The NFLPA President is not too happy with something Roger Goodell said on Thursday.
The story of the first day of the 2016 NFL Draft wasn’t about big trades, but about controversy. Minutes before the draft began, a video of offensive tackle Laremy Tunsil smoking marijuana with a gas mask on appeared on his Twitter account. This sent things into chaos as teams backed away from drafting the former Ole Miss Rebel, leading to his fall.
Eventually, the Miami Dolphins selected Tunsil at No. 13 overall.
Well, NFLPA President Eric Winston was not happy about what he saw on Thursday with Tunsil. He even took up something with Roger Goodell on Twitter on Friday, lashing out at the NFL commissioner.
I have been stewing over what happened last night and what was said earlier today. This is what I think:
— Eric Winston (@ericwinston) April 29, 2016
Last night everyone saw a young man’s dream turn into a nightmare.
— Eric Winston (@ericwinston) April 29, 2016
The mistakes he made in the past were released out there to millions with an intent to harm him. What did the NFL do? Nothing.
— Eric Winston (@ericwinston) April 29, 2016
In fact, if Roger is to be believed, they loved it because it made the draft “so exciting."
— Eric Winston (@ericwinston) April 29, 2016
The NFL invested big on this marketing campaign of “family.” It was all over Chicago on every billboard.
— Eric Winston (@ericwinston) April 29, 2016
Let me dish out some free advice to the young men coming into this league this weekend: they are not your family. This is a business.
— Eric Winston (@ericwinston) April 29, 2016
I hope that what Laremy said is true and that he learned from his mistake.
— Eric Winston (@ericwinston) April 29, 2016
I wish him good luck and hope every drafted player is wise to what it takes to make it in the NFL and who really has your back.
— Eric Winston (@ericwinston) April 29, 2016
Winston has a point with this being a business. If this was about being ‘family’, then some of the things that have transpired within the NFL would have gone differently.
This also shows how the NFL and NFLPA continue to not see eye-to-eye. They haven’t for years, going back and forth in the media about many controversies that have occurred over the years.
As for Tunsil, caution will be key going forward. He’ll probably have to meet with Roger Goodell about this incident, who may warn and put him in a drug treatment program. If Tunsil violates the NFL’s substance abuse policy, then we’ll see how much of a ‘family’ the league is toward him.
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