As I interpret it, a second Stage II violation is still just 6 games and an advancement to Stage III. You don't get the year until a violation after being moved into Stage III.The NFL doesn't announce what stage people are in so it's left to us to guess based on reports and the punishments handed out.I need to back up, as I missed this conversation the first 500 times. Disregarding the new policy for the moment, where were the advancements? He's only tested positive in the NFL twice, right? How do you get to a Stage III violation with only two positives? I think we can assume he entered in Stage I under the behavioral clause, based on his college positives and perhaps the falling asleep in the Taco Bell drive-thru episode. The first NFL positive (codeine) advanced him to Stage II. As I read the old policy, it takes TWO positives while in Stage II to be moved into Stage III. So why wouldn't he still be in Stage II after the second positive (weed) with one more positive between him and Stage III? And after that advancement he would still require yet another positive for a violation of Stage III. Even throwing in a doctor advancing him somewhere along the way, which is a second assumption, he's still not at a violation of Stage III. I don't see how there isn't at least one more positive that we don't know about, if not more.
Like I mentioned earlier, a player can enter Stage 1 for behavior and be advanced to Stage 2 based on the diagnosis of dependency. In fact if he's not advanced within 90 days he's supposed to be dropped out of Stage 1 in most (but not all) cases. You're right about it taking 2 tests to go from Stage 2 to Stage 3, I missed that earlier. So I would imagine the codeine was the first failed test at Stage 2, and then the marijuana failure immediately moved him to Stage 3 where he got the full year.
How he got to Stage 2 we can only guess at. With 3 failed tests in college it wouldn't be hard for me to imagine his diagnosis got him into Stage 2. But the falling asleep in the drive through thing could have been part of it too.
If he has only tested positive twice, it sounds like this "Medical Director" has taken him to the woodshed a few times.(2) Discipline for Second Failure to Comply in Stage Two:A player who has two Positive Tests in Stage Two; or fails twice, as determined by the Medical Director, to comply with his Treatment Plan in Stage Two; or has a Positive Test and fails to comply with his Treatment Plan, as determined by the Medical Director; or fails to cooperate with testing, treatment, evaluation or other requirements imposed on him by this Policy, as determined by the Medical Director, will incur:
(a) A suspension for the period of time to cover four consecutive regular and post season games (including the Pro Bowl, if selected) without pay if the player was fined pursuant to Section E.2.b.(1)(a) above; and
(b) A suspension for the period of time to cover six consecutive regular and post season games (including the Pro Bowl, if selected) without pay if the player was suspended pursuant to Section E.2.b.(1)(b) above.
You're not reading it correctly. There are two possible punishments for a two positives and/or failing to cooperate with testing/treatment etc in stage 2. One is the 4 game penalty, the other is the 6 game penalty. It depends on how he was fined. If he was fined (pursuant to section E.2.b.(1)(a), his suspension is 4 games. If he was suspended (pursuant to section E.2.b.(1)(b), his suspension for the 2nd failure is 6 games. (see red text above)As I interpret it, a second Stage II violation is still just 6 games and an advancement to Stage III. You don't get the year until a violation after being moved into Stage III.The NFL doesn't announce what stage people are in so it's left to us to guess based on reports and the punishments handed out.I need to back up, as I missed this conversation the first 500 times. Disregarding the new policy for the moment, where were the advancements? He's only tested positive in the NFL twice, right? How do you get to a Stage III violation with only two positives? I think we can assume he entered in Stage I under the behavioral clause, based on his college positives and perhaps the falling asleep in the Taco Bell drive-thru episode. The first NFL positive (codeine) advanced him to Stage II. As I read the old policy, it takes TWO positives while in Stage II to be moved into Stage III. So why wouldn't he still be in Stage II after the second positive (weed) with one more positive between him and Stage III? And after that advancement he would still require yet another positive for a violation of Stage III. Even throwing in a doctor advancing him somewhere along the way, which is a second assumption, he's still not at a violation of Stage III. I don't see how there isn't at least one more positive that we don't know about, if not more.
Like I mentioned earlier, a player can enter Stage 1 for behavior and be advanced to Stage 2 based on the diagnosis of dependency. In fact if he's not advanced within 90 days he's supposed to be dropped out of Stage 1 in most (but not all) cases. You're right about it taking 2 tests to go from Stage 2 to Stage 3, I missed that earlier. So I would imagine the codeine was the first failed test at Stage 2, and then the marijuana failure immediately moved him to Stage 3 where he got the full year.
How he got to Stage 2 we can only guess at. With 3 failed tests in college it wouldn't be hard for me to imagine his diagnosis got him into Stage 2. But the falling asleep in the drive through thing could have been part of it too.
If he has only tested positive twice, it sounds like this "Medical Director" has taken him to the woodshed a few times.(2) Discipline for Second Failure to Comply in Stage Two:A player who has two Positive Tests in Stage Two; or fails twice, as determined by the Medical Director, to comply with his Treatment Plan in Stage Two; or has a Positive Test and fails to comply with his Treatment Plan, as determined by the Medical Director; or fails to cooperate with testing, treatment, evaluation or other requirements imposed on him by this Policy, as determined by the Medical Director, will incur:
(a) A suspension for the period of time to cover four consecutive regular and post season games (including the Pro Bowl, if selected) without pay if the player was fined pursuant to Section E.2.b.(1)(a) above; and
(b) A suspension for the period of time to cover six consecutive regular and post season games (including the Pro Bowl, if selected) without pay if the player was suspended pursuant to Section E.2.b.(1)(b) above.
Since Gordon was suspended for 4 games (reduced to 2), I'd assume he was fined for the 1st failure, not suspended.
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