was one of those the authorities were looking to pin something -- ANYTHING on, he wouldn't have got a free flight back stateside. He'd be in sitting in a British jail, jammed up on a serious criminal charge.
Another question. If we can assume Mosley was "partaking" in that London hotel room -- then where are the NFL's drug police? So much has been made of steroids, human growth hormone, and other "goodies" over the last few years, that mandatory testing on a regular basis has become commonplace for almost every pro athlete. Let's not forget marijuana remains on the same taboo list. And traces of weed stay in one's system for several weeks. Are we to assume Mosley waited until he went all the way to London to get high for the first time? Please. Do you see something wrong with this picture?
Finally, even Mosley's two game "suspension" amounts to no such thing. It's a scam that nobody seems to have noticed. How?
OK, Mosley couldn't play against the Falcons in London. That's one game.
This week, the Lions had a bye. They didn't play anybody.
Next Sunday they host the Miami Dolphins and -- surprise -- Mosley is supposedly eligible to suit up and play in that game.
It may have been two calendar weeks, but the suspension was only one actual game. Not two, as advertised. To boot, players get paid with "game checks". Not counting injuries, players don't get an automatic paycheck every week or two throughout the year like most working folks. They get paid by the game. If they're suspended, they don't get a check. And bye weeks don't count.
Again, when it comes to weed, yours truly thinks it's much ado about something quite harmless. But as long as laws remain in place to the contrary, both in the US and abroad, and especially amongst pro athletes, then dammit -- they should be held accountable just like the fans that continue to pay their salaries would be.
What's somewhere between comical and outrageous is Mosley is appealing his "suspension". Hey, if they've got him dead-bang in his London hotel room with weed, and he disconnected the smoke detector to boot, and he's only going to lose one game check instead of two -- then this clown has a lot of nerve challenging what little slap on the wrist he got off with.
Given all the above, forget the one game penalty. What's the statute of limitations on felonious stupidity?
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