Josh Gordon admitted to drinking alcohol during pregame warmups during every game of his career prior to 2017. During one stretch he missed 51 of 56 games because of his addictions. Cole Beasley, a way inferior player, will make more money in 2019 than Gordon has made in his entire career.
If you had a coworker who drank Cognac every day for breakfast, had to call in sick 51 weeks in a row, and was being way out paid by your company’s janitor, I doubt you’d describe him as managing his career “just fine.”
He didn't play in 2015 or 2016. He played 4 games in 2014.
So really what you are saying is when he was 23 years old and younger. He is only 28 now. I can forgive a 23 year old that shows genuine remorse and takes the actions to right the ship. The 28 year old man is staying sober and clearly is putting his sobriety first.
He didn't get paid for the time he missed. He wasn't "calling in sick". He was fired. And then came back, years later, sober. This is a "co-worker" who has a disease and its now getting treatment. He went and sought, and received and continues to receive treatment. And now, when he does "work", he does the job better than anyone at the "company" and helps put food on everyone at the companies table. But he is still a worker who deals with a disease. And every so often, to maintain his health (sobriety) he needs the structure of the treatment program.
It is NOT easy to stay strictly sober for any addict. Personally, I think he checked himself back into treatment and the league let him. I don't think he was caught. I think he confessed. I have not seen anything to show that his "indefinite suspension" is not something that Josh Gordon did not initiate himself as part of his treatment. The designation provided some legal cover for the league and it protected his sobriety and ergo status in the league.
Riddle me this. Why would the Patriots let multiple WRs go and tag Gordon? Do you think the Patriots think he is playing next season or no? When they gave him a ring, do you think it is because they expected him to continue to be part of the team? Do you think they WANT him to be part of the team? If he was showing up "drinking cognac", being dishonest and he was working next to a genuine champion health freak like Tom Brady, how long do you think that would have lasted?
amnesiac said:
this thread is the gift that keeps on giving.
JetMaxx said:
Please engage us with your experience regarding addiction and recovery.
Scroll back. I chimed already. Plenty of doctors and people in the industry have chimed in also.
IMO The guy is playing this year. You can like it or not, hate him or not, root for him or against him, but that won't change anything.
Last year he played 11 games with the Patriots. In those 11 games he caught 40 passes for 720 yards and 4 TDs. Extrapolate that over 16 games and he is around 55-60 catches, over 1000 yards and 5-6 TDs. I will take that on my fantasy team next year. And players like you will let me get him cheap.