Morning sports update: Bill Polian says NFL players are ‘solely and completely’ responsible for everything they put in their body
"No excuses."
Brad Stevens and Jayson Tatum were not handed the Coach of the Year or Rookie of the Year trophies at the NBA Awards on Monday night. Dwane Casey and Ben Simmons won the respective awards, while James Harden took home MVP. The Red Sox face the Angels at Fenway Park at 7:10 p.m. Tuesday.
Bill Polian on Julian Edelman: Players are ‘solely and completely’ responsible for everything they put in their body
Julian Edelman reportedly plans to appeal his four-game suspension by arguing the NFL mishandled his test results and that the substance he tested positive for wasn’t recognized by the league’s testers. According to Bill Polian, there are some flaws in that plan.
The former Indianapolis Colts general manager explained the NFL’s policy is collectively bargained between the Player’s Association and the NFL. He noted the policy is administered by a neutral third party and handled by arbitration, so “there’s no commissioner [as] judge, jury, and executioner — none of that.”
“Secondly, players are responsible solely and completely for everything they put in their body,” Polian said on ESPN. “There are no exceptions to that. Third, if there is a substance that they cannot recognize, that would be a red flag.”
After news of Edelman’s suspension broke, Sports Illustrated reported the wide receiver’s positive test was triggered by a substance that wasn’t immediately recognizable to the testers. That will be a central part of his defense, according to ESPN’s Dan Graziano, along with the issue that the NFL made mistakes in handling his results.
“Chain of custody is a dicey argument,” Polian said. “Everyone argues that. The only one I ever knew that won it is Richard Sherman in 2012.”
As for the issue of the unknown substance, Polian acknowledged that’s a “little more unknown.”
“But it’s important to remember that the bedrock guideline of the policy is a player is responsible himself for everything he puts in his body,” he said. “No excuses.”
Will Robert Williams develop into a Clint Capela clone for the Celtics?: Assuming Brad Stevens and the Celtics veterans can mold the first round pick into a responsible pro, John Karalis writes, there is a lot to be excited about. Williams has a similar frame and game to Houston Rockets center Clint Capela, but will he be able to make the transition to the NBA? (Boston.com)
Is it time to say goodbye to Jackie Bradley Jr.?: Right now, Bradley Jr’s job performance suggests that it shouldn’t be his job at all. But Chad Finn isn’t ready to abandon him just yet. He still plays incredible defense and there isn’t a viable alternative waiting in the wings. (Boston.com)
Bill Russell flips off Charles Barkley at the NBA Awards: Last year, Russell stood beside his fellow NBA big men and told them he would still kick their behind. This year he let his middle finger do the talking.
“I can’t help myself whenever I see Charles it just is pure instinct,” the Celtics legend said. (Boston.com)
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