Josh Gordon's Letter

[The Peytonator]

https://medium.com/the-cauldron/an-open-letter-to-charles-barkley-co-cb5c4e64cf3

 

 

I gotta say I kinda feel for the guy. Not that I believe everything he says beyond all doubt, and he's certainly made a lot of boneheaded decisions, but I do not feel that his punishments have fit his crimes. Everything he has done is such a minor offense, but his career is in jeopardy because of it. Sorry to anyone who is offended by somebody driving with a BAC of .09, but it's honestly not a big deal. Breathing in second hand weed smoke and testing at a level that he would have passed if it were for the Olympics or Federal workplace standards, is not a big deal. Getting a few drinks with your teammates after the season is over, not a big deal.

 

I hope he doesn't make the same mistake again. I hope he serves his suspension next year and comes back in 2016 to light it up (no pun intended). I hope he does all this while playing as a Colt, and he and Andrew Luck win many a Super Bowl together.

[21isSuperman]

1. When Stephen A. Smith says he's done with you, it doesn't mean he doesn't want to be your friend.  He's trying to say he's had enough.  It's like when people on here say they are done with Pagano or Manusky or someone else.  We don't have any personal connection, but it's a way of saying he has had enough of you and your antics.

 

2. As analysts and guys in the media, it's their job to talk about things like this.  Someone tells them to give their opinion, so they do.  They have nothing invested in you.

 

3.

I succeeded by escaping a youth riddled with poverty, gang violence and very little in the way of guidance or support. I succeeded by narrowly avoiding a life of crime that managed to sink its clutches into almost all of my childhood friends. I succeeded by working tremendously hard on my craft and my body to even have a chance to play professional football for a living. And, contrary to popular belief, I succeeded by overcoming my longstanding relationship with weed — because I knew I was risking my future over it.

There are several NFL players who have gone through that and haven't failed any drug tests, let alone multiple drug tests like you did.  Many guys in the NFL have gone through similar situations and haven't been in legal trouble.

 

4. He continues on that note, saying his upbringing was very difficult.  Despite how obnoxious and annoying he is, Richard Sherman also had a very difficult upbringing.  Yet, he's never had any of the off-the-field issues you do.

 

5.

 

My primary concern was — and is — being the best football player I can be

Your actions claim otherwise

 

6. Since you know what kind of punishment the league is giving you and you know random drug or alcohol tests will happen, it's your responsibility to make sure you make smart decisions.  So you have to be aware of the fact that you could get an alcohol test at any time.  Why drink so much when you know you could get tested?  Drink responsibly.  Your employer has set standards and you are expected to meet them.

 

7. I'm not sure how many times I read in that letter the words "I failed" or "I messed up" or something to that effect.  Good for you for taking responsibility, but how many times do you need to fail or mess up before you finally get something straight?

 

8. What have they (Barkley, Smith, or Carter) said that is wrong about you?  Barkley said you could die if you keep going down this path.  It could be true; if you keep acting carelessly and recklessly, who knows what will happen.  If you fail a drug test because of other people smoking marijuana around you, then you're hanging out with the wrong people.  Who knows where that will lead you?  Smith said he's done with you.  Well, it's very possible the Browns are as well.  In fact, many NFL teams could be.  Carter said it was a dark day and there were no winners.  I don't see how that's inaccurate.  You mean to say there is a winner when you fail an alcohol test?  That was a bright day?

 

9. You are not the only one to go through adversity.  Everyone on the planet faces adversity. 

 

10.  Being 23 is not a problem.  Being immature and making stupid decisions is.

 

You get no sympathy from me, Josh Gordon.  You make stupid decisions, then you try to use the excuse of having a hard upbringing.  Grow up and act more maturely. 

[southwest1]

It's clear to me that Josh Gordon is looking to chalk all his addiction problems to 1 phrase: "You don't know me." Ah Josh, it's time to grow up, face that man in the mirror honestly, & say to yourself do I wanna be somebody special in the NFL or a nobody who threw away so much potential & god given talent? This guy is in such denial with himself it's tragically laughable. Do you know how many people would love to have your athletic talent & generate millions from it? This kind of cash is life changing money man. 

 

I do respect WR Cris Carter because I remember his career with the Eagles, his addiction issues, & how he turned around his life with Dennis Green & the Minnesota Vikings. He knows of what he speaks because he lived through it personally himself. Also, I do appreciate how candid ESPN host Skip Bayless has always been growing up with an alcoholic father who drank himself to death & a mother who struggled with her own booze problems. I don't like how Skip always undercuts Luck's progress & accomplishments, but I was shocked when Skip said on the air that he never wanted a girlfriend who wanted children because he feared that he might turn into his angry father & he didn't wanna subject a child to bad memories he himself endured. My point here is this: I can see the genuine pain on his face when he speaks about the dangers of too much alcohol consumption & how it can literally destroy lives if not held in check. 

 

Stephen A Smith does get annoying sometimes when he gets in his preacher voice mode & repeats the same darn point 500 times I will admit, but he does have a valid point when he says "where else is Josh gonna earn that much money so fast?" Mr. Gordon needs to get his life & his priorities in order & he's lying to himself if he thinks he's doing a okay right now. Good luck Josh but part of being a man is making responsible decisions, getting professional help, & not using a harsh upbringing as an excuse for reckless, self indulgent, boneheaded, & self inflicted behavior. 

 

I enjoy watching you catch passes & score TDs. I sincerely hope this latest incident is a wake call for you to turn your life around Josh. 

[DougDew]

I'm reminded of a short story about Tony Gonzales. It was about how he took care of the equipment he needed to perform his job...his body. He talked about healthy habits, working out, and nutrition and eating. Talked about the science behind eating whole fresh fruits, not processed stuff, etc. Basically talked about the things he put in his body and didn't put in his body. He basically called out the interviewer for eating things like pop tarts, etc.

A professional athlete makes money for himself, and his company, by taking care of his body.

I can't see how an athlete who habitually drinks alcohol or smokes weed, or smokes cigarettes, can be viewed as a professional. I view him as someone who doesn't take care of company equipment properly...in a way that benefits the company or team. Its like a taxi cab driver who trashes the company's cab relative to other drivers, simply because he personally enjoys it.

But people choose to look at either the morals or the coolness of the conduct and judge it through that prism. I guess that's the way Gordon is lobbying too.

Gordon will be physical trash in short order. His body won't allow much of a career for very long anyway. Other young athletes competing for his job will out perform him.

[Synthetic]

Everyday people (I.E. poor people) lose their jobs everyday and starve while we're just told to "get over it" and find a new job. However, this guy can make millions and gets to write whiny letters and people will still support him. 

 

He has a mansion and millions. I'm sure he's really going to be hurting in the dough department. 

[southwest1]

https://medium.com/the-cauldron/an-open-letter-to-charles-barkley-co-cb5c4e64cf3

 

 I hope he does all this while playing as a Colt, and he and Andrew Luck win many a Super Bowl together.

Thanks for the link & part of me would like to see a sober, clean, & re-invigored Josh Gordon assist in helping the Colts win a SB down the line, but right now all I care about is keeping him alive Peytonator. 

 

Each incident seems small until you start stacking them up against 1 another from college through now. I worried about him man. Yes, I know tragically not everybody can be saved. 

[southwest1]

Everyday people (I.E. poor people) lose their jobs everyday and starve while we're just told to "get over it" and find a new job. However, this guy can make millions and gets to write whiny letters and people will still support him. 

 

He has a mansion and millions. I'm sure he's really going to be hurting in the dough department. 

True, but if those game checks stop coming & no other team picks him up, Josh's standard of living declines significantly over time. Plus, we have no idea how many relatives have their hands out asking for greenbacks to deplete his bank account either. 

 

I get your primary thesis though. Dirt poor is not the same as tightening a belt on an NFL salary. I read ya Bogie. I read ya. 

[Valpo2004]

https://medium.com/the-cauldron/an-open-letter-to-charles-barkley-co-cb5c4e64cf3

 

 

I gotta say I kinda feel for the guy. Not that I believe everything he says beyond all doubt, and he's certainly made a lot of boneheaded decisions, but I do not feel that his punishments have fit his crimes. Everything he has done is such a minor offense, but his career is in jeopardy because of it. Sorry to anyone who is offended by somebody driving with a BAC of .09, but it's honestly not a big deal. Breathing in second hand weed smoke and testing at a level that he would have passed if it were for the Olympics or Federal workplace standards, is not a big deal. Getting a few drinks with your teammates after the season is over, not a big deal.

 

I hope he doesn't make the same mistake again. I hope he serves his suspension next year and comes back in 2016 to light it up (no pun intended). I hope he does all this while playing as a Colt, and he and Andrew Luck win many a Super Bowl together.

 

Had a friend killed by a drunk driver. . . it is a big deal to me.  

 

That said I'm not sure he isn't being singled out in comparison to how the league has handled previous incidents. . . Has Andrew Jackson even been suspended yet?  I believe he did plead guilty and all, so I would think his suspension should come soon.

 

The Marijuanna thing. . . I care less and less about it.  There is no way the stuff delivers a competitive advantage on the field and if you do it in your own home and don't drive while high, you arn't really hurting anyone.

 

But drunk driving IS a big deal.  I don't know what is so hard about not driving after you've been drinking alcohol.  I've never been drunk in my life, I limit myself to 1 alcoholic drink in a 24 period and I make it a point not to drink even that if I know I'm gonna be driving in the next 3 to 4 hours.

 

One of the best and nicest people I've ever known who had just finished college and just became an elementary school teacher isn't with us today because someone couldn't plan ahead to make sure they where not driving after drinking.  

 

So sorry, it is a big deal to me.  Quite frankly I'm disturbed at the light slap on the wrist Andrew Jackson got from the law.

[Gavin]

Would love if he can turn it around, One hell of a receiver, Exciting to watch, Hopefully he can turn it around, Tons of talent....2015 is the last year of his deal.....Wonder if the Browns will re-sign him given his off field issues

[BpG]

I can't believe people still defend this absolute clown show. Josh Gordon is either just the dumbest kid I've ever witnessed or he is an outright liar, he is likely both. 

 

Which professional athlete, ALREADY IN THE DRUG PROGRAM goes to a doctor that isn't the team doctor. Gets Codeine, which is the main ingredient in the well known "Syrup".... Josh Gordon is from Houston, like he doesn't know what Codeine is? He went to a doctor that wasn't his team doctor, then didn't even check with the team doctor? I am supposed to believe that lie?

 

Then, yeah maybe he caught a bad break on his recent weed suspension. Maybe he didn't though, he is a consistent liar from the time he was 18 at Baylor. 

 

 

Then he agrees to not drink and drinks anyway. 

 

 

I'm supposed to feel bad for him because he had a hard upbringing? That is the ultimate excuse for a guy who has been coddled as much in his lifetime as Gordon has. BULLCRAP!

[BOTT]

He obviously needs to get his act together, but the media jumps to a lot of conclusions without knowing a lot of the facts.

[HOZER]

I can't believe people still defend this absolute clown show. Josh Gordon is either just the dumbest kid I've ever witnessed or he is an outright liar, he is likely both.

Which professional athlete, ALREADY IN THE DRUG PROGRAM goes to a doctor that isn't the team doctor. Gets Codeine, which is the main ingredient in the well known "Syrup".... Josh Gordon is from Houston, like he doesn't know what Codeine is? He went to a doctor that wasn't his team doctor, then didn't even check with the team doctor? I am supposed to believe that lie?

Then, yeah maybe he caught a bad break on his recent weed suspension. Maybe he didn't though, he is a consistent liar from the time he was 18 at Baylor.

Then he agrees to not drink and drinks anyway.

I'm supposed to feel bad for him because he had a hard upbringing? That is the ultimate excuse for a guy who has been coddled as much in his lifetime as Gordon has. BULLCRAP!

Never thought I'd see the day I would like one of your posts......but you nailed it!

[oldunclemark]

agree to all..

Josh is not ready to accept that the problems are his own..100%...

He is talking to us when he needs to be talking to professional help....

He's accpetimng that he has a problem which is goodf) but he hasnt accepted TOTAL blame yet..He doenst seem to be at the end of the mental road where he can get better yet

[BOTT]

agree to all..Josh is not ready to accept that the problems are his own..100%...He is talking to us when he needs to be talking to professional help....He's accpetimng that he has a problem which is goodf) but he hasnt accepted TOTAL blame yet..He doenst seem to be at the end of the mental road where he can get better yet

You should get your own daytime talk show where people nod their head in approval.

[oldunclemark]

You should get your own daytime talk show where people nod their head in approval.

Is this how Dr. Phil got started???

[BOTT]

Is this how Dr. Phil got started???

He was on my mind