The Facts: Following up on the ongoing story. ... Despite a belief in some league circles that the person designated to handle the appeal of Gordon’s one-year suspension can split the proverbial baby by imposing a suspension somewhere between zero and 16 games, the NFL characterizes the substance-abuse policy in a way that makes clear the absence of discretion. For players in Stage III of the program, a positive test automatically triggers a one-year suspension. For Gordon, then, only two options exist: full-year suspension or no suspension at all.
Diehards Line:“The disciplinary penalties were negotiated by the NFLPA and NFL more than 20 years ago and there has never been a proposal to change them,” NFLPA spokesman Brian McCarthy told PFT via email. “When they were first established, the union expressed the strong view that they needed to be stated and mandatory to ensure that all players be treated the same regardless of position, experience, level of ability, or competitive considerations. On appeal, the hearing officer’s responsibility is to determine whether the violation was established and, if so, he is bound by the agreed-upon sanctions. ..." In case you missed it, Gordon's attorney's will use a second-hand smoke defense. The hearing is scheduled for Friday. We'll continue following up as needed.