DawgTalkers.net Forums DawgTalk Tailgate Forum Open Letter from josh

K. Because there's no way in my posts I'm excusing his behavior. In fact, he's exhibiting the denial thing.

I know. Sorry for the confusion.

From Josh's letter:

"It doesn’t matter if I thought that the league-imposed restriction on drinking had expired at the end of the regular season; what matters is that I didn’t confirm whether or not that was the case."

I think you completely missed my point.

Wow back at ya.

'Stephen A. Smith fires back at Josh Gordon for criticism'

http://www.sportingnews.com/nfl/story/20...-failed-alcohol

By Troy Machir

Last updated on January 29, 2015 9:01pm EST

Stephen A. Smith once again finds himself in a war of words with a professional athlete.

Just a few months removed from a verbal spat with 76ers guard Michael Carter-Williams, Smith is exchanging barbs with embattled Browns wide receiver Josh Gordon.

Gordon, who failed another NFL drug test, this time for alcohol, penned an open letter for The Cauldron and called out the always opinionated ESPN talking head, who had criticized Gordon on a recent episode of "First Take."

You’re done with me, Stephen A.? That presumes we ever actually got started. How, exactly, can you be “done” with someone you have never had a meaningful conversation with beyond a quick First Take spot? Regardless, I am relieved that you no longer need to harbor sympathy for me, mostly because I never asked for it, never wanted it, and certainly never needed it. I am not a victim here; I never claimed to be one, either.

Smith appeared on ESPN Cleveland's Golden Boyz radio show Thursday afternoon and fired back at Gordon. (The Big Lead has the full audio.)

First of all, I literally just read the letter. I finished it 60 seconds ago. Everyone was talking to me about it and I’d seen and heard that it existed and I just read it after I finished my radio show. I’m sad for him. It’s pretty pathetic. The fact of the matter is that it’s his actions that got him to this point, and you know I’ve said what I said. I meant every word of it. When I said stay off the weed, I meant it. When I said I’ve never seen a blunt or a piece of weed that was worth $5 million or more, I meant it. When I said that the alcoholic beverages are not worth it, I meant that.

Smith offered some praise for Gordon's letter, but felt that the piece, which also called out the likes of Charles Barkley and Cris Carter, missed the point.

But in the end, what Josh Gordon doesn’t realize in his letter is that he completely and unequivocally acknowledges that his actions led to that. What he’s basically getting on myself, Charles Barkley, Cris Carter and others about is that, “How do you even care about me and you don’t even know me?” And that’s really where his ignorance is heightened. What he’s not realizing is that we’re not speaking about you as an individual, we’re speaking about what you represent. You are a young African-American from the hardcore streets of Houston. You grew up poor, desolate to some degree because of your environment, and as a result you “made it out.”

So for you to be blowing these kinds of opportunities not just speaks to you, but it speaks to an abundance of individuals out in this world, particularly those from the African-American community that could possibly find themselves in this position, but somehow, some way blow it. That’s what we’re speaking about when we say we care. When we say we’re disgusted with you. When we say we’re disappointed in you. … We obviously are not just speaking about you as an individual. We’re speaking about what you represent. What you’re emblematic of. And we want you to guard against it because you doing wrong and blowing opportunities can inspire and influence somebody else to go down those same wrong tracks.

It's one thing to open up a healthy line of dialogue on a difficult situation like Barkley did with his colleague Kenny Smith on the Ferguson riots, but getting into a verbal sparring match with someone who is trying to — in some regards — help himself misses the mark.



(end)

I've been as hard as anyone on Gordon, but I can't help feeling that Stephen A Smith is rather cynically exploiting Gordon's misfortune and being a bit of a bully by piling on when a guy is down. Gordon's letter did soften my opinion on him. He seems to be a very bright and vulnerable young man that takes things to heart, but can't quite make that leap of maturity to being a person that can delay gratification. He seems to live totally in the moment, without regard to consequences. I don't think that makes him a criminal or even a bad person, but impulse-control seems to be a problem. The last thing Josh needs at this point is the burden of a whole generation of young black males counting on him to be a role model, which seems to be the crux of Smith's ire. Smith seems to be saying that he, Barkley, and Carter are speaking out on behalf of those young black males that Gordon has let down. (I can recall Charles Barkley saying emphatically that athletes should not be role models, but I guess Stephen A knows better how Chuck feels than Chuck does.) Or maybe Stephen A Smith is just using that role-model screed to get lots of Twitter hits. Maybe he's no different than Skip Bayless, who called Johnny Manziel an alcoholic on national TV, in the absence of any real credentials on the subject.

Josh Gordon's future is in his hands. I suspect his time is done in Cleveland, but I hope he gets his stuff together and finds his way, whether in football or elsewhere. I do support him speaking up against this new brand of irresponsible "commentator" on the national stage invoking their faux righteous indignation to further their careers.

I only listened to Stephen A's initial response to JG's letter, not the first take segement itself. But based on everything I heard and read to that point, Stephen A is absolutely right. His overriding message was basically this:

Stay off the weed, stay off the booze, stay out of trouble, and play football. That's it. Nothing about being a role model, and I didn't think he was being a bully beyond being very direct and blunt about how much of a screwup JG is being (my words, not Stephen A's)

Just read this piece about Cris Carter. You would think that given his issue's with his personal career, how he works with other receivers in the league, his son's issues etc. that Cris would be a good person to reach out to... http://www.cleveland.com/browns/index.ssf/2015/01/cris_carter_on_josh_gordons_le.html

JG can call out all the people he wants, but it doesn't sound like he's making any friends by doing so.

I guess we're going to have to agree to disagree. It's my opinion.

He was free to drink all he wanted......until he got his dui. After pleading guilty, he gave up his right to drink IF he wanted to continue his job.

He had choices. Don't get a dui would've been a good choice. He had choices: don't drink as his employment depended on it. He made a bad choice.

It's not his first bad choice, by a long shot.

The rules apply to Josh, just as they do any player in the substance abuse program.

Whether the nfl makes money off beer companies or not (and they do, I know) has no effect on Josh's situation. None.

If you can't see that, I don't know what to tell you.

NO ONE told Josh he couldn't drink, prior to his dui. AFTER that, the league (and more than likely the law) said "no drinking."

He had choices/options. He made a choice. It is NOT his RIGHT to play in the nfl - it's an option. He made a choice, now he has to deal with it. He is free to get a different job.

'The issue that Josh Gordon failed to address -- how he played when finally on the field: Terry Pluto'

http://www.cleveland.com/pluto/index.ssf..._social_feature

By Terry Pluto, The Plain Dealer on January 31, 2015 at 5:17 PM, updated January 31, 2015 at 5:26 PM

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- If Josh Gordon had been more dedicated to his job and performed better on the field -- it would be easier to take his letter more seriously.

Gordon missed the first 10 games last season because of a suspension. He was around the training facility during that time, but not allowed to practice with the team. But he had access to videos of Browns games, the playbook and lots of time to do homework.

What happened when he finally had a chance to step on the field?

He didn't know the plays.

And in the next five weeks, he didn't learn the plays. Some of his veteran teammates became very upset with his lack of effort in practice and on the field.

He played one game with enthusiasm -- his first one back. He caught eight passes for 120 yards.

In the next four games, he averaged four catches for an average of 45 yards per game. His failure to run the proper pass routes led to three interceptions for Brian Hoyer.

MISSING FOR ACTION

Then he missed the Saturday workout before the final game the next day in Baltimore. The Browns suspended him, and indicated that he had been late for other practices and meetings.

None of this was mentioned in his letter, other than saying, "I failed myself when I missed a team walk through late in the season and was suspended for the final game of the year."

Actually, he failed his teammates, his coaches and those who pay him -- long before that Saturday where he missed the practice. The team had such high hopes that he'd supply a spark when he returned.

Instead, he acted like someone who was trying to convince his team to dump him. Or else, he has slipped into such a malaise, it's not in him to work hard.

Not a word was said about his poor performance on the field before the team suspended him.

Ray Farmer sensed something was wrong with Gordon when the Browns general manager had a mid-season press conference on November 4.

Farmer talked about "not disrupting" the offense to force the ball to Gordon. Actually, the Browns did that -- and it was a mess. In Gordon's first two games back, Hoyer threw the ball 70 times -- 29 to Gordon. He caught 14, two were picked off.

In the last three games, the Browns threw to him 18 times -- he caught nine for a grand total of 108 yards.

Gordon ignored the facts about his lack of production.

MORE DENIAL

He also denied that he was addict. He claimed to have not smoked marijuana since he came into the NFL. He insisted that he had not consumed any alcohol from July 4, 2014, until he had "two drinks and two beers" on a private flight to Las Vegas. Actually, that's four drinks in about four hours.

He's sticking to the codeine cough syrup story as the source of his 2013 suspension. Several NFL players told me how they have a phone number to call if they need a doctor, a prescription or medical help of any kind. The team has people ready in season and out to take care of players. These people would make sure the athlete doesn't take any banned substances.

Nor did Gordon mention how he was bailed out of jail this summer by a man who was on probation for drug and weapons charges at the time. Hayden "Fats" Thomas has a long criminal history, and that's who Gordon turned to when he was arrested. Players have phone numbers of agents and team officials to call when in trouble.

Gordon wrote of growing up in a tough part of Houston in a single-parent home. But his circumstances are like those of many athletes -- and very, very few are suspended as often as Gordon.

Close to home, most of us know of the tough background faced by LeBron James growing up in Akron -- only he made one wise choice after another in terms of following the advice of coaches and others who had his best interests at heart.

My guess is high school coaches offered to mentor Gordon. Certainly, the two colleges that he attended (Utah and Baylor) have programs to help athletes. So do the Browns and the NFL. But an athlete has to want help.

"If I have a problem, it's that I'm only 23 years old -- with a lot left to learn," stated Gordon in his letter.

Several times in his letter, Gordon said, "I have failed myself."

Having done weekly jail ministry in downtown Akron for 15 years, one of the common lines you hear from addicts is: "The only one I'm really hurting is myself."

They don't want to face how their actions impact others. By saying, "I only hurt myself," it almost puts them in the role of a victim.

Josh Gordon has problems, several of them. And until he figures that out, nothing will change.



(end)

great read mr pluto...

Farmer talked about "not disrupting" the offense to force the ball to Gordon. Actually, the Browns did that -- and it was a mess. In Gordon's first two games back, Hoyer threw the ball 70 times -- 29 to Gordon. He caught 14, two were picked off.


once again i will ask this question which nobody would answer. whose decision was it to throw so many times to gordon? was it shanny? was hoyer allowed to audible out of the called play making it his fault? was someone else calling the shot? we were on top of the world until he came back. granted macks injury was huge to the run game, but we were still clicking with the smurfs. imo this led to hoyers downfall more than anything.

Who cares what issues he's failed to address, the fact of the matter is there are several issues and they are mostly recurring ones.

If he's smart enough to realize he keeps failing, but continues to fails - is he really smart at all then? God granted him all these talents, all this special physical abilities and attributes, but left off common sense in Josh's ingredient list.

jmo

Million dollar body and a ten-cent head.

Josh needs to talk to Archie Bunker

www.youtube.com/watch?v=xPaM0A4GBBQ

j/c:

Not sure it is all that relevant but has the NFL officially come out to report Gordon has been suspended? Or will they just wait to the last possible second in case he appeals?

I don't think the Browns have come out to say its official either....

As far as I know, nothing has been made public on what's going to happen and how (appeal, offically suspended, nothing)

If it takes them the same time as before, it'll be during camp this upcoming season before we know anything.

NFL officially banishes Browns wide receiver Josh Gordon for at least one year

Browns wide receiver Josh Gordon has officially been banished from the NFL for at least one year after violating its substance-abuse policy again, the league announced Tuesday.
"Josh Gordon of the Cleveland Browns has been suspended without pay for at least one year for violating the NFL Policy and Program for Substances of Abuse," a statement attributed to a league spokesman read. "Gordon’s suspension begins immediately."
The Browns did not immediately cut ties with Gordon, but General Manager Ray Farmer made it clear in a statement that Gordon's NFL career is on life support.
"As we have conveyed, we are disappointed to once again be at this point with Josh," Farmer said in the statement. "Throughout his career we have tried to assist him in getting support like we would with any member of our organization. Unfortunately our efforts have not resonated with him. It is evident that Josh needs to make some substantial strides to live up to the positive culture we are trying to build this football team upon. Our hope is that this suspension affords Josh the opportunity to gain some clarity in determining what he wants to accomplish moving forward and if he wants a career in the Nation Football League. We will have no further comment on Josh as he will not be permitted in our facility for the duration of his suspension."

http://www.ohio.com/blogs/cleveland-brow...e-year-1.564014

So will he appeal? Not sure his "uh, I didn't know that I couldn't drink after being suspended" story is going put forth much an impression. Especially for a repeat offender.

Sounds like Farmer is going to give him the year without cutting him. I guess it makes sense. Maybe he and Manziel will become monks in the off-season and find "peace and harmony" lol

I guess Haslam was lying out of his teeth when he promised that guys needed to straighten up or be cut.

But hey...........it sounded good at the time.