Josh Gordon discussion

[DJTJ]

Is this still a "good thing"?

Yes. No failed drug test. Very clear on Hard Knocks that they’ll get him back, and get him back in shape.

Timetable, TBD, but my guess? One day after hard knocks stops filming.

 

[Soda]

Is this still a "good thing"?

It's not as bad as a few folks here have been pandering.

 

[sportscoach]

Is this still a "good thing"?

We have no answer until everything is clarified on what exactly is going on, but I expect him sometime this preseason he will be back. I think he is avoiding both Hard knocks while he is keeping his head on straight away from things that could effect it. My guess is long term he is doing what's best for him, which I believe is the best for the Browns as well hence why they don't seem to have any issues with his actions. A mentally healthy Josh is the best thing for the Browns.

 

[The Human Q-Tip]

We have no answer until everything is clarified on what exactly is going on, but I expect him sometime this preseason he will be back. I think he is avoiding both Hard knocks while he is keeping his head on straight away from things that could effect it. My guess is long term he is doing what's best for him, which I believe is the best for the Browns as well hence why they don't seem to have any issues with his actions. A mentally healthy Josh is the best thing for the Browns.

At the risk of stating the obvious, a "mentally healthy Josh" is exactly what we don't have.

 

[The Human Q-Tip]

Yes. No failed drug test. Very clear on Hard Knocks that they’ll get him back, and get him back in shape.

Timetable, TBD, but my guess? One day after hard knocks stops filming.

So I guess I should be celebrating that he missed training camp and the first preseason game? Maybe a party if he misses the entire preseason, and add an open bar if he misses games?

"News that is not as bad as it could be" is not the same as "good news".

 

[Frank Stallone]

Is this still a "good thing"?

Yes. I 100% believe the anxiety and stress angle. His life is, in essence, on the line. I would be a nervous wreck.

Maybe not "good" for the Browns in the short term. But for Josh and the Browns' long-term, it's for sure good, IMO.

 

[Soda]

So I guess I should be celebrating that he missed training camp and the first preseason game? Maybe a party if he misses the entire preseason, and add an open bar if he misses games?

"News that is not as bad as it could be" is not the same as "good news".

 

[The Human Q-Tip]

It's the folks defending Gordon who have moved the goalposts.

See, earlier this summer, Gordon being at practices/minicamp was the good thing, right? People were happy that he was playing during the minicamps because it meant he was on the right track for the season to begin. Yay! That's when the measure of success was being 'in camp/minicamp and playing." The goalposts were in Berea, and if Josh was there, that's good.

But then, Gordon disappears from Berea, and heads off to Florida. Not in camp, not playing in preseason games. So what happened to those goalposts in Berea? They moved. Right on down Interstate 77, and didn't stop until they were six states away in Florida. So now, he doesn't have to be in Berea for it do be good news. He just has to be in Florida, 1500 miles away.

You want to see goalposts being moved, there it is.

For me, the goalposts are right where they always were. Good news is Gordon playing with the team, right along everyone else. Anything else is just different degrees of bad news.

If/When Gordon is actively playing, and doing the same thing everyone else is doing to get ready for the season, that's when it'll be "good news."

 

[Jordan]

So I guess I should be celebrating that he missed training camp and the first preseason game? Maybe a party if he misses the entire preseason, and add an open bar if he misses games?

"News that is not as bad as it could be" is not the same as "good news".

Yeah, I mean, I am more indifferent to him missing preseason games. But, considering we have no actual news, this is not "good news."

 

[The Human Q-Tip]

Yeah, I mean, I am more indifferent to him missing preseason games. But, considering we have no actual news, this is not "good news."

I know. I mean, it's not the end of the world yet. And if he comes back and is playing full time once again, that's great. But until then, him not being here isn't good news.

 

[chrisrich91]

It's the folks defending Gordon who have moved the goalposts.

See, earlier this summer, Gordon being at practices/minicamp was the good thing, right? People were happy that he was playing during the minicamps because it meant he was on the right track for the season to begin. Yay! That's when the measure of success was being 'in camp/minicamp and playing." The goalposts were in Berea, and if Josh was there, that's good.

But then, Gordon disappears from Berea, and heads off to Florida. Not in camp, not playing in preseason games. So what happened to those goalposts in Berea? They moved. Right on down Interstate 77, and didn't stop until they were six states away in Florida. So now, he doesn't have to be in Berea for it do be good news. He just has to be in Florida, 1500 miles away.

You want to see goalposts being moved, there it is.

For me, the goalposts are right where they always were. Good news is Gordon playing with the team, right along everyone else. Anything else is just different degrees of bad news.

Cool. Sorry this news is bad news to you.

Josh Gordon is still clean and unsuspended. His treatment program has been successful in keeping him clean so far. This is good news to a lot of us.

Really excited for the rest of this good news, bad news, medium news, no news discussion of semantics.

 

[Jordan]

I know. I mean, it's not the end of the world yet. And if he comes back and is playing full time once again, that's great. But until then, him not being here isn't good news.

Exactly. And I am more lenient on Josh Gordon than a lot of people. But we knew he did not violate the drug policy. We learned that the day of this announcement. This is the equivalent to no news. It is not "good" because there is nothing new here.

 

[Soda]

Exactly. And I am more lenient on Josh Gordon than a lot of people. But we knew he did not violate the drug policy. We learned that the day of this announcement. This is the equivalent to no news. It is not "good" because there is nothing new here.

I urge you to go back and review that statement. Maybe it wasn't lost on you, but folks were doing gymnastics to get around the "no failed test" reports.

 

[Hydroponic3385]

If I had to guess, based off his past issues and current sabbatical, I'd say he has an Anxiety Disorder, possibly Depression, coupled with a long history or addiction.

The addiction part can complicate treatment as some of the better medications to combat Depression, or even moderate Anxiety, can be habit-forming and thus off the table.

How do you treat a guy like that, @Hydroponic3385? Lots of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy? Psychoanalysis?

A normal person could treat it with medicinal Cannabis. But since the NFL's policies are archaic....

Hard for me to say when we don't really know what's going on. But yeah probably some combination of a substance abuse counselor, a therapist well trained in cognitive-behavior therapy, and possibly psychiatry if appropriate. There are certainly medication options that are less of an addiction concern that can still treat anxiety and depression effectively. But anxiety and non-severe depression can also be treated quite effectively without ever using medication.

 

[Jordan]

I urge you to go back and review that statement. Maybe it wasn't lost on you, but folks were doing gymnastics to get around the "no failed test" reports.

Sure, but that's on them. ESPN and the NFL (in not suspending Josh) revealed it was not another drug incident.