Blount, Bell Charged With Marijuana Possession

[stillers4me]

Bell did not travel with team to Philly

He's still sobering up.

- - - Updated - - -

He's at Mercy Hospital having Tomlin's foot removed from his A$$!

Even better.

[Shoes]

Precedent was set with Holmes in 2006 when Tomlin set him down for 1 game. Can't see why this would be any more than that?

Probably won't be, but Art II is probably calling the shots now.

[ALLD]

If they weren't paranoid before, I bet they are now. Yes, it should be legal, but they should not smoke it under contract. It's that simple.

[86WARD]

Archer will get destroyed if he has to be the back for a long period of time...

[Shoes]

Archer will get destroyed if he has to be the back for a long period of time...

It was tongue & cheek.

[Dwinsgames]

He's at Mercy Hospital having Tomlin's foot removed from his A$$!

has to tweet that ... good one

[Steelerette]

If we need a quick signee here's who's available -

Felix Jones
Tashard Choice
Willis McGahee
Ray Graham
Ronnie Brown
Michael Bush
Greg Jones
Vonta Leach

[ALLD]

I believe they somebody on ESPN or NFL Network will find a way to mention Ben Roethlisberger during media coverage of the pot smoking Steeler RBs.

[TMC]

Bell could face suspension for DUI if his blood comes back at a level that indicates he was intoxicated. But not until after the case is adjudicated. Which in my opinion wont happen in this calender year, and in fact will likely get put off until after the Steelers season is over.

If neither is already in the system I would guess that neither will face league discipline for the possession charge. But they both will be in the system after the charges are adjudicated and subject to year round random testing from that point on. Which in Bell's case might be a good thing.

Actually, Bell should not face any suspension unless he is already in the Substance Abuse Program. That is how it is written. The actual policy is a pdf on the NFLPA website. Here is the link:
http://images.nflplayers.com/mediaRe...g%20Policy.pdf


It discusses discipline in Stage One, near the bottom of page 15. I would like to point out it covers entrance into the program on page 11, which gets you placed in Stage One. Bell's behavior would count as the entrance. If he were in Stage One already, here is what it states about punishment:
"If the Medical Director, after consultation with the Medical Advisor, determines in his discretion that a player in Stage One has failed to cooperate with the evaluation process or fails to comply with his Treatment Plan, both the NFL Management Council and the NFLPA shall be notified and the player will be subject to an immediate fine equal to three-seventeenths (3/17) of the amount in Paragraph 5 of the NFL Player Contract and he will be placed in Stage Two upon notification by the Medical Director."

No discussion in the policy of any punishment until that point. You have to be in Stage One before you can violate it. Hines Ward got a DUI. He did not miss a game for it. In fact, the league was pushing for mandatory first offense suspensions for DUIs this summer, but it was never finalized.
http://www.cbssports.com/nfl/eye-on-...-dui-offenders

And, as for Bell's DUI, he could hire a lawyer, have it put off over and over, a lot of times it will get settled for a lesser charge. He can fight this in plenty of ways.

[Dwinsgames]

If we need a quick signee here's who's available -

Felix Jones
Tashard Choice
Willis McGahee
Ray Graham
Ronnie Brown
Michael Bush
Greg Jones
Vonta Leach

Cedric Benson

[GBMelBlount]

If we need a quick signee here's who's available -

Felix Jones
Tashard Choice
Willis McGahee
Ray Graham
Ronnie Brown
Michael Bush
Greg Jones
Vonta Leach

I think most of these players can pick up the "2 ypc" slack.

Not worried.

[ALLD]

I think fans will be upset because it is de facto evidence that both are not fully committed to winning a Super Bowl. They are selfish and never thought the impact of their behavior on the rest of the team.

[TMC]

Also, Blount was not arrested, allowed to leave. Reports are he traveled with the team.

[GBMelBlount]

I believe they somebody on ESPN or NFL Network will find a way to mention Ben Roethlisberger during media coverage of the pot smoking Steeler RBs.

Ugh. Hope Ben doesn't get suspended for this...

- - - Updated - - -

I think fans will be upset because it is de facto evidence that both are not fully committed to winning a Super Bowl. They are selfish and never thought the impact of their behavior on the rest of the team.

Ya know, if they were averaging 5 ypc and touchdowns, but they are not at this point.

So I think you are right.

[zulater]

While this sucks I don't think it will be season altering. I don't see either losing more than a game due to a team suspension. Precedent having been set with Santonio Holmes in 2009.

A few more things. Hopefully this will stop any other dumb asses from driving around smoking. It can wait until you get home.

As to Hindes. I greatly respect your service. I too was duty bound not to imbibe while serving many years ago. I gave up the shit in high school and really haven't looked back.Now I am a professional truck driver subject to random drug testing throughout the year.

But playing pro sports isn't the military. They're not in charge of high tech weapons. Our nations security isn't in the hands of a couple nit wit running backs. If the league was really that concerned about pot smoking they would test for it randomly throughout the year instead of just once in the spring. .

[salamander]

Fucking dumbasses.

[Steelerette]

I'm sure both of them will be handed a 1 game suspension by the team regardless of whether the league does it.

Bell may get dinged with 4 for the DUI but even so we need a 1-game stopgap at most. I'd been an advocate of bringing back Felix Jones anyway, Poole and Maysonet have not been that fantastic in preseason, so maybe here's the impetus. I like the Benson idea too, didn't realize he was a free agent.

[HollywoodSteel]

This is a big deal, even Bell not making the trip to Philly is big. It's more than just running production, it's BLOCKING. We need backs that know the protections. I don't want Ben playing half a preseason game without maximum protection. I'd fucking make Blount play every God damn down in this preseason game while Ben is in there and if he misses one block and Ben gets hit both he AND Bell should get fined for each hit. And new rule: if you're going to smoke pot or do anything else that might get you in trouble DON'T BRING THE WHOLE FUCKING BACKFIELD WITH YOU. Do that shit separately.

And why didn't that chick in the backseat claim the weed was all hers? That would have let Blount off the hook entirely (unless the league tested him, but I don't think they can do random testing unless you've come up positive before). That chick could have earned herself like a million bucks right there. Why do these assholes have to compound their stupidity????

- - - Updated - - -

And since Bell is out of jail why can't they fly him out to Philly right now? I don't give a shit if the team wants to punish him, but he should be in there blocking and working his ass off on every down.

[TMC]

Just wanted to put his out as well, Holmes was not officially suspended in 2008 for his possession of marijuana charges. He was arrested on a Thursday. He was deemed "inactive" by the Steelers and did not dress, but he was still paid and still received credit for being with the team. The NFL and NFLPA still reviewed it under the league substance abuse policy.

But, he was not officially suspended.

[st33lersguy]

Le'Veon Bell and LeGarrette Blunt really soured my mood tonight. Thanks A@@holes

[zulater]

Coming on the heels of the great news of Keisel's resigning this is a big downer. In fact this entire offseason the needle has steadily been pointingm upward. So yeah this let's some air out of the sails.

But better now than the week before the season starts. Luckily we have the Browns in week one. They have their own issues. So hopefully by the time we play a real team we'll have this all figured out.

[Devilsdancefloor]

well i want to say nah this is a joke, but i know better aaaaaaaaarrrrrrrrrrrrrrrggggggggggggggggggggg freaking idiots

well welcomeback felix and larod

[BigNastyDefense]

My thoughts:

1. How incredibly STUPID and SELFISH of these two jagoffs. If you're gonna smoke weed knowing you won't get popped for a positive drug test, do it in the privacy of your own home. Don't drive around with a cloud of marijuana smoke flowing out of your windows. Don't be rolling it up in your car. Doing either of those things is the EASIEST way to get caught. Everyone I know that's ever been cited for marijuana possession has been caught either smoking in their car or preparing to smoke in their car.

They didn't think about how this impacts the team. It proves they aren't as committed to the goals the team has by doing this. Even if there is no suspension, they still let the team down.

2. I doubt there is any suspension for either player, as long as neither player is currently in the NFL's Substance Abuse Program. Holmes suspension of one game was an anomaly, and the Steelers had to clear it with the league first. Tomlin wanted it because if I remember correctly he was busted either the night before or the morning of that game and he didn't want the distraction leading up to the game.

As long as neither player is in the drug program, the league cannot suspend them for this (including Bell's DUI). This would be what gets them entered into the program, under this assumption. For the Steelers to suspend either player, like above with the Holmes situation, they would have to clear it with the league. If the team suspends them, I am expecting just a one game suspension against the Browns.

Now if either player is already in step one of the drug policy, this would put them into step two of the policy which would come with a four game suspension. It's normally not announced that a player is in step one of the program unless they get into it this way, or fail the drug test at the scouting combine.

The issue with either player being put into step one of the program is that for 90 days to 6 months after entering the program, the guys will be tested up to 10 times a week for a myriad of drugs. So if they get a cold and get prescribed codeine cough syrup, they'd fail a test and get a 4 game suspension (possibly reduced on appeal).

If the team decides to not suspend, or the league doesn't allow them to suspend, it doesn't mean there won't be some type of punishment. I imagine the Steelers can fine both players for conduct detrimental at the least. Maybe they let Dri Archer start the season opener and don't put either in until the second series.

3. Your personal opinion about marijuana, and your personal use of the stuff doesn't matter here. The facts are simple: it's illegal and a banned substance by the NFL. Even if it were to become legal, that doesn't mean the NFL has to allow their players to smoke it. Codeine is legal via a prescription from a doctor, but it's on the league's banned substance list, even if prescribed by a doctor you'll get suspended.

4. Blount's Steelers career may have just gone up in smoke (see what I did there?). The Steelers can cut him over this if they want to. The NFL can't stop them from doing so. He wasn't a choir boy coming to the Steelers, if they feel he's the one that convinced Bell to smoke some pot, they'll dump Blount.

I don't know if Bell has a history with weed. Normally a failed drug test or two in college gets you suspended for something like "breaking team rules" or you're told one is okay (college kids are almost expected to fail at least one) but a second one there's a suspension. But as far as anyone outside of the team knows, this is his first run in with it in his pro career. And the Steelers won't cut Bell. Second round pick and they expect Bell to be their starter for the foreseeable future.

Remember, the Steelers didn't trade Holmes for that first incident. They traded him after he failed a drug test and was gonna get hit with a 4 game suspension. Not to mention they also had the second Roethlisberger (false) accusation hanging over their heads at that time too.

5. This really sucks for me because I live in freaking Cleveland, so this negates half of my trash talk arsenal for the season.

[Dwinsgames]

@L_Bell26 @LG_Blount the NEW Doobie Brothers

[katmandu]

Give the trophy back.

x2 !!

[Hindes204]

Even if Bells blood comes back positive for marijuana, itll be irrelevant in the case for a DUI. Most lawers can get the case thrown out on a technicality (weed stays in your blood long after the high wears off), so unless he admitted smoking, he should get off

[Shoes]

Besides the 20 grams of pot and the woman in the back seat, detectives also found Santonio Holmes and Willie Nelson in the trunk singing *On The Road Again*

[Dwinsgames]

Even if Bells blood comes back positive for marijuana, itll be irrelevant in the case for a DUI. Most lawers can get the case thrown out on a technicality (weed stays in your blood long after the high wears off), so unless he admitted smoking, he should get off

actually it stays in the urine a long time ( 28 days ) the blood clears rather quickly of THC http://alcoholism.about.com/od/pot/a/marijuana_test.htm

that is why employers use a piss test for pre employment screening and not a blood test

[vader29]

Dumbasses.

[Polamalu Princess]

All I can say...