Walter Thurmond substance abuse suspension

[Joey13091]

Awesome news. I say get him the hell out of Seattle.

Also Pete does need to step up here and do something about these suspensions. Whether it's peds or not.

 

[rsm650]

So who's taking Thurmond's spot? I am liking Maxwell. Can't really trust Lane.

Also where the hell is Simon?! We didn't draft him just to stick on the team and do nothing all season.

Why not? Lane is a good CB. Probably not on the same caliber as Browner/Thurmond, but still good.

 

[SouthSoundHawk]

NEXT MAN UP!

Does this help Seattle sign him for less this off-season?

Dude hasn't played a full season since he got here.

 

[PryorFamily]

Bottom line is that when a person makes a conscious decision to do something that he/she knows is against their employer's rules or standards then it's black and white. It's really that simple. There's a lot of people blazin up to watch games and chill on the weekends. It's legal in WA. Walt should have and I'm sure 100% DID understand that the NFL has banned such substances and it's an employer's right to do so. If your employer says they will test and will not allow it......then abide by the rules or find a new career. I'm not saying what Walt did was no big deal. It was.

But.......... What Doug B. has been tweeting is EXACTLY the reason this team can hang together in the 4th quarter down by two scores and win. They support one another. They have each other's back. There's nothing I'd rather see more than a team mate who made a mistake (cause there's no debating that point) being supported and helped by his team. That's a great locker room. Adversity comes in all kinds of forms. Mistakes are a part of that. Do you actually believe that kicking Walt out to make an example would be indicative of the type of unity that is needed to win the Lombardi? Walt is not the first guy to smoke a bowl while being in the NFL. He got caught though and has to pay the piper. Appealing the suspension would only be a tactic to keep him for the Saints game, nothing more. Everyone is acting like this is a decision that Walt made yesterday. It's quite possible that this positive test happened weeks ago right? I'm not an expert in NFL drug testing but it's not an immediate process.

My only real point here is that the "Band of Brother" mentality goes a lot farther in winning games than the "follow the rules or GTFO" mentality. People make mistakes and this is a costly one. But I'd much rather see a team that defends their own rather than cuts them off for one mistake.

Didn't hear people yelling for Sherman, Irvin, or BB to be tossed out. Lynch got a DUI which is far worse IMO because you are endangering innocent people but no one wanted Lynch cut on the spot........ Very interesting inconsistency if you ask me.

If this suspension has you so tweaked that your life is being impacted, I suggest getting some hobbies.

Next man up.

 

[-The Glove-]

Bottom line is that when a person makes a conscious decision to do something that he/she knows is against their employer's rules or standards then it's black and white. It's really that simple. There's a lot of people blazin up to watch games and chill on the weekends. It's legal in WA. Walt should have and I'm sure 100% DID understand that the NFL has banned such substances and it's an employer's right to do so. If your employer says they will test and will not allow it......then abide by the rules or find a new career. I'm not saying what Walt did was no big deal. It was.

But.......... What Doug B. has been tweeting is EXACTLY the reason this team can hang together in the 4th quarter down by two scores and win. They support one another. They have each other's back. There's nothing I'd rather see more than a team mate who made a mistake (cause there's no debating that point) being supported and helped by his team. That's a great locker room. Adversity comes in all kinds of forms. Mistakes are a part of that. Do you actually believe that kicking Walt out to make an example would be indicative of the type of unity that is needed to win the Lombardi? Walt is not the first guy to smoke a bowl while being in the NFL. He got caught though and has to pay the piper. Appealing the suspension would only be a tactic to keep him for the Saints game, nothing more. Everyone is acting like this is a decision that Walt made yesterday. It's quite possible that this positive test happened weeks ago right? I'm not an expert in NFL drug testing but it's not an immediate process.

My only real point here is that the "Band of Brother" mentality goes a lot farther in winning games than the "follow the rules or GTFO" mentality. People make mistakes and this is a costly one. But I'd much rather see a team that defends their own rather than cuts them off for one mistake.

Didn't hear people yelling for Sherman, Irvin, or BB to be tossed out. Lynch got a DUI which is far worse IMO because you are endangering innocent people but no one wanted Lynch cut on the spot........ Very interesting inconsistency if you ask me.

If this suspension has you so tweaked that your life is being impacted, I suggest getting some hobbies.

Next man up.

Well said

 

[VivaEfrenHerrera]

...WT3 has a responsibility to the Seahawks as is defined in his employment agreement (contract). The question as to whether or not it is "immoral" is irrelevant in the face of his contract.

Oh, very definitely. But as well, the Seahawks and their parent entity have responsibilities to their employes and customers. These include having rational, reasonable, humane HR policies.

That's ridiculous. You act as if they're violating human rights here. Look a company can prohibit whatever they want. Nobody is held at gunpoint and forced to work anywhere. These players can go work somewhere else, or not at all, and smoke themselves silly if they like.

Most employers will terminate someone if they can't control their alcohol intake and it presents problems, so it's not as if they're picking on weed. It's just that employers have decided that habitual marijuana use presents a bigger risk to productivity and is a bigger problem. Whether that's correct or not (my personal opinion, emphasis on personal, is that it is a bigger problem) who cares. It's not up to us and it's not a question of fairness because again, nobody is forced to work anywhere.

The fact is though that once you enter into a contract your livelihood and success is tied to your ability to live up to the terms. If you can't, your weakness is the ONLY thing to blame for letting down your teammates and whoever is depending on you to bring the paycheck home.

In my opinion (obviously), you are deeply wrong on many levels here. Human rights are in fact being violated. Companies cannot prohibit "whatever they want"; there are (and for good reason) limits on policies that corporations can and cannot put into place. Can a company decide to prohibit, say Muslims, from working? No.

Companies aren't testing for "habitual marijuana use". They just aren't. They're testing for *any* marijuana use, going back months, given the peculiarities of testing for these specific metabolites.

There's a big difference between random testing and testing for cause. If an employee has shown signs of impairment, that's an entirely different situation than an otherwise fully "productive" employee being arbitrarily sanctioned. We, us and companies, whoever, can have all the opinions we want. But for these opinions to be useful or interesting, they have to have at least some qualitative basis. I am not aware of any tangible evidence that off-hour marijuana use is any significant productivity problem in any industry.

P.S. As someone who worked as a sports writer for a decade, this is when sports "talk" is at its best, IMO. When we can use the lens of sports to talk about life.

 

[justafan]

If you smoke dope and sit on your couch eatin cookies not hurting your family or anyone its not a moral issue.If you have an organisation paying you 5 or 6 figures a week to stay clean and protect the team then its all about character and morality.I dont know what he has taken for sure but if he broke the rules and put the team in a tough spot he is a first class dumbass.This team stood behind him through all the injuries and this is what he chooses to do.
As far as being a FA teams will still throw dollars at him thinking he will be more than what he has been so far in this league.

 

[Seaswab]

Next time we hear this team is done with theses mistakes why should we believe it?

 

[Largent80]

In other news......http://news.yahoo.com/more-drivers-test ... 25728.html

 

[daketah]

...WT3 has a responsibility to the Seahawks as is defined in his employment agreement (contract). The question as to whether or not it is "immoral" is irrelevant in the face of his contract.

Oh, very definitely. But as well, the Seahawks and their parent entity have responsibilities to their employes and customers. These include having rational, reasonable, humane HR policies.

Most employers will terminate someone if they can't control their alcohol intake and it presents problems, so it's not as if they're picking on weed. It's just that employers have decided that habitual marijuana use presents a bigger risk to productivity and is a bigger problem. Whether that's correct or not (my personal opinion, emphasis on personal, is that it is a bigger problem) who cares. It's not up to us and it's not a question of fairness because again, nobody is forced to work anywhere.

Jerramy Stevens is proof that alcohol intake gets the same treatment.

 

[Shadowhawk]

By the way, per the rules if Thurmond tests positive for performance enhancing drugs again, the next punishment is a year-long suspension (like Justin Blackmon in Jacksonville.) If he wants to re-sign with the Seahawks next year, he had better after to a provision where he forfeits his signing bonus if he gets another suspension or something similar.

It's not PED related.

You are correct; I typed the wrong thing. What I meant was if he violates the substance abuse policy again he would receive a year-long suspension, which is what happened to Justin Blackmon.

 

[Hawknballs]

Before anybody freaks out, Maxwell and Lane could be #2 CB's on any other team. I think it was Lane that was mostly playing when Browner was out last year and we did pretty okay those last 4 games of the season. if i recall.

Thurmond and Browner should be back by the playoffs and until then nothin changes. Just keep winning.

We're lucky we're taking our lumps at our deepest position and still have our all-pro out there on one side.

 

[scutterhawk]

Pete runs a loose ship. This is on him too.

So...When the Whiners fans call him "Pete the Cheat", you agree?

Don't be silly

You do realize that Whiners fans are likely reading all these posts, and are using YOUR assertion that Pete is responsible for playing these cheaters don't you?
Can you explain to me why you consider some dumb shit players off field actions, to be on Pete?

 

[Subzero717]

Pete runs a loose ship. This is on him too.

So...When the Whiners fans call him "Pete the Cheat", you agree?

Don't be silly

You do realize that Whiners fans are likely reading all these posts, and are using YOUR assertion that Pete is responsible for playing these cheaters don't you?
Can you explain to me why you consider some dumb shit players off field actions, to be on Pete?

Not that I agree with him but do you really think anyone here cares if 9er trolls read what he wrote and take it back to their message boards?

 

[Tech Worlds]

Pete runs a loose ship. This is on him too.

So...When the Whiners fans call him "Pete the Cheat", you agree?

Don't be silly

You do realize that Whiners fans are likely reading all these posts, and are using YOUR assertion that Pete is responsible for playing these cheaters don't you?
Can you explain to me why you consider some dumb shit players off field actions, to be on Pete?

Because he creates a atmosphere of leniency does not mean he is a cheater. Don't be silly.

 

[Largent80]

Dom, these are grown men that made it this far. They know the difference and the rules. He isn't their dad.

These guys that screw up are responsible for their own actions...it is their life.

 

[Tech Worlds]

Dom, these are grown men that made it this far. They know the difference and the rules. He isn't their dad.

These guys that screw up are responsible for their own actions...it is their life.

Of course they are. Don't be silly.

My original post said that Pete bares responsibility as well. Not all. Don't be silly.

As head coach he sets the tone for acceptable behavior. He will be the first to tell you that.

Don't be silly.

 

[Largent80]

I feel silly, maybe I should..... imp:

 

[scutterhawk]

Awesome news. I say get him the hell out of Seattle.

Also Pete does need to step up here and do something about these suspensions. Whether it's peds or not.

Although It isn't Pete's fault that these dumbasses that put themselves ahead of the Team, I do agree that Pete needs to throw some cold reality at them.
These guys are making some stupid assed decisions that COULD destroy their careers, so showing them that the Organization has zero tolerance for this shit, by adding another 4 game in Team suspension, and an expulsion from the Team for a repeated second offense, should ripple through the whole organization, otherwise, there will be others thinking that they can outsmart the system.

 

[HawkMeat]

This sucks. I would guess this knocks his contract down. I feel Lane and Maxwell is up to the task!

Also smoking dope, if that what he did, is the opposite of cheating so I am baffled cheating s even discussed. Smoking weed makes you a worse DB, not better.