Ricky Williams Back in the NFL

[Aristotle]

Williams reinstated after 18-month suspension

I have serious problems with suspensions for non-performance enhancing drugs - pot in particular.

Who cares if a player smokes weed. I would rather they not test for it, and it not be talked about. If the issue is "providing a bad example for kids", well they got the bad example by now learning how much of a pot head Ricky Williams has been most of his life, and seeing how he still managed to rock the house as a RB.''

Alcohol abuse and DUIs are far more serious than this, and yet players rarely get any punishment for such things.

[Talsek]

As part of the NFL drug program, Williams underwent therapy for the past 5½ months in Boston and benefited from the treatment, Steinberg said.

"This is the program working exactly as it should -- treating a player for an underlying life problem in a positive and sophisticated way, and returning him to health," Steinberg said.

It's a bit out there, but Steiny's quote reminded me of Alex's rehabilitation in A Clockwork Orange.

It seems a bit backward that they focus on pot as much as they do, though I don't think that mindset is NFL-specific. If a player isn't getting an unfair edge or bringing harm to others, my gut says it shouldn't be front-page suspension-worthy stuff. I'm sure there are exceptions that I'm not thinking of, but if a dude can rack up 1,000 yard rushing seasons while smoking a bit of weed...nice work .