An Open Letter to Charles Barkley & Co by Josh Gordon

mixed into that...

Loaded with denial and excuses and the message he wants everyone to take away is "I don't have any excuses..."

Okay, dude.

but he does admit that he messed up on that plane ride.

He should know better but maybe he should be sentenced to some serious help instead of being thrown out of the Nfl.

if he were smart, I'd listen to his advice.

I think it's pretty powerful and I think this is a learning experience from a young 23 year old kid who is trying to balance and sort his life out.

Obviously, at the end of the day, he failed and made a mistake and deserves whatever the consequences are but I don't think he's a bad kid. I think he's trying to get right and slipped up. I think a lot of people are also making really unfair assumptions about him as a person.

It's easy for all of us to sit here and call him names and berate him, etc. But a lot of us also didn't have to grow up the way he did. Haven't had to deal with going from that to suddenly being in the spotlight and having to manage everything that comes along with it. It's not easy for some of these kids.

I am rooting for Josh to wind back up on the field after he serves whatever his next suspension will be and have an awesome career because the kid is incredibly talented and the NFL is a better league with him in it.

I think it's a terrible article and an awful decision to write something like this (His PR department gets an F).

Littered with false responsibility-taking. Second-hand marijuana. Just .01 over the legal limit.

So what if we don't know him? We know his pattern of behavior.

He isn't the only guy to come from a difficult upbringing, yet the majority of NFL players go through their careers without suspension.

And the end of the article is particularly eye-roll inducing. He expects people to admit they were wrong about him when his behavior has reinforced their beliefs. It's silly and dumb.

Spare me the sanctimonious, holier than thou bullshit. He's a 23 year old kid. The majority of the people coming down so hard on him have been just as guilty at points in their lives.

The only thing eye-roll inducing is the people who act like they've never made any mistakes and would have been able to handle being in his shoes so much better. The guy didn't kill anyone, he's trying to sort his shit out. He takes responsibility numerous times in the letter for his actions and puts the blame squarely on his own shoulders.

And good for him for putting guys like Stephen A. on blast because they deserve to be. I'm sure Chuck was a saint his entire life and never had a sip of alcohol and got behind the wheel or sat in a room with some guys who were smoking a joint.

Please.

some eye rollers.

His 'responsibility-taking' is littered with denial and lashing out.

Do you really believe he failed a drug test due to second-hand smoke?

If you're taking responsibility, why point out to the degree you failed (failing by .01)?

And 23 is the age of an adult - it's not 'holier than thou' to point out the majority of NFL players, many of whom have grown up in rough neighborhoods, never jeopardize their employment due to drugs or alcohol.

Ahmad Bradshaw was someone who had issues coming out of college, but never had an issue since. He didn't need to write some bullshit article about people not knowing him.

Also, Justin Bieber also apologized for his behavior (link below) - good to know you're rooting for him as well.
Bieber Apologizes - ( New Window )

Also, no one is acting like they've 'never made mistakes'. However, it's important to note the the differences between our mistakes and the ones Josh Gordon has repeatedly made.

Yet how many of them have shown the same kind of lousy judgment as Gordon? The rough childhood excuse goes out the window once you're a professional making big money. Of course none of this makes him "a bad person". It does make him pretty damned stupid and short of the ability to make good decisions. If you're going to stop getting yourself in trouble, then do it rather than writing a column about it. Anyone can just say "Yep, it's on me, I take full responsibility." Will Hill did that a time or four, too. Saying the words is one thing, actually taking responsibility by improving yourself is another. Hey, maybe he's not bullshitting about second-hand smoke - he still put himself in that position. I'm actually on his side regarding draconian BAC limits - but the law is the law and NFL policy is NFL policy. Bad law, bad policy, but it doesn't absolve him of the consequences of his actions.

And a 23 year old is not a kid. He's a grown man making big boy money. Start acting like a big boy.

in fact it would surprise me if that wasn't a condition of any bond or disposition he had on the DUI charge, it's pretty standard.

I think you're falsely assuming that because certain players haven't been suspended, they've never done anything comparable to Gordon.

If you think Gordon is part of some 5% sub-culture of NFL players who are or have been around marijuana, you're being incredibly naive.

I wasn't there with him when it got into his system so I have no idea what he did or didn't do. But I do know he passed all of the other drug tests that were administered. So the idea that he just continually has failed is also off. He's pointing out the tiny discrepancy because it backs up his story which, he still admitted was a poor decision anyway.

This notion that his death is pending now that he's made a couple of mistakes typical of most kids his age is laughable. He just gets held to a different standard because of who he is.

And please. I don't know about you but I am sure as hell not the same guy I was when I was 23 years old. I was a lot more naive 7 years ago and a lot less responsible. People do a great deal of growing up through their 20's.

The amount of temptation for you or I is nowhere close or comparable to what it is for a guy like Gordon who has money to burn and fame to go along with it. It's not fair to treat the situations equally.

But how many of them have had multiple suspensions because of it? How many of them realize that, after the first offense, that they should go the extra mile to avoid it in the interests of their careers?

That's my point - not that Gordon's offenses are so out of the ordinary, but that his stupidity in repeatedly committing them while knowing the consequences sets him apart.

That doesn't mean that a 23 year old is a child, incapable of making decisions. There are 23 year old sergeants in the Marines who are squad leaders, responsible for 3 fireteams and 12 junior Marines. 23 year old lieutenants are platoon leaders who lead 40-50 men.

And spare me the "oh, he has so many more temptations". Lots of people have temptations. I had a friend in Pensacola who was actually a really smart guy - he was actually the guy who introduced me to my wife. He was the best tech in our class and an ace chess player. He had already lost a baseball scholarship because of a marijuana possession arrest. He later failed a piss test in the Marines, somehow wasn't kicked out after the first offense because he was right at the threshold for a positive test, and after serving his punishment proceeded to fail another one and get himself a bad conduct discharge. He didn't need a big salary and an entourage to act stupidly.

But he's only been suspended by the NFL once for pot. And it was the time he was .01 over the limit which he claims he hadn't even smoked directly. If his story is true (I can't prove it is or isn't) then it would appear he had learned his lesson as far as pot goes.

At 23 I was in the Army. I did my share of stupid crap but if I got caught smoking pot, or driving drunk, it would have been the end of my career, and very possibly would have resulted in a discharge that would have limited my employment prospects for the rest of my life. And the same was true of my peers, many of whom came from backgrounds as bad or worse than his and had a whole helluvalot more responsibility at that age than avoiding substance abuse. The hyperbole from media nitwits is craptastic, but this letter is mostly nonsense.

My point is that people in their early 20's make mistakes. I sure as hell did. If you didn't, good for you.. you're a better man than I.

I don't think I'm an idiot or a bad person. I think I was just immature when I was younger and I was irresponsible. Shit happens. People come from different places and are around different people. It's too convenient to just say "well, you're an adult, don't make a mistake"

Shit happens.

In comment 12114901 arcarsenal said:

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But he's only been suspended by the NFL once for pot. And it was the time he was .01 over the limit which he claims he hadn't even smoked directly. If his story is true (I can't prove it is or isn't) then it would appear he had learned his lesson as far as pot goes.

Who cares if he smoked directly or not? Why would you even put yourself in that situation, knowing the potential consequences? Again, my point isn't that he's a bad guy or an arch-criminal, it's that he's a dumbass.

It has nothing to do with him enjoying marijuana (or alcohol) and everything to do with these things getting in the way of his job.

Plenty of Giants have been known to toke up without getting caught. Plenty of Giants have drank without it impacting their jobs.

Yes, the media is being hyperbolic (as the media loves to do).

No one is saying Gordon is a bad person. However, he's a moron incapable of doing what needs to be done in order to excel at his profession.

Saying 'everybody makes mistakes' is a total logical fallacy because it ignores the scale and severity of mistakes.

I don't think his mistakes are nearly as big a deal as you do, I guess. I think he's being held to a different standard than most of his peers because of his past. There are hundreds of guys in the league doing the same things and getting away with it because they aren't Josh Gordon and they're not in the league's substance abuse program.

The biggest mistake he made was drinking on the plane when he knew he shouldn't have. Being in a room with some guys who are smoking.. not the brightest idea. But in the moment, the guy is probably thinking he's doing a good thing by passing on it and not touching it. Wound up biting him in the ass.

It's not like I'm sitting here saying the guy deserves zero punishment. I just said I think the media specifically are going overboard as per usual and a lot of keyboard warriors are following suit. I am personally hoping he gets it sorted out and puts this all behind him. You're free to think otherwise.

In comment 12114940 arcarsenal said:

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There are hundreds of guys in the league doing the same things and getting away with it because they aren't Josh Gordon and they're not in the league's substance abuse program.

I think we're reaching an impasse here. Exactly, they're not in the program. He is. Regardless of whether or not it's fair that he's now held to a different standard, it's a fact of life that he is. He can either be smart and go the extra mile to avoid more suspensions, or he can do what he actually did and keep getting himself suspended. Ultimately, he knew the consequences and showed a serious lack of judgment by continuing to put himself in situations where he could be a violator again.

In comment 12114940 arcarsenal said:

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I don't think his mistakes are nearly as big a deal as you do, I guess. I think he's being held to a different standard than most of his peers because of his past. There are hundreds of guys in the league doing the same things and getting away with it because they aren't Josh Gordon and they're not in the league's substance abuse program. The biggest mistake he made was drinking on the plane when he knew he shouldn't have. Being in a room with some guys who are smoking.. not the brightest idea. But in the moment, the guy is probably thinking he's doing a good thing by passing on it and not touching it. Wound up biting him in the ass. It's not like I'm sitting here saying the guy deserves zero punishment. I just said I think the media specifically are going overboard as per usual and a lot of keyboard warriors are following suit. I am personally hoping he gets it sorted out and puts this all behind him. You're free to think otherwise.

Terrible post on many levels.

Of course he's being held to a different standard because of his past. That's how the NFL rules, laws, and many workplace rules work. Punishment is harsher for second/third/fourth/fifth offenders.

I don't buy the 'being in a room with guys smoking' bullshit either, but that's beside the point.

And if you read this 'powerful' piece, you would have read that he didn't know he shouldn't have been drinking on the plane:

Quote:

I thought that the league-imposed restriction on drinking had expired at the end of the regular season

And this makes no sense:

Quote:

I am personally hoping he gets it sorted out and puts this all behind him. You're free to think otherwise.

Hoping and thinking are completely different things. What am I 'free to think'? Thanks for your permission for whatever it is.

Will Hill did to the Giants. For that I feel frustration with him and see his actions as irresponsible, selfish and thoughtless. He didn't just let himself down, he threw an entire organization under the bus.

That said, just because some of you guys were mature at 23 doesn't mean that a majority of 23-year olds are close to maturity, or can stay away from foolish decisions. Indeed, it seems likely that a majority of kids in their early 20s smoke pot, and in 'Nam, it sounds like it was a favorite pass-time of our GIs.

I think it's a worthwhile discussion to have about whether the NFL's drug policy is reasonable. I frankly wish pot was legalized nationally, and while a DUI is a really serious infraction, how many of us are suspended from work if we are charged with one?

These guys are not role models, and shouldn't be. Heck, maybe we should penalize Cromartie for having a gazillion kids he doesn't likely father well...it would sure make more sense than this faux-moral outrage about a kid smoking pot.

The argument could be made that smoking pot's illegal. Yet I view it as far more reprehensible and irresponsible to father a score of kids with 8 different mothers.

Morality aside, however, and having ranted here for a while, I still cannot condone letting down one's teammates and organization. These are your "brothers," and it seems a relatively simple thing to choose not to take an action that could jeopardize not only yourself but so many others.

He never confirmed whether or not his restriction had expired. He thought it did but he didn't know that for a fact. So in retrospect, he realizes now that he shouldn't have been drinking on the plane. Thus, mistake. Get it? Got it? Good.

Anyway, thanks for dissecting my post. I'm aware that hoping and thinking are different things. I am hoping he gets it sorted out because I think he's a tremendously talented kid, as I said. Obviously you have a different opinion (that's where the word "think" came into play if you need me to spell it out for you clearer) than I.

And yes, I realize in the post before I said he knew he shouldn't have been drinking on the plane. I didn't really word that properly.

My point is he wasn't positive he was allowed to and did it anyway and obviously made a bad decision at that point.

Quote:

I am hoping he gets it sorted out because I think he's a tremendously talented kid, as I said. Obviously you have a different opinion

This is a silly strawman, which is something most wrong people resort to.

He realizes now=/=he knew, btw.

I don't understand why he isn't allowed to drink. If he drinks and drives, lock him up. But having a few drinks and acting responsibly? What year is this?

In comment 12115030 Csonka said:

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I don't understand why he isn't allowed to drink. If he drinks and drives, lock him up. But having a few drinks and acting responsibly? What year is this?

It is a very common feature of most DUI dispositions that the defendant is enjoined from drinking for a year. It is a common feature of most bond orders, even when DUI is not the charged crime. Is it routinely violated? Sure. But it's not unconscionable.

In comment 12115030 Csonka said:

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I don't understand why he isn't allowed to drink. If he drinks and drives, lock him up. But having a few drinks and acting responsibly? What year is this?

Duned said it's standard for DUI's.

.

Again. If he wasn't positive his ban was over, he made a mistake by drinking on the plane. He may have thought it was at the time, but he concedes in the letter that he had never confirmed that.

able to get out of his own way.

accusing those who have adult expectations of a 23 year old of being sanctimonious is pretty amusing.

Most of us didn't cost ourselves millions of dollars at 23 and make a whole bunch of people unhappy because we couldn't act responsible at the right time.

Gordon is an entitled moron and age has nothing to do with it.

but you're really giving Gordon too much benefit of doubt in this instance. The guy is a repeat fuckup, and that likely won't change until he stops with the excuses and takes responsibility for his actions for once.

the tires? year after next year?

Whoever advised him to write this (if he did write it) gave awful advice

he's old enough and has had plenty of chances. if my job drug tested me randomly then I wouldn't smoke weed. So yeah, I can say that he's a moron.

Hopefully for him he really does learn from it, but I don't feel the least bit sorry for him. The guy even got the NFL to change the rule and still broke it when on a zero tolerance policy.

In comment 12115088 David in LA said:

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but you're really giving Gordon too much benefit of doubt in this instance. The guy is a repeat fuckup, and that likely won't change until he stops with the excuses and takes responsibility for his actions for once.

I think people exaggerate his track record and make his offenses out to be worse than they were. He fucked up in college and smoked pot, he says he hasn't smoked again since he was drafted. If he's telling the truth about the second hand smoke incident, maybe he really hasn't because he's been tested multiple times and passed all the rest. Again, I don't know what really happened. But if he was .01% above the limit, chances are he probably wasn't puffing anything directly.

He should have known what the rules were before he had a few drinks on the plane.

As someone who did all this shit a billion times in my early 20's, I just can't sit here and berate the guy. People make bad decisions and sometimes it takes longer for some to figure it out than others.

I just don't think all the bullshit about his death being imminent because of this behavior or him having serious addiction problems are necessary. I think it's a 23 year old being a 23 year old. The difference is that he's famous and under far more scrutiny than the average person his age.

It is what it is. Maybe I'm just more sympathetic than everyone else.

In comment 12115126 arcarsenal said:

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As someone who did all this shit a billion times in my early 20's, I just can't sit here and berate the guy. People make bad decisions and sometimes it takes longer for some to figure it out than others.

Yes, well, unlike you, about 99% of Gordon's net worth is tied up in his performance between the ages 22-29. After that, if he hasnt built himself a sizeable net egg, he'll probably be stocking shelves at walmart.

So while your sympathy is nice -- bottom line is he let his teammates, his owner and his fans down again this year, and he's running out of time to "mature."

Of course if there's one thing i'm certain of... he'll get cut by Cleveland after yet another infraction next year... and New England will pick him up the year after and get 1600 yards and 12 TDs out of the guy for cheap. Then, of course, the Redskins will sign him to a huge multi-year offseason deal.. and he'll go back to weed.

Rinse. Repeat.

my guess is he knew when his test was coming, and miscalculated how quickly his body could get rid of the THC in his system.

You don't know that and neither do I.

That wasn't the only time he's been tested since he's been in the league, either. There have been a ton of others and he's passed all of them. Failing one by such a small amount makes me think maybe he's telling the truth. But it doesn't matter what I think because a failed test is a failed test regardless of how he got there.

We're moving towards a point where pot is going to continue to be legalized in a bunch of states. What people are viewing as a major infraction right now is likely to not even be one a few years down the road.

Rules are rules, I get it. He's out of mulligans. Lesson learned, hopefully. We'll see.

on Gordon, but the best thing he can do at this point is "ignore the noise".

And needed a better job to do that. I knocked off the BS, grew up and did a great job as a Dad, provider and husband. Comes a time to put away the toys...

and WIll Hill should hang out together… in jail!

In comment 12115486 spike said:

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and WIll Hill should hang out together… in jail!

In Jail? Why should they be in jail?

He's a good talent who is a good guy. It's just drugs guys. Plus he's a friggin KID!!

When I was 23, ohhhhh boy.

Adrian Peterson, and Ray Rice, too!

then I say it shouldn't be. Sorry, just because it's standard doesn't make it right. Drinking at age 23 isn't illegal. Drinking and driving is. If he drinks and drives, arrest him. But saying you can't drink for a year is stupid and arbitrary because drinking isn't illegal.

Yeah, he's stupid for risking everything by breaking this stupid rule. But having a few drinks and not driving doesn't make him a criminal. There are a lot of guys doing a lot worse to worry about.

is stupid.

With the exception of the DWI, his transgressions don't bother me a ton, but he broke the rules and he should have known better. However, the argument that people this age assume great responsibility, and that therefore Gordon doesn't have the "young and dumb" excuse, is not completely fair.

Brains develop differently for different individuals. We now know that parts of the adult brain aren't fully formed until age 25, and that young adults are still developing the parts of the brain that are responsible for things like impulse control. I recently heard this described as teens having "weal brakes," which is consistent with my experience with teenagers in a variety of settings.

Furthermore, teenage brains are practically drowning in dopamine, which means they get a lot more out of the highs and fall a lot further on the lows than the average adult. Because of these chemical factors, teens tend to perceive the rewards associated with risks as worth taking the risk when adults would not.

Now, obviously Gordon is not a teen, but from a chemical standpoint, he is barely removed from that status. Again, I'm not excusing him, just trying to provide a little context.

That means he was driving on 2 beers. Wrong, yes, but a noteworthy distinction.

As others have said though, the second hand smoke thing is bullshit.

as mandated by courts, probation, or parole are pretty standard. That's not what we're really talking about here though. The NFL is taking it on themselves to enforce that restriction, for better or worse.

And that isn't exactly normal for your rank and file worker in this country.

In comment 12116933 Mike in Long Beach said:

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That means he was driving on 2 beers. Wrong, yes, but a noteworthy distinction. As others have said though, the second hand smoke thing is bullshit.

This link says that it would take a 200 pound person 5 drinks to get to .08.

It's much more inexcusable since the NFL provides free rides for guys when they've been drinking.
DUI - ( New Window )

was not based on his DUI blood level, it was based on an NFL test done as part of his participation in the offender's program testing. It's a zero tolerance threshold. Whether or not it was .01 I don't know offhand, but the presence of alcohol in the test at any level was enough to trigger the discipline.

Normal in probation circles, not so much for an employer.

I'm not defending the man here. Just that certain things are being conflated that probably shouldn't be.

these ass holes who use fake concern as easy PR brownie points. Good for him.

just like the other athletes who find themselves in the same situation. Does not matter whether the rule is ridiculous (ie unable to drink). You KNOW the rule and you KNOW the consequences. You are gambling your future and millions of dollars by violating the rule. He gambled and lost. Too bad. I Dont feel sorry for him because he probably still has more $$ than the rest of us here. He will most likely piss that away too making it rain somewhere...