Josh Gordon will not be present for the beginning of the Cleveland Browns training camp. Fans are once again ‘Dazed and Confused’ and looking for answers.
Just when things were looking up for the Cleveland Browns, the rollercoaster of happiness — or sadness rather –plunges into to great unknown. The short of it is that something is indeed in the air, fans just don’t know what. Josh Gordon is missing the start of training camp, as you may have heard.
Anytime an NFL player misses their team’s mandatory programs, there is a reason. Things may be as simple as Gordon simply feeling pressure and giving an honest effort to maintain sobriety.
I will, however, offer a few possible reasons why Josh Gordon is once more “gone with the wind”, at least for now.
Most obviously, there is the possibility that Gordon had some green urine that the NFL didn’t approve of. In this age of NFL football, it seems there is no greater crime than smoking marijuana. So, there is that possibility, despite reports that is not the case.
Then there is the possibility that Gordon simply felt the weight of Cleveland on his shoulders, turned to find his familiar crutch only to discover an empty baggie. Therefore, he could now be entering himself back into a program to continue to work on his recovery.
While many disagree with the terms “recovery” and “addiction” as far as marijuana usage is concerned, most would agree that the term crutch is applicable. Regardless of its actual hold on one’s body, its grip on one’s mind can be troublesome. When anxiety and stress take hold, we each have our own ways of coping. Without those coping methods, life itself can be a very difficult challenge.
Perhaps Gordon simply knew his lifelong crutch was inaccessible and decided a trip back to the recovery doctor was his best option. After all, his career depends on his sobriety.
A third possibility goes hand in hand with the second, only with a splash of actual logic. The upcoming HBO special Hard Knocks featuring the masters of hard knocks, the Cleveland Browns, is certainly weighing on the minds of players.
It is quite a coincidence that Gordon’s statement regarding his absence at training camp came so closely to the time when HBO started production. The cameras began rolling in over the weekend and Gordon informed the world of his upcoming absence on Monday.
I would not be surprised if his hiatus was planned with consent, or even the assistance of, the Browns organization once the decision was made to spotlight the Browns on the hit TV show. I do have some curiosity regarding the particular legalities of such actions within the contract between HBO and the NFL, which could explain the lack of clarity. You know, the granting access and all that.
Every effort is certainly being made to help Josh Gordon face his demons and return to football. There is nothing about a nationwide invasion that is beneficial to someone in Gordon’s shoes. He needs to feel at ease, he needs enough privacy to handle what he needs to handle, and he needs to focus on his recovery without a camera being shoved in his face to document his struggles.
Make no mistake, any producer worth their salt would surely latch on to that storyline, and everybody knows it. The whole of the Dawg Pound wants to see a healthy Josh Gordon grace the field with his presence and, while there is intrigue in his recovery, it should be off-limits, and now it is.
We all hope that Gordon thrives, both on the field and off. If he has screwed up, the NFL will no doubt make sure he pays the highest price. My gut, however, tells me this could be the signs of a young man growing wiser and handling life as it comes. Growing up sucks, but we all have to figure it out at some point and I think he is beginning to.