-What happens if Josh Gordon loses his appeal and suspended for one year from the NFL? Does his suspension start right away? Not so fast. Josh Gordon will play this year. How does he play you may ask? He suppose to receive a year long ban if he loses, you may say in your head. Do you recall Pat and Kevin Williams? If not google it. If Gordon receives a year long ban from the NFL, the following should and hopefully will happen. If Josh Gordon loses his appeal his lawyer Maurice Suh will file a lawsuit in the Cuyahoga County Court of Common Pleas, while also filing a civil suit requesting a temporary restraining order against the NFL. In the motion for the restraining order, Gordon and his lawyer will ask the judge assigned to the case restrain the NFL from enforcing the suspension. To make sure the the restraining order is granted, Gordon will have to show he is "entitled to the relief demand" in the lawsuit. He also must prove or show if the T.R.O is not granted, he will suffer permanent injury. Which could be monetary damages from not being able to work. He must also prove that the NFL is attempting to threaten what he asking the judge to stop.
Now under Ohio law, Josh Gordon did not test positive for chronic or the active ingredient THC. Under Ohio law "only specimens which test negative on the initial test or negative on the confirmation test shall be reported as negative". So if the NFL must go by Ohio law and since Gordon tested negative on the confirmation test it should be reported as negative. Also under Ohio law, if either the initial test or the confirmation test is negetive the employer is obligated to report it as a negative test.
Here's the tricky part. The NFL substance abuse policy is not written the same as Ohio and the NFL will argue only federal law applies to the Collective Barganing Agreement and substance abuse policy. Josh Gordon is not stating he shouldn't be disinclined by the NFL, but simply he didn't test positive according to the law. Gordon's lawyers will also add a few other issues in his lawsuit as breach of contract, slander and defamation. Now if the T.P.O is granted, Josh will play this season while this whole case is dragged out in court, which may take up to 3 years to complete. But look forward to drafting Josh high, no pun intended, in your fantasy league this year.
-Browns quarterbacks Johnny Manziel and Brian Hoyer split first team reps yesterday at training camp. Many national and local media outlets have stated that Manziel has closed the gap with Brian Hoyer for the starting quarterback spot. But with the release of the Browns first depth chart yesterday, it listed Hoyer as the starter and Manziel as the backup. Also, Josh Gordon was listed as the starting/number 1 receiver on the depth chart.
-The Cleveland Cavaliers officially announced the signings of two former teammates of LeBron James while playing in Miami, James Jones and Mike Miller. Both are outside threats that will open up the middle for James and Kyrie Irving to drive to the hoop. James Jones won the 2011 3 point shootout at the All-Star game. Mike Miller shot 46% from outside the arc last year while playing for the Memphis Grizzlies.
-LeBron James finally met new Cavs coach David Blatt and General Manager David Griffin for the first time in a face to face conversation. Previously all communication was done either on phone or via text. After the meeting with his new coach and GM, LeBron and Mike Miller worked out together at St. Vincent St. Mary High School in Akron. A news conference is scheduled for Wednesday to introduce Mike Miller and James Jones to the Cleveland media.
-Always a step ahead, the San Antonio Spurs hired 6-time WNBA All-Star point guard, Becky Hammon to be an assistant coach on Gregg Popovich's staff. Hammon will take the job after she retires from her 16 year WNBA career this season. She will be the first full time woman assistant coach in the NBA. In 2001, Cleveland Cavaliers coach John Lucas brought in Lisa Boyer, now an assistant at South Carolina, for some practices and games, but did not travel with the team and did not get paid. Perhaps one day, this opens up the possibility of a woman coaching a team in the NBA.
-Indians pitcher Mike Tomlin went 4.1 innings giving up 8 hits, 5 earned runs and 1 unearned run in a rough 9-2 loss against the Reds last night at Progressive field. The Tribe was only able to muster up 5 hits for the game,as Cincinnati's Johnny Cueto dominated the Indians for a complete game. It's not a lot of good things about the Tribe besides they will now travel down to the 'Nati for a 2 game series before traveling to New York to face the Yankees.
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Tidbits from yesterday...
-Since everyone knows, or if you didn't know, I'm an umpire. People have been calling and texting me, why wasn't the play called dead when two balls were on the field when David Murphy was thrown out at 3rd? Answer is, under high school rules, yes the play would have been dead and runners would be entitled to the base they had possession of at the time of the play being killed. Under MLB rules, a play can not be killed until until the conclusion of the play.
-The Browns signed tight ends Kyle Auffray and Martell Webb. They also signed linebacker Keith Pough and wide receiver Tim Smith.
-Elyria high school alumni Tracy Sprinkle was reinstated to the Ohio State football team but will be suspended for the first game of the season against Navy. Sprinkle had been charged with possession on cocaine and failure to comply after a bar fight in exchange for a no-contest plea bargain after testing negative for any drug use. Sprinkle was fined and must perform community service.
