HoneyBadger failed over 10 drug tests at LSU

[Glenbino]

I've read the article.


Well aware.



Notre Dame as well.


I don't really see it as a true double standard though. The investment is a different amounts so I don't think the situations are entirely equal and thus I see why they wouldn't be treated as such.

Other than from a PR standpoint what is the larger investment you're talking about? The majority of schools are still using the year to year scholarship model and are making a direct profit from the kids they bring in (to say nothing of those they leave in the lurch when they oversign).

What is this huge investment I'm missing?

 

[Glenbino]

Glen should be drug tested based on his awful performance in this thread.

I'd fail. Good thing I don't play sports.

 

[Warner2BruceTD]

Two reasons they should be tested. One, liability issues. Two, this isn't Amsterdam.

 

[MVPete]

I know most aren't but the bigger revenue producing sports are(basketball/football) so it makes sense that you at least test those players and generally speaking you have more scholarship money tied up in sports schollies than you do liberal arts academic money.

I'm not asking you to feel bad about anything. What I'm saying is the reality of the situation is that the school makes more of a financial investment there so the natural reaction is to manage that investment more closely. On top of that it becomes an image issue as well. Having a star football player popped for drugs is more damaging to the school than "Liberal Arts major caught smoking bowl outside KFC".

Is it "fair"? No. Is it the reality of the world we live in and thus a logical outgrowth of that reality? Yes. No one is asking you to show pity or feel bad for the schools. Just to look at the world we live in.

Delete everything below this and close the thread.

 

[NAHSTE]

Would have let him fail 100. Good student, good player, and a good kid. Shameful how we stigmatize such a harmless activity.

 

[Glenbino]

Delete everything below this and close the thread.

Yeah except for the totally untrue first paragraph about most schools offering full four year athletic scholarships when more than two thirds of D1 schools were voting to have them banned completely as recently as last year.

 

[Glenbino]

Two reasons they should be tested. One, liability issues. Two, this isn't Amsterdam.

I'm assuming you're again referring to the PR liability which doesn't make all that much sense if you are going to keep letting the kid fail over and over again and not do anything about it.

It looks like these tests are not only unfairly invasive but also pointless unless the school is looking to get rid of a kid or kick him in the ass on his way out the door.

 

[FirstTimer]

Yeah except for the totally untrue first paragraph about most schools offering full four year athletic scholarships when more than two thirds of D1 schools were voting to have them banned completely as recently as last year.

I never said that. "full ride" was full tuition on a yearly basis. Not 4 years. You assumed I meant full 4 years and went off that. Sorry for the confusion but I was talking about this mainly in teh context of football since it came up about Mathieu.

 

[FirstTimer]

Other than from a PR standpoint what is the larger investment you're talking about? The majority of schools are still using the year to year scholarship model and are making a direct profit from the kids they bring in (to say nothing of those they leave in the lurch when they oversign).

What is this huge investment I'm missing?

How are you making it this complicated? The huge investment(which you just described in the bolded) is all the money going into athletic scholarships on a year basis regardless if they are 1 or 4 year guaranteed. The school is dumping tons of money to give kids free education in non revenue producing sports. In regards to sports like football and basketball(your only basic revenue producers) you're going to protect that image and that money/investment more than you would faceless liberal arts student or even a water polo player. If that's testing those kids to help protect the image/investment and keep them clean and on the field and off the police blotter..I guess that's one of the tools.

Look, we get that you think it's unfair(and in a "everyone is equal" way I agree) but you're kind of ignoring the way the world and business works.

 

[ralaw]

Why is it that these threads always turn into debates on the merits of marijuana testing? This isn't about comparing scholarship athletes to the rest of the student body (which is a terrible comparison) or claiming that "a lot of people" smoke weed, so lets let it slide.

For the NFL, which has marijuana testing among other drug testing this is a huge issue, because it signifies either that Mathieu is an idiot, has no discipline and/or the team may have to invest a great deal of resources to keep this kid from getting himself in-trouble off the field and banned on it. Regardless of your position on marijuana use the fact it that it is illegal and people have to be accountable to that reality.

 

[Glenbino]

How are you making it this complicated? The huge investment(which you just described in the bolded) is all the money going into athletic scholarships on a year basis regardless if they are 1 or 4 year guaranteed. The school is dumping tons of money to give kids free education in non revenue producing sports. In regards to sports like football and basketball(your only basic revenue producers) you're going to protect that image and that money/investment more than you would faceless liberal arts student or even a water polo player. If that's testing those kids to help protect the image/investment and keep them clean and on the field and off the police blotter..I guess that's one of the tools.

Look, we get that you think it's unfair(and in a "everyone is equal" way I agree) but you're kind of ignoring the way the world and business works.

What exactly are you protecting with toothless drug tests?

If what you are saying was the case Mathieu fails 2 maybe 3 tests and he's out the door. Instead we're hearing about it now well after he's done playing.

 

[Villain]

I hate that nickname.

 

[Warner2BruceTD]

I'm assuming you're again referring to the PR liability which doesn't make all that much sense if you are going to keep letting the kid fail over and over again and not do anything about it.

It looks like these tests are not only unfairly invasive but also pointless unless the school is looking to get rid of a kid or kick him in the ass on his way out the door.

Yes, these tests are so "unfair" that they let the dope fail a billion times before they finally kicked the moron off the team.

And don't think i'm letting LSU off the hook, here. The fact he failed so many times is a disgrace, but not unexpected. Should have sent this punk packing after test failure #2, #3 at maximum. Welcome to the real world, Sugar Bear.

 

[FirstTimer]

What exactly are you protecting with toothless drug tests?

If what you are saying was the case Mathieu fails 2 maybe 3 tests and he's out the door. Instead we're hearing about it now well after he's done playing.

I already addressed this. The testing is only as good as the enforcement. If you don't enforce it then yeah it's pointless. But if you do you're helping to protect the investment/image. For every LSU there is a kid at ND getting booted from school or suspended for an entire season because of Du lac on the first failed test or legal offense. Or kids getting suspended for 4 games. I'm not holding up Mathieu as the thesis for why testing exists or part of the logic behind it. There are going to be exceptions to everything. I'm talking in general why it exists. Again, I'm not even 100% sure I agree, but that doesn't mean I can't see the though process.

 

[Warner2BruceTD]

Why is it that these threads always turn into debates on the merits of marijuana testing? This isn't about comparing scholarship athletes to the rest of the student body (which is a terrible comparison) or claiming that "a lot of people" smoke weed, so lets let it slide.

For the NFL, which has marijuana testing among other drug testing this is a huge issue, because it signifies either that Mathieu is an idiot, has no discipline and/or the team may have to invest a great deal of resources to keep this kid from getting himself in-trouble off the field and banned on it. Regardless of your position on marijuana use the fact it that it is illegal and people have to be accountable to that reality.

close this fucker, debate over

 

[LiquidLarry2GhostWF]

FWIW, if you get busted for smoking weed in the NFL, you are a fucking dumb fuck.

The NFL tells you well ahead of time when you are being tested...also, veterans are on a clock and know exactly when to stop and be clean so they can pass the test. The NFL is not out to get weed smokers...they couldn't give a fuck less, really.

What they do care about, is their image and if you are dumb enough to get caught, you're getting hit with the fine and suspension. Not for smoking weed...but for being a dumb bastard. Because there is no line between the stupidity of fucking up your cycle when you have advanced notice and carrying it on your person/vehicle and ending up in the police blotter.

The NFL doesn't care about Honey Badger smoking weed...they care about him being a dumb, careless fuckface that could potentially have them on the front page for the wrong reasons.

To be fair, this cat probably did more for his draft stock by being so open about his business with NFL teams than anything he's done in preparation for the combine/workouts. He has smoked weed since he was a young kid, it carried over to college, he fucked his life up, he quit the shit (supposedly), and is trying to move on...that probably put the kid in line to be drafted by nearly every team, when before, he was probably off 3/4 of the draft boards. Now, it just depends on whether or not teams will believe that this little douchebag is telling the truth. He's obviously not talented enough to be some 1st round pick that people overlook this shit, but he's a potential really nice nickel corner and kick returner, and those players have value.

 

[dave]

Marijuana??? Who cares.

If a player is getting it done on the field, I don't care how much pot he smokes. The fact that marijuana is still illegal in many states and alcohol is the #1 advertiser for the NFL is the height of hypocrisy. Potheads don't beat their wives/girlfriends ... raging alcoholics do.

 

[Hasselbeck]

Marijuana??? Who cares.

Um, the NFL Drug Policy does for one.

 

[NAHSTE]

Ralaw and Larry bringing the best perspectives here, it only matters from a personal responsibility and self control standpoint, at least as far as the league is concerned.

There's also the argument of how much the NCAA and the universities should care - and I guess there will be wildly differing opinions on that front.

 

[LiquidLarry2GhostWF]

Ralaw and Larry bringing the best perspectives here, it only matters from a personal responsibility and self control standpoint, at least as far as the league is concerned.

There's also the argument of how much the NCAA and the universities should care - and I guess there will be wildly differing opinions on that front.

If you are good and otherwise not a headache...they'll let them slide (as you can see with Honey Badger, they let him slide a bunch)...but again, they are given plenty of notice. Its not just like SURPRISE...PISS IN THIS CUP RIGHT NOW! They are informed on time and place for a piss test.

If you're just a knucklehead problem child who still thinks he's 16 and living with mom...you're gonna get the fuckin boot.