Drugs are bad, don't do drugs... mmmkay?

According to ESPN Columnist Jamele Hill's article, "Honesty is indeed the best policy", Calvin Johnson, Gaines Adams and Amobi Okoye all admitted to smoking Marijuana at their NFL draft interviews. They later passed their drug tests and were all top 10 1st round draft picks, with Johnson the highest of the at #2 (Detroit), followed by Adams at #4(Tampa Bay) and Okoye #10 (Houston). Hill outlined her pre-draft viewpoints and had a dead-on analyses.

This brings me back to The Godfather when Zaluchi says, "I don't want it near schools -- I don't want it sold to children! That's an infamia." Yeah, sure. Let me know who falls for that one and I'll be sure to spam them.

Confessing this to a potential employer, in theory, is idiotic. Think of every cliche question a wife or girlfriend could ask their significant other, then think of every wrong answer and you've arrived to how ass backwards this really is. The idea of honesty is absurd and unwarranted in certain scenarios.

Then again, our last two presidents have admitted to smoking pot, so why would NFL players care? Plus, the players must have felt comfortable enough not to lie. Normal people are forced to live dual lives, first the ideatlised life for their parents, kids, boss, friends or wheoever and then the real one whatever that may entail. A lie represents a disconnect.

By telling the truth, they were opening up in a way that possibly made the stuffy, old rich old men of the NFL feel jive. Hip. Groovetown. Maybe some gave a laugh privately as if to say, "heh, just like the good ol' days" as they puff on their cigars and drink a bottle of scotch.

Tommy Bowden commented on Adams, his former player at Clemson.

"I hold him in the same esteem as President Clinton. He's in good company," Bowden said, adding that he would hope his children and players wouldn't try marijuana. "If I would have to pick a guy off the team who hadn't tried it, it would be [Adams]. But I don't know if he inhaled or not."

It is a game of risk vs. reward.

The fact the majority does not really care does not really matter. Neither does the social implications or consequences of the mostly silent, some stoned growing minority/majority(?) that really does not care to judge others for some indescretions in their youth - or whenever. What matters is talent.

Calving Johnson is Blazing...fast

His skill level is that of a customized player in a video game. A 4.35 40 yd dash at 6-5 239 lbs. He is truly a unique athlete. Could you imagine him as a DE, Safety or anywhere else on the field? He'd be great wherever. Johnson's skill level clearly was more important than smoking some weed and whatever weed he has smoked, well, he's still pretty damn fast.

The Ricky Williams Factor

Every team that has ever traded for Ricky Williams regrets it, starting with the one and only Mike Ditka at Da Bears, I mean... Saints. After taking down Ditka, Ricky has easily cemented the Dolphins organization into the depths of disappointment. He is the reason, along with many other drug inflicted millionaires, that you don't tell an NFL GM you smoke pot.

Nate Newton and Michael Irvin were instrumental to the Dallas Cowboys winning championships and they did drugs (Marijuana and I'm sure much more). I'm clearly not advocating drug usage, but merely pointed out that it worked for them. Maybe the Steelers can get a couple more guys that will ride their motorcycles without helmets. They could be "those guys" making tons of noise, riding around like bad-asses.

The Patriots and Colts, not sure what they could be. Clearly the Bears players could all buy a bunch of military supplies. That would bring them a certain, as athletes like to say, swagger.

The Bengals, they could cover any number of categories. Their crime list is fantastic. They just need to win more to be important. Until then, they're just a collective drugged up bunch of over paid could-have-beens in the history books. Nobody wants to be that. So yeah, step it up Bengals. You could set new standards in criminal propaganda.

Oh Yeah

The NFL seems to have collectively decided to live in the real world (Starring Roger Goodell and Bud Tagliabue as Roger learns how to deal with all the new pressures of the NFL and Bud ponders life and his purpose on planet earth).

Seriously, what percentage of NCAA football athletes have smoked pot? I would guess, roughly 15% are toking up. College coaches, I would say 5% have before. NFL GMs I'll say 5%. I'm recklessly throwing out #''s (that may be conservative, or not, but probably are) to help generalize everything. It's easy that way and good for a sound bite.

Will the sports world as a whole open up to the simple reality of the way things are? Doubtful, not when you have to shamelessly fill your front page with gossip. This reminds me...

(Please Check out The Drug Report - monitoring our favorite athletes drug habits - and using it as entertainment in hopes to increase traffic flow, I mean... raise public awareness to DeathRattleSports.com and the problems in our society).

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Kudos to those 3 men for having to courage to be honest. For anyone looking at going to the NFL, clearly, don't do what they did. Athletes are not acting like politicians anymore but rather real people who are ready to admit they are not perfect. It's refreshing, it's enlightening and damn it - it's not right. Just keep it away from the schools.

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