Ricky Williams suspended again?

[stevew]

Dolphins' Williams tests positive for drug use
BY JASON COLE
[email protected]

Dolphins running back Ricky Williams faces at least a one-year suspension from the NFL after testing positive for drug use a fourth time under the league's substance abuse policy.

Two sources confirmed a report by WSVN-TV that Williams had failed the test, although neither would say the substance Williams used. On three previous occasions, Williams had tested positive for using marijuana.

Dolphins spokesman Harvey Greene declined to comment Sunday night.

''Because of the confidential nature of the league's substance abuse policy, we can't comment on any aspect of that program,'' Greene said.

Williams returned to the NFL this season after retiring for the 2004 season. He missed the first four games of the season and was fined an additional four weeks of salary from the second and third violations of the substance abuse program.

Those positive tests had occurred in December 2003 and in the 2004 offseason. Williams returned to have a productive season.

Williams has spent much of the offseason in Northern California studying yoga and holistic medicine.

[Fonzie]

Williams has spent much of the offseason in Northern California studying yoga and holistic medicine.

Good for him.

[DaddyTorgo]

LOL. Oh wow. How many chances does this asshole get before the NFL bans him for life?

[CraigSca]

I knew they should have traded him...

[st.cronin]

Williams has spent much of the offseason in Northern California higher than cirrus clouds.

corrected

[Rizon]

UGH!

[Eaglesfan27]

Ronnie Brown just became more valuable in my keeper leagues :)

[DaddyTorgo]

i'm not even really sure why this upsets me. it just does. maybe it's because he's taking the roster spot of someone who would actually want to play and wouldn't fuck up?

[Rizon]

i'm not even really sure why this upsets me. it just does. maybe it's because he's taking the roster spot of someone who would actually want to play and wouldn't fuck up?

Got Troy Stradford's number?

[oliegirl]

LOL. Oh wow. How many chances does this asshole get before the NFL bans him for life?


That was my thought as well. I don't think there has ever been a player in any sport who made it more clear that he wants nothing to do with football, and allowing him to keep returning only hurts the team, and the image of football in general. If he chooses to come back after the year and some team takes him, well...I'll be really disappointed.

[DaddyTorgo]

exactly. it's an "image of the NFL" thing if nothing else. he's slowly destroying their image. i'm surprised tagliabue hasn't banned him yet

[Joe]

That was my thought as well. I don't think there has ever been a player in any sport who made it more clear that he wants nothing to do with football

why would players in other sports want to make it clear that they want nothing to do with football?

[Young Drachma]

i'm not even really sure why this upsets me. it just does. maybe it's because he's taking the roster spot of someone who would actually want to play and wouldn't fuck up?

I think I thought he'd learned his lesson. Silly me.

[Captain2711]

wasted talent.

[Ksyrup]

Thank God Shanahan hadn't pulled the trigger before now.

[miami_fan]

I am not the least bit surprised by Ricky's actions. I am actually more suprised by the reaction of a few people to his coming back and now to him being caught again. All the BS about how he was coming back caused he missed the game and because he now wanted to play was essentially agent speak. He came back so he would not have to pay back the signing bonus. Nothing more, nothing less. After hearing him speak and reading comments he made during his "retirement", I truly believe that he does not love the game and absolutely abhors everything that is involved with the game with the exception of playing the game on Sunday and collecting the paychecks.

Now as far as the "image of the NFL thing" I just don't see this being anymore of a problem than the Vikings' problem over the last 5 of so years, the Cowboys' problems of the 90's etc. One thing the NFL (and its fans) do better than the NBA is associate whatever off the field problems a player/team has exclusively to the player/team. Ricky Williams will be looked upon as an idiot in and of himself. I doubt most NFL fans woul view him to be an example of a league-wide problem. His actions have virtually no effect on the NFL's image IMO.

[jbmagic]

LOL. Oh wow. How many chances does this asshole get before the NFL bans him for life?


Ask Steve Howe Of the Dodgers :)

[NoMyths]

Ask Steve Howe Of the Dodgers :)I don't think he'd know much about the inner-workings of the NFL.

[GoldenEagle]

I have never smoked weed before, but is that addictive?

[SFL Cat]

I guess Ricky picked up enough green last season to support another cannabis sabbatical

[Fonzie]

I have never smoked weed before, but is that addictive?

Psychologically, yes. Physiologically, most would argue no.

[Izulde]

Oi. I wasn't happy when he came back to the Dolphins and I'm even angrier now :mad: I'm just glad we have Ronnie so we can not miss this goofball asshat.

[JonInMiddleGA]

Gee, what a shocking development.

[Desnudo]

In other breaking news, Barry Bonds' head predicted to shrink a full hat size in 2007.

[EagleFan]

LOL. Oh wow. How many chances does this asshole get before the NFL bans him for life?


Not sure if I would call him an asshole for this. Definitely a druggie with major problems but he would probably be a hell of a lot funner to hang with that a true asshole like Bonds. :D

[Cringer]

So this isn't a thread making fun of jbmagic then? Dumb ass Williams. Guy grows a mean beard though.

[Schmidty]

So this isn't a thread making fun of jbmagic then? Dumb ass Williams. Guy grows a mean beard though.

I grew my beard from December 12 - February 2 and it was way gnarlier and poofier than yours, but my wife made me shave it off. :(

Seriously, I think there's something physiologically wrong with me. If I don't get a haircut every 2 weeks, I have a 2 foot cottonball on my head.

[SackAttack]

Ask Steve Howe Of the Dodgers :)

In fairness, his lifetime ban came with a different team (the Yanks, I thought).

He was only suspended twice before the Dodgers cut their ties with him.

[Icy]

Crap, we should have tradded him before this, not a surprise anyway. Pretty stupid by him to destroy a career that way, but probably as has been said he only returned to avoid to return the bonus. I wonder what will happend now, as he has not left the team this time, i wonder if he must return the bonus or not.

[GrantDawg]

In other breaking news, Barry Bonds' head predicted to shrink a full hat size in 2007.


:D :D :D :D :D :D :D

[waltwal]

i get the feeling that ricky is going to wind up some day as a prisoner in al-queda's war against the USA. when i ask myself how anyone can believe the 70 virgins story somehow someone appears and i understand.

[Cringer]

I grew my beard from December 12 - February 2 and it was way gnarlier and poofier than yours, but my wife made me shave it off. :(

Seriously, I think there's something physiologically wrong with me. If I don't get a haircut every 2 weeks, I have a 2 foot cottonball on my head.

I don't claim to be the league leader in beard growing, so no problem. :p

The cottonball thing is interesting though. Glad I don't have that one.

[Kodos]

Asshat.

[stevew]

Hmm, now it appears that he merely missed a drug test, instead of failing it. Apparently missing the test is appealable, whereas failing it is not.

Ricky Williams violated the league's substance abuse policy by failing to report for a scheduled test.
Most likely, the difference between actually failing a test and missing one only matters in the court of public opinion. It would appear that Williams would have a better chance to appeal the suspension if this is the case

[rkmsuf]

A missed test is considered positive. What is to appeal?

Guy is off in India sleeping with bushman or whatever they got over there. Why is that the NFL's problem?

[Dutch]

It's a free country, if a guy wants to get banned from the NFL, that's his choice. :)

[RendeR]

I don't understand the uproar, its not like we didn't know this would happen.


Ricky Retires, due to his social anxiety cure "weed".

Ricky is basically sued by the dolphins for breach of contract to teh tune of 8.1 million bucks

Ricky doesn't HAVE 8.1 million bucks. he SMOKED IT ALREADY.

Ricky comes back, serves 4 week suspension, plays one season.

Ricky no longer has to pay back anything.

Ricky Avoids a drug test.

Ricky gets suspended for a year.(Technically he is still a player in the NFL, just suspended.)

Ricky's contract is up after that year (I think, might be one more)

Ricky gets out fo paying 8.1 million by playing 3/4 of one season and only part time at that.

Ricky goes back to god knows where to think happy happy joy joy thoughts and smoke weed to his heart's content.

Dolphins bend over and take it in the blow hole.



again, What about this did we NOT know would happen?

[miami_fan]

Several league sources said Monday night that the case against Miami Dolphins running back Ricky Williams, who reportedly violated the NFL's substance-abuse policy for a fourth time and who faces a possible one-year suspension, already is in the appeals process, ESPN.com's Len Pasquarelli reports.

A source told ESPN.com's John Clayton that the team was aware of Williams' appeal.

None of the sources would divulge when the reported violation occurred or precisely when the appeal was filed through the NFL Players' Association. Two sources did acknowledge the appeal was submitted before reports surfaced Sunday evening of Williams' latest apparent violation. League policy requires that test results be kept confidential.


The timetable for resolving such appeals, which could be heard by commissioner Paul Tagliabue, varies by case and might take several months. Sources on Monday suggested Williams' appeal will likely take one-to-three months to resolve.

Meanwhile, sources told ESPN's Hank Goldberg that Williams' violation of the league's substance-abuse policy is not a matter of a missed test. Williams has failed a drug test, the sources said.

The substance discovered is not known publicly but a source told ESPN.com's Clayton that the drug for which Williams was said to have tested positive was not marijuana. Williams has three times prior tested positive for marijuana use.

The Miami Herald quoted a source who called the Williams' situation "confusing." When asked what substance he might have been using, the source told the newspaper, "This whole thing is a little confusing. I'll just leave it at that. The best way to say it is he violated the program."

Denver television station KDVR first reported Sunday night that Williams again had violated the league's policy. An NFL spokesman told ESPN that the NFL had no comment on the report.

Because of the confidentiality guidelines of the NFL system, it is not known how many appeals have succeeded, but reversals are believed to be rare. In 2000, however, then-Miami running back J.J. Johnson won his appeal against charges that he had violated the substance abuse policy, and he was spared a four-game suspension.

The basis of Johnson's appeal remains unknown.

Williams has tested positive for marijuana three times and served a four-game suspension when he returned to the NFL last season following a one-year retirement.

Williams' agent, Leigh Steinberg, did not wish to discuss Williams' situation except in hypothetical terms, according to the Herald.

"Assuming that something like this happened, an appeal would have been filed. In the best case, that appeal would probably not have been heard until April, but now that all this information is out, it's impossible to know what might happen. I would be blown away if Ricky Williams used drugs, and that's how most of the people around him also feel," Steinberg told the newspaper.

The report caught Williams' mother by surprise. On Sunday, Sandy Williams told the Palm Beach Post that her son is currently in India, that they had not spoken of late, and that she'd "bet my life he's not smoking marijuana."

Steinberg said Williams has been in India for approximately two weeks and is not scheduled to return to the United States until early April. He said Williams could have received permission from the NFL to leave the country for a period of time and not be tested under the league's substance-abuse policy.

Williams abruptly retired from the NFL in July 2004 and the Dolphins fell apart, losing their first six games and finishing 4-12 -- their worst season since the 1960s.

At the time of his return, Williams was ordered to pay the Dolphins $8.6 million for breaching his contract, although there has been no financial resolution between him and the team. He was scheduled to be paid the league minimum of $540,000 last season but was docked four games' pay because of his league-mandated suspension and was fined another four games in pay, reducing his take to $285,882.

Williams' base salaries for the two coming seasons are $545,000 and $670,000, the minimum for a player (he entered the league in 1999) of his NFL tenure.

ESPN.com senior writers Len Pasquarelli and John Clayton contributed to this report. Information from The Associated Press was also used.

RIcky has upgraded to something else?

[GrantDawg]

Masking agent?

[miami_fan]

http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/14426759.htm

Dolphins' Williams loses appeal; suspended for 2006
BY JASON COLE
[email protected]
Dolphins running back Ricky Williams lost his appeal of a fourth violation of the NFL substance-abuse policy and will be suspended for one year, a source said told the Miami Herald on Tuesday evening.

Williams was informed by the NFL on Tuesday. He had appealed the violation, which occurred in late December, to the league on April 10. Attorney David Cornwell had expressed hope after the appeal that the league would rule in Williams' favor.

That hope was based on the fact that Williams did not test positive for marijuana, the substance he had tested positive for on three previous occasions. The substance he tested positive for is unknown, but agent Leigh Steinberg has hinted that it was an ''upper'' and a drug not in keeping with Williams' personality.

NFL spokesman Greg Aiello confirmed the news, meaning Williams will miss the entire 2006 season -- including the playoffs. He can apply for reinstatement after that.

[Young Drachma]

What an idiot.

[Daimyo]

Does he lose any of his signing bonus for this? If not its a pretty good strategy for a guy who wanted to walk away anyway.

[miami_fan]

I am not sure if he would lose the year's portion of his signing bonus. I have already heard that if he were to try to "retire" in 2007, the Dolphins will once again go after the remainder of his bonus

[King of New York]

"The report caught Williams' mother by surprise. On Sunday, Sandy Williams told the Palm Beach Post that her son is currently in India, that they had not spoken of late, and that she'd 'bet my life he's not smoking marijuana.'"

As far as I am concerned, that settles it. Even if he is on the other side of the world from her and out of contact, Ricky's mom has those "mother's instincts." He's clean.

Free Ricky!

Last year, I put together the most partying fantasy football team ever. Ricky and Travis Henry supplied the controlled substances; Sebastian Janikowski and Jeff Garcia supplied the alcohol. We won almost no games, and we did not care.

[Joe]

should've just used the whizzinator

[Rizon]

Niiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiice.

[stevew]

Way to go Ricky.

[Lonnie]

I worked with Sandy in Austin when she lived there. She was a real nice lady. Everyone in Austin would always bug the hell out of her about Ricky, so I took the high road and never brought him up when I was around her.

[sterlingice]

I think I can officially put to bed my claims of "he's going to be a once-in-a-generation back" that I made before the draft. Classic case of million dollar body, ten cent head.

SI

[Rizon]

I worked with Sandy in Austin when she lived there. She was a real nice lady. Everyone in Austin would always bug the hell out of her about Ricky, so I took the high road and never brought him up when I was around her.

Brilliant :D

[Rizon]

I think I can officially put to bed my claims of "he's going to be a once-in-a-generation back" that I made before the draft. Classic case of million dollar body, ten cent head.

SI

C'mon now, ten cents? It's gotta be worth about $20.

[Ksyrup]

I think I can officially put to bed my claims of "he's going to be a once-in-a-generation back" that I made before the draft. Classic case of million dollar body, ten cent head.

SI

Name another back in any generation who has done the things this guy has done. I think your claim still stands.

[sterlingice]

Name another back in any generation who has done the things this guy has done. I think your claim still stands.

Huzzah! :D

SI

[JeeberD]

C'mon now, ten cents? It's gotta be worth about $20.

I think he was talking about a dime bag... ;)

[chinaski]

how many NFL players have been suspended a whole year for steroids?