Cleveland Browns Rumors: Josh Gordon may win appeal
By Brian Miller
It’s going to be a tough case to prove but Cleveland Brown’s wide receiver Josh Gordon could potentially win his appeal hearing that is set for this coming Friday. According to ProFootballTalk.com Gordon is going to challenge the validity of the urine screen that will likely cost him the upcoming season.
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The report from PFT states that the NFL policy is to split tests into two bottles and then test the bottle labeled “A”. If the test is clear nothing else happens, if it is positive, then bottle “B” is used to not confirm the test results but instead whether there is a substance presence. In other words if bottle A tests positive and B tests negative but shows a hint of the substance then the failed test is upheld.
In the case of Josh Gordon, test A was positive, but very minimally while test B was negative but showed a below the threshold amount of the substance in the urine. Confused yet? As PFT points out had the urine sample been split into to two bottles as it was and then bottle B been labeled A, Gordon would not be facing suspension.
Regardless of the outcome of this appeal, which looks better now than it did two months ago, there is still an issue with Gordon’s off-field behavior specifically his recent DUI on July 7th. Gordon is in the NFL stage III substance abuse program and the league will not look favorably on the arrest. Four days ago, Gordon checked himself into a rehab center last week but was out in time for the start of Cleveland’s training camp last Friday.
The Browns can hope that Gordon has found some help and that the NFL may indeed look at this test as an error. Gordon will likely see some form of suspension from the league but one year may be a little much at this point, if in fact the information is correct.