Josh Gordon
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The last time Josh was practicing and played in the preseason, it really hurt Browns fans. I was at that game in Tampa when Josh caught passes for 44 and 43 yards. One for a touchdown in the end zone not 75 feet in front of me. After that game, Browns fans thought "Josh was back". We had visions of Corey Coleman, Terrell Pryor, and Josh Gordon tormenting defenses all year long. Josh and Terrell on the outside, Corey playing in the slot and outside when needed. Then Josh spontaneously checks into rehab, Corey breaks his hand, and all the dreams we had of our potentially fun and exciting WR Corp flew out the window like a fart in a hurricane.
Everyone remembers what that feeling felt like when we got the random news update saying Josh went into rehab just DAYS before the season started. We thought we made it. We thought HE made it. And why not? He'd been with the team for several weeks. He'd presumably passed numerous drug tests, probably 3 a week. He was getting back into shape. He was killing people in practice. He was FINALLY back...until he wasn't, and we still remember how that felt.
The NFL isn't set up to support addicts. Most places of employment aren't, actually. From a clinical perspective, Josh has an illness. An illness that has no cure, never goes away, and has the potential to take EVERYTHING from a person. But it's not an illness like asthma, where the symptoms and repercussions can rob you of playing for physical reasons. Addicts lie, cheat, and have their actual brain chemistry altered. When their "flare ups" happen, they will test positive for a substance that has immediate negative impacts. Not only that, but once they're in the substance protocol, they get tested MORE. So now they're going to test positive AGAIN, and then the consequences are going to be even worse. So how do they ever get out? They don't. The only way for addicts to into "recovery" (remember, there's no cure) is to go into inpatient rehab. And this doesn't generally work the 1st time. So they get out, fail another test eventually (because they get tested MORE now), and miss more games, and so on and so on.
Bottom line, Josh has a CHANCE, but to expect an addict to be completely clean is very naive. Does it happen? Sure! Do some people get cleaned up without rehab? Yes, it happens. But for most, it's a long road, and it's full of taking three steps forward, then several back. The last time Josh broke our hearts it felt like "the end". Remarkably, he's back. You never know when an addict will finally figure it out, but I can tell you he's at least on the right track for ONCE. He finally came clean with his past...and THAT was huge. He's no doubt been talking about all of this during countless therapy sessions, and now he's in a place where he can start to rebuild his LIFE. Even if he stumbles and can't play football, he's still got a really good chance at winning his life back, and that's so big for him and for his children.
My advice to Browns fans is to understand that the odds are against him, and to understand that Josh may use again and get suspended. This does not mean he's weak, a bad person, or a failure. It means he's sick. And yes it's frustrating for our tortured fans, but remember how he feels. The failure he lives with everyday. I want this so badly for him, I always have. People like me will never know what it's like to come from where he came from and go through what he went through. But I can support him, and I can try to understand his pain. I know Josh isn't reading this, but I want him to know that he CAN do this. That people DO believe in him.
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They don't call addiction baffling for no reason. A person in the middle of it rarely understands it and the smartest ones make daily meetings even years after "recovery". I asked a good friend why he still went religiously to AA/NA meetings many years after his last use. His reply, "I'm afraid of the person that lives inside of me that still wants to fool me into thinking I can handle it alone." Or at least words to the effect since it's now been about 30 years since he said it. Hard drive fills up when you get to 70.
And the cloud won't help much either.
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I love that quote Texas. That monster lives inside the addict, and perpetually whispers lies to the addict. That's what makes it addiction so unique. Your brain literally betrays you, and tells you how it's under control.
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"You planning on having a long relationship with that glass or are you going to drink it? Drink up, man. Maybe we can get another.” - Janis Joplin, 1970.
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No thanks:
how can anybody be proud of him about that?
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No thanks:
how can anybody be proud of him about that?
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No thanks:
Can you imagine how he could play when he doesn't? Look DHB- Gordon is truly on his last strike. Past is past. He can either rise to a Jerry Rice level, or fall to a level of smoking blunts with Justin Blackmon in a couple of games- it's up to him.
The guy is an immense talent with a substance abuse problem. Chris Carter beat it, legions of other didn't. He comes back to 90% of what he was- he's the best WR in the league.
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As I'm sure we've all heard, Josh recently informed GQ Magazine that he basically played every game high or intoxicated with booze or whatever else. He's done this since college and possibly high school. You guys ever hear of artists who couldn't be creative without drugs or alcohol, or musicians that needed some kind of fix to create music? I worry that Josh "got into football mode" under the influence of SOMETHING, and that doing it sober could be difficult for him. He probably used chemicals to take away anxiety, nervousness, and maybe pain. How can he handle all of these things WITHOUT drugs? What is his plan? CAN he function on and off the field without these things? That's my biggest concern. Josh likely wasn't just using drugs because they felt good, I'm guessing it was much more than that. My other worry is how Josh will live once the season is OVER. He'll have a ton of free time, and that's the biggest concern for every recovering addict. That's when the mind starts to really turn against you. We call it, "Stinkin' Thinkin'", and it's powerful. My guess is that he'll continue to live with his "business manager", and that way he can essentially have an adult supervisor. That would be my plan.
The prospect of having Josh Gordon and Corey Coleman being our starting WR's rather than Bryce Dreggs and Ricardo Louis is tantalizing, but as I've stated before, Kizer couldn't get the ball to the OTHER guys when THEY were open in the red zone, so what's going to be different now? I'm guessing nothing much. Will Kizer's numbers improve SOMEWHAT with these two? Assuming they both play the final 5 games, then yes...I believe Kizer's numbers will improve A LITTLE, but I don't think it'll be significant. I still maintain Kizer isn't accurate enough to consistently score without turning it over, and he still misses way too many people when we have the chance the score.
Edit: Deshone Kizer has 3 TD passes and 11 INT's. Jesus....man. And with his confidence shaken, and Hue trying to do what he can by implementing the short, safe passing offense, I really don't see how Kizer CAN throw touchdown passes. Not only is he not throwing touchdowns, his passes to the end zone aren't even CLOSE in most cases. God help us.
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As I'm sure we've all heard, Josh recently informed GQ Magazine that he basically played every game high or intoxicated with booze or whatever else. He's done this since college and possibly high school. You guys ever hear of artists who couldn't be creative without drugs or alcohol, or musicians that needed some kind of fix to create music? I worry that Josh "got into football mode" under the influence of SOMETHING, and that doing it sober could be difficult for him. He probably used chemicals to take away anxiety, nervousness, and maybe pain. How can he handle all of these things WITHOUT drugs? What is his plan? CAN he function on and off the field without these things? That's my biggest concern. Josh likely wasn't just using drugs because they felt good, I'm guessing it was much more than that. My other worry is how Josh will live once the season is OVER. He'll have a ton of free time, and that's the biggest concern for every recovering addict. That's when the mind starts to really turn against you. We call it, "Stinkin' Thinkin'", and it's powerful. My guess is that he'll continue to live with his "business manager", and that way he can essentially have an adult supervisor. That would be my plan.
The prospect of having Josh Gordon and Corey Coleman being our starting WR's rather than Bryce Dreggs and Ricardo Louis is tantalizing, but as I've stated before, Kizer couldn't get the ball to the OTHER guys when THEY were open in the red zone, so what's going to be different now? I'm guessing nothing much. Will Kizer's numbers improve SOMEWHAT with these two? Assuming they both play the final 5 games, then yes...I believe Kizer's numbers will improve A LITTLE, but I don't think it'll be significant. I still maintain Kizer isn't accurate enough to consistently score without turning it over, and he still misses way too many people when we have the chance the score.
Edit: Deshone Kizer has 3 TD passes and 11 INT's. Jesus....man. And with his confidence shaken, and Hue trying to do what he can by implementing the short, safe passing offense, I really don't see how Kizer CAN throw touchdown passes. Not only is he not throwing touchdowns, his passes to the end zone aren't even CLOSE in most cases. God help us.
As I'm sure we've all heard, Josh recently informed GQ Magazine that he basically played every game high or intoxicated with booze or whatever else. He's done this since college and possibly high school. You guys ever hear of artists who couldn't be creative without drugs or alcohol, or musicians that needed some kind of fix to create music? I worry that Josh "got into football mode" under the influence of SOMETHING, and that doing it sober could be difficult for him. He probably used chemicals to take away anxiety, nervousness, and maybe pain. How can he handle all of these things WITHOUT drugs? What is his plan? CAN he function on and off the field without these things? That's my biggest concern. Josh likely wasn't just using drugs because they felt good, I'm guessing it was much more than that. My other worry is how Josh will live once the season is OVER. He'll have a ton of free time, and that's the biggest concern for every recovering addict. That's when the mind starts to really turn against you. We call it, "Stinkin' Thinkin'", and it's powerful. My guess is that he'll continue to live with his "business manager", and that way he can essentially have an adult supervisor. That would be my plan.
The prospect of having Josh Gordon and Corey Coleman being our starting WR's rather than Bryce Dreggs and Ricardo Louis is tantalizing, but as I've stated before, Kizer couldn't get the ball to the OTHER guys when THEY were open in the red zone, so what's going to be different now? I'm guessing nothing much. Will Kizer's numbers improve SOMEWHAT with these two? Assuming they both play the final 5 games, then yes...I believe Kizer's numbers will improve A LITTLE, but I don't think it'll be significant. I still maintain Kizer isn't accurate enough to consistently score without turning it over, and he still misses way too many people when we have the chance the score.
Edit: Deshone Kizer has 3 TD passes and 11 INT's. Jesus....man. And with his confidence shaken, and Hue trying to do what he can by implementing the short, safe passing offense, I really don't see how Kizer CAN throw touchdown passes. Not only is he not throwing touchdowns, his passes to the end zone aren't even CLOSE in most cases. God help us.
Kizer threw a really good TD pass to Coleman in the red zone before he was injured so he's shown he can do that. Their presence (if Gordon suits up) in the red zone will open things up for everyone.
One point you omitted from the article was the deplorable behavior of Cleveland fans to him and his family.
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Just wait until Kenny Britt wants to go party, his first invite will be Josh Gordon.
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One thing that concerns me is the speculation that Josh is trying to get out of Cleveland by saying things like using drugs before every game. In worried we'll just cut him because of the backlash.
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You guys are high.
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Josh Gordon! I so proud of this guy! When many thought that he was just another Blackmon he proves he is much more! Welcome back JG!
Kevin Hogan is going to thrive with his high and away passes to Josh! Let's GOOO!
Josh Gordon! I so proud of this guy! When many thought that he was just another Blackmon he proves he is much more! Welcome back JG!
Kevin Hogan is going to thrive with his high and away passes to Josh! Let's GOOO!
You and me both. God Bless him. Say whatever you will about his dope use, but the guy got a raw deal and he hung in there. Kizer with Gordon AND Coleman? BIIIIIG Difference. I like Gordon.....always have. I hope the stadium explodes when he comes in for his first play. If anyone deserves a good turn, it is him.
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Wasn't Chris Carter a Shmuck up also and turned things around?
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Serious question. No snark, no assholery, just a simple, honest question.
What, in Josh Gordon's history since his first days at Baylor, makes anyone here think that he will get through the coming offseason without some sort of "incident"?
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Serious question. No snark, no assholery, just a simple, honest question.
What, in Josh Gordon's history since his first days at Baylor, makes anyone here think that he will get through the coming offseason without some sort of "incident"?
Serious question. No snark, no assholery, just a simple, honest question.
What, in Josh Gordon's history since his first days at Baylor, makes anyone here think that he will get through the coming offseason without some sort of "incident"?
Nothing.
You can't predict people's actions, and even less and addict's ones.
In these type of stories you just can hope the best for the man, there's no solid proof, as the battle has to be fought in his mind, and nobody can't know what's inside there.
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