NFL Drug Policy is a Fraud Too

In addition to the policy on levying fines for every offense from using the ball as a prop to committing a 15-yard facemask penalty that wasn’t called a penalty being a crock, and the suspension appeals process being a crock (albeit a crock that the players allowed themselves to be thrown into), it appears now that the drug policy in general might be a crock too.

Case in point: Jacksonville Jaguars WR Matt Jones.

Jones, a first round pick in 2005, was arrested this past off-season when a police officer saw him cutting lines of cocaine with a credit card in a parked car.  Jones plead not guilty to the charges, but later agreed to enter a drug treatment program to reduce or drop the charges against him.

The resuling suspension for Jones?  Three games, which was upheld by the wonderful appeals process this week.

So, according to the NFL, use a diuretic that is laced with a banned substance that is not on the label–reportedly to cut some weight to make sure you’re a) allowed to practice, and b) not fined–you get a four game suspension.  Get caught with a hardcore recreational drug, and enter drug rehab as a result–three games.