FOX Sports: Houston and Ballard Test Positive at Combine for Marijuana
by Brandon on Apr 27, 2011 7:01 AM CDT
in Green Bay Packers Draft
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PrintTwo players who have been mentioned as possibilities for the Green Bay Packers in the first and second round are Georgia LB Justin Houston, and Iowa DE Christian Ballard. And they both may have tested positive for marijuana at the NFL combine. From FOX Sports.com:
Multiple sources told FOXSports.com that Georgia outside linebacker/defensive end Justin Houston and Iowa defensive lineman Christian Ballard failed drug tests at the NFL Scouting Combine in February. Both players tested positive for marijuana, the sources said.
Before you cross either off your draft board, it was reported that NT B.J. Raji tested positive for marijuana at the NFL combine in 2009. Also, a report said that Vikings WR Percy Harvin tested positive in 2009. I doubt either team regrets drafting either player. Maybe none of these reports are true, or maybe it really doesn't matter.
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It's pot
It’s not like they’re out dealing coke or anything. Shouldn’t knock them down any draft boards
Dream Saints 2011 Draft:
1) Ryan Kerrigan
2) Mason Foster
3a) Drake Nevis
3b) Daniel Thomas
7a) Will Hill
7b) Alex Wujciak
Pot is also a feeder drug that can lead to the use of others. Its also addictive. Its also against the NFLs drug policy. Its also illegal in WI.
I could go on…its not just nothing. You can try to downplay it all you want, but its still a red flag.
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by TrevorR on Apr 27, 2011 9:26 AM CDT up reply actions 2 recs
It's a red flag because
it means that your investment could get in trouble more than anything else.
All is vanity.
It’s actually not addictive, and the feeder drug argument is somewhat questionable too (at least according to some studies I looked at in a class last semester). But, it definitely is still a red flag for the reasons mossdog says below.
Fire Slocum
by packallday555 on Apr 27, 2011 10:29 AM CDT up reply actions
Feeder drug argument is pretty tenuous
If you’re willing to try one drug of course you’re the type that’s willing to try others as well. I’ve never seen good scientific evidence backing that one up.
Personally, I agree that it’s more relevant as an IQ test. Also, these tests know how much you’ve been smoking, too. If it’s just a little bit I’m not too concerned (a la B.J. Raji, who has fared pretty well). If the tests show constant use then I’d be worried.
One thing they can’t test for is alcohol use, something I’d be much more concerned about.
And I don’t agree that TT is totally unwilling to take risks on character. When Woodson came to us he had character issues – he admits so himself. Thompson also drafted Raji, who was not without concern, and Finley, who has WR diva issues. I don’t see TT taking a flyer on someone with more serious issues, however.
53 Bears, 1 Cup
by I voted for Kodos on Apr 27, 2011 12:47 PM CDT up reply actions
Tests
I don’t know if the drug tests measure how much you’ve been using. Urine tests just measure for the existence of THC, not necessarily the quanitity of it in the system. A hair test might do that, I don’t know… Why would you be more worried about alcohol? Basically weed and alcohol are similar drugs.. One liquid the other smoked.
As for character. Raji admitted his drug use but tested negative, so there wasn’t much of a red flag there. Otherwise Raji was pretty clean. Got suspended for not meating academic requirements, but took responsibility for it. Raji really wasn’t a concern character wise. Finley has a little sense of entitlement and is kinda arrogant, but thats not a huge red flag… And he was a 3rd round pick, so the risk is drastically diminished.
I think THompson takes the test very seriously unless Houston took responsibility for it in interviews, which we will never know. Don’t see Thompson using a 1st on someone who got busted for weed at the combine!
You've been Stroh'd™!!!
Actually, urine tests do measure quantity
But the numbers can get skewed a little. If someone just recently smoked the amount will come up larger than if they had smoked 3 weeks ago. But if you’re a consistent user over a period of time they’ll be able to determine that from the test, especially if they get more than one sample.
And as for alcohol vs. marijuana? How many people have you seen ruin their lives with alcohol vs. pot? Leonard Little and Donte Stallworth, Koren Robinson’s career got derailed for years by alcohol and by the time he got semi-clean he was too old, Jared Allen – almost ended his career prematurely because of alcohol, Jeremy Trueblood, Mike Vrabel . . . you think no alcohol was involved in Darrent Williams’ death? Or the Ray Lewis incident? Or just about anything Pacman Jones did? 28% of NFL player arrests involved drinking and driving (http://www.alcohol-rehab-info.com/alcoholrehabarticles/dui-among-nfl-players-a-big-problem.php). In the 2010 NFL draft Mike Williams of Syracuse fell to the 4th round in part because of a perceived alcohol problem, so I think GMs also are concerned with potential alcohol issues.
I’m not trying to be anti-alcohol (I’m not involved in any temperance movement), but it can be a very serious problem for some people.
That guy on the corner asking for change probably ain’t using that money to buy some marijuana.
53 Bears, 1 Cup
by I voted for Kodos on Apr 27, 2011 1:26 PM CDT up reply actions
Alcohol is involved in ruining more lives simply by the fact that its Legal...
So its used FAR more than weed generally is… I’m well aware of how devastating alcohol can be. My father is an alcoholic! I use it sparingly, maybe once a week on average. And use weed very sparingly, maybe a couple times a year.
You've been Stroh'd™!!!
Yes
Alcohol ruins more lives because its use is so widespread. However, I’d still argue that a higher percentage of users have their lives ruined by alcohol than by pot.
Also, you’d definitely be okay to draft. Your usage level would not be a red flag to me if I were a GM. Not even a yellow flag.
53 Bears, 1 Cup
by I voted for Kodos on Apr 27, 2011 8:01 PM CDT up reply actions
"However, I’d still argue that a higher percentage of users have their lives ruined by alcohol than by pot."
Lives ruined? I would certainly disagree with that. Look at just the number of drunk driving fatalities in America. Numbers have been declining recently, but since statistics have been kept (1982), there was a 10 year period of at least 20,000 people dying per year (‘82-91), 15,000+ dying per year from ’92-07 (16 years) just from alcohol-related traffic fatalities. Add in those who’ve died from cirrhosis of the liver and other diseases brought on by consumption of alcohol, and I think you’d be hard pressed to find even one percent that many Americans simply affected negatively by usage of marijuana (let alone DEAD), and that would be assuming that 100% of the population drinks (the highest possible percentage lowering the per capita rate to its lowest total) and 1% of the population smokes marijuana (researchers have found it’s about 40% of America). You’re free to make that argument, I suppose, but I think that’s wrong to the point of ridiculousness.
13.
Actually I think we agree
I’m saying more people have their lives ruined by alcohol, fewer people have their lives ruined by pot.
53 Bears, 1 Cup
by I voted for Kodos on Apr 27, 2011 11:11 PM CDT up reply actions
I'm confused....
is it because of the alcohol or the pot?
by PhoenicianPakFan on Apr 27, 2011 11:46 PM CDT up reply actions
I'm saying that alcohol ruins more lives
53 Bears, 1 Cup
by I voted for Kodos on Apr 28, 2011 12:23 AM CDT up reply actions
But why am I confused....
is it caused by the alcohol or the pot?
And by pot I mean I hit my head on the toilet…..wouldn’t be a good thing for me career-wise to do drugs.
by PhoenicianPakFan on Apr 28, 2011 12:48 AM CDT up reply actions
Forget the damage to the users for a minute, please.
As I live in a state where marijuana use is perceived to be legal, and where it is widespread, I can say with some conviction that I believe that alcohol does far more harm, does far more damage and is far more deadly to the people who come into contact with the user than pot is.
"It's a great day to be great, baby!"
"Here I am, brain the size of a planet,
and they ask me to pick up a piece of paper.
You call that job satisfaction?
'Cause, I don't."
THE BEARS STILL SUCK!
"state where marijuana use is perceived to be legal,"
One more reaon to love AK. Not because its defacto legal, but because it is that way probably because its out of control of the feds. You Alaskans have no idea how lucky you are that the federal government basically ignores your existence.
by PhoenicianPakFan on Apr 28, 2011 4:41 AM CDT up reply actions
Except that
the federal government controls way too much of our land. :(
"It's a great day to be great, baby!"
"Here I am, brain the size of a planet,
and they ask me to pick up a piece of paper.
You call that job satisfaction?
'Cause, I don't."
THE BEARS STILL SUCK!
But, you're right.
Federal laws are the reason pot is not truly legal here.
But, the feds are never going to waste their time on the casual user.
"It's a great day to be great, baby!"
"Here I am, brain the size of a planet,
and they ask me to pick up a piece of paper.
You call that job satisfaction?
'Cause, I don't."
THE BEARS STILL SUCK!
If you’re willing to try one drug of course you’re the type that’s willing to try others as well. I’ve never seen good scientific evidence backing that one up.
Right.
It’s actually quite interesting to look at some of the marijuana studies. Another common argument against pot is that it kills brain cells. But what most don’t know, is when they conducted those tests (on monkeys) they did so, by putting a gas mask on them and essentially suffocating them by filling it with pot smoke inside the mask. This skews the test because suffocation kills brain cells, so who is to say it was the weed that actually killed those brain cells and not the suffocation?
Haha kinda random but all this weed talk made me think back a little bit.
Fire Slocum
by packallday555 on Apr 27, 2011 1:04 PM CDT up reply actions
The memory loss argument is interesting
You see studies come out supporting both sides, so I’m not going to say I believe one side or another, but I want to add something I find interesting: the brain has to delete some memories – like a computer’s hard drive there is only so much we can store and quickly retrieve. Your brain somehow knows that it doesn’t need to store all the memories you could have (like the faces of random people walking down the street) so it essentially eliminates those memories so that the important stuff is more easily accessible. Neuroscience is a fascinating subject to me.
53 Bears, 1 Cup
by I voted for Kodos on Apr 27, 2011 1:29 PM CDT up reply actions
Its been proven to increase heart rate by 20 to 50 bpm while lowering your blood pressure which is a pretty dangerous combo. Its loaded with carcinogens which increases the risk of lung cancer. Research is also showing that THC decreases the bodies immune system making people more likely to get other diseases and maladies.
The Green Bay Packers...Putting bad coaches out of their misery since 2010
One thing to remember
is how much damage heavy alcohol use or cigarette use does to your body as well.
The only reason that it’d be a red flag for me is (1) if he has a history of bad decisions, and (2) because it shows he’s stupid.
"I'm tired of pretending I'm not a rock star from Mars."
Yeah, I’ve seen that too. But a lot of that depends on how you smoke the pot too. I’ve seen studies that say smoking a blunt vs. smoking it out of a bowl or bong is less I guess dangerous to your body.
Fire Slocum
by packallday555 on Apr 28, 2011 12:42 PM CDT up reply actions
Charles Rogers and Anttaj Hawthorne enthusiastically support this statement.
Editor at BT Powerhouse, a Big Ten Basketball blog.
Author at Acme Packing Company, a Green Bay Packers blog
by OBrienSchofieldismyHero on Apr 27, 2011 2:44 PM CDT up reply actions
Don't know whether the weed is addictive or not
But it’s less addictive than crack!
53 Bears, 1 Cup
by I voted for Kodos on Apr 27, 2011 7:58 PM CDT up reply actions
Apparently crack is a gateway drug....
to statutory rape.
by PhoenicianPakFan on Apr 27, 2011 11:46 PM CDT up reply actions
http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/the-teenage-mind/201012/is-marijuana-addictive
Well it is…but not as much as other things. So yes and no.
The Green Bay Packers...Putting bad coaches out of their misery since 2010
by TrevorR on Apr 27, 2011 2:59 PM CDT up reply actions 1 recs
Might be pshychologically addictive. But not physically.
But the psychological could be due to alot of factors, and not really an addiction to the drug. More to the feelings from using it…
You've been Stroh'd™!!!
Just because people can get addicted does not mean a substance itself is addictive.
Some people get addicted to collecting stamps. It doesn’t mean that the stamps themselves are addictive, it means that some people get addicted to things regardless of what it is.
13.
by Wiedmann on Apr 27, 2011 3:06 PM CDT up reply actions 1 recs
True true
I’ve been called a Packers addict and I don’t think the Packers are physically addictive. However, the Packers are a gateway to awesomeness.
53 Bears, 1 Cup
by I voted for Kodos on Apr 28, 2011 2:06 AM CDT up reply actions
The Packers are clearly physically addictive
How else would they sell out all those games for decades?
They definitely are a gateway to awesomeness & excellence.
13.
I just sat through a seminar put on by the Rochester, MN police department…they would say quite the opposite actually.
The Green Bay Packers...Putting bad coaches out of their misery since 2010
Not just any police, but Minnesota police
I live in Minnesota and everything is illegal here. No fireworks, no liquor stores on Sundays, not allowed to defend oneself in the event of attack (legally required to attempt to flee and have a felony committed on you before you may respond)., not even allowed to field a championship football team around here! [okay, I made the last one up]
53 Bears, 1 Cup
by I voted for Kodos on Apr 27, 2011 8:07 PM CDT up reply actions 3 recs
You still have Blue Laws in MN?
I thought it was weird when I was in Georgia & couldn’t buy alcohol on Sundays, but I figured that was just a Bible Belt thing. No wonder their football team sucks. At least when I went to UGA games, you could tailgate (b/c it’s Saturday, not Sunday). That’s why SEC football is good. Drunken fans.
13.
Indiana's the same
still no alcohol on Sundays.
"I'm tired of pretending I'm not a rock star from Mars."
Goddamn, I miss living in Wisconsin!!!!!
Notice that I upped you by one exclamation point.
53 Bears, 1 Cup
by I voted for Kodos on Apr 27, 2011 11:12 PM CDT up reply actions 1 recs
Where I'm from in WI the liquor stores close at 9pm...
not sure if thats a local or state thing, but I love living in AZ since I work late and can still get alcohol until 2am.
by PhoenicianPakFan on Apr 27, 2011 11:48 PM CDT up reply actions
I know that Walmart in southeast WI
has to lock up the liquor around 9.
"I'm tired of pretending I'm not a rock star from Mars."
In Madison it's usually 9 or 10
It’s been a while, so I don’t remember. But there was one liquor store that was technically in another township so they could stay open until midnight. Always wanted to buy that gold mine!
Of course half of that profit was probably skimmed by aldermen and other low-level city officials. . . .
53 Bears, 1 Cup
by I voted for Kodos on Apr 28, 2011 1:17 AM CDT up reply actions
Bob Saget says:
Marijuana is not a drug. I used to suck dick for coke. Now that’s an addiction. You ever suck some dick for marijuana?
13.
coaching staffs
couldn’t care less that the players are smoking because unlike the rest of the country they have medical knowledge. what it is instead is an IQ test. if you aren’t smart enough to be clean when millions are on the line, then you aren’t smart enough to make it. that’s made doubly true by how easy it is to cheat on a drug test.
by mossdog427 on Apr 27, 2011 8:41 AM CDT reply actions 1 recs
That is the thing that BLOWS MY MIND. These guys have millions on the line. They know that pot is against NFL policy and that getting caught could send them down the board and cost them millions and they STILL DO IT?!!? What the hell! How stupid are these people?
The Green Bay Packers...Putting bad coaches out of their misery since 2010
The Teams know the truth...
About whether or not they tested positive! They get reports that no one else gets on the drug tests… However, if true it seems to already be knocking them down draft boards. And given how much emphasis Thompson puts on high character players, you can be damn sure it’ll knock them down the list. These mocks seem to think so too…
•Don Banks, SI.com, not in first round.
•Pat Kirwin, NFL.com, 30th, Jets.
•Ourlads, not in first round.
•Nolan Nawrocki, Pro Football Weekly, not in first round
•Chad Reuter, NFLdraftscout.com, not in first round
•Adam Kaplan, FoxSports.com, not in first round
You've been Stroh'd™!!!
I agree that teams know the truth
but those mock drafts came out before the news of the positive results. Houston’s been in and out of the first round throughout mock drafts and Ballard hasn’t been in the 1st in the vast majority of mocks since day one, from what I’ve seen.
53 Bears, 1 Cup
by I voted for Kodos on Apr 27, 2011 12:41 PM CDT up reply actions
read this...
http://www.jsonline.com/blogs/sports/120731934.html
I don’t know when the mocks came out, but its possible that the paper did a quiick survey to see if the writers mentioned would drop Houston out of the 1st or see where they would put him after the test results were reported. I haven’t looked at those mocks much lately tho… I just remember Houston being a sure fire 1st round choice for a long time and if it changed, it did so quite recently. And Ballard is lucky if he is a 2nd round pick even before the test. He might drop into the 4th following the test results.
You've been Stroh'd™!!!
Interesting read
But I think the Jeremy Thompson case isn’t really applicable to Houston. First, because Thompson didn’t pan out in large part due to injuries, not drug abuse. Second, because Thompson was a much lower pick, so the risk is much lower than with someone like Houston. I’m not saying that the test result won’t affect Houston or Ballard, I’m just saying we won’t really know until after the fact, and that it’s not going to drop them out of the draft altogether.
TT might shy away from Houston because it’s an early pick and we’ve already got such a solid team that we can afford to play it safe, but on the other hand we’ve got such a solid team that we can afford to take a risk. My bigger concern is his tendency to take plays off – is he not a hard enough worker to be fit? Is that related to drug use? That’s the big question to me.
53 Bears, 1 Cup
by I voted for Kodos on Apr 27, 2011 1:38 PM CDT up reply actions
They weren't comparing Thompson for an drug use.
Just simply for the fact that Thompson was a athlete that tested well, but didn’t play as well. Thompson was a health and fitness guy. a Exercise Physiology major in college. So I doubt he had much to do w/ drugs.
You've been Stroh'd™!!!
THC
Both pot (THC) and alcohol are gateway drugs. This means one has a higher likely-hood of trying stronger crap. I’ve seen pot screw up many loved ones. Plus, just watching Intervention one sees many addicts start out by trying pot. Anyway, why play with fire when having so many God given abilities! Maybe these players need to be stuck in a wheelchair for a year.
Percy Harvin
There’s a decent chance that he smoked due to his migraines. As someone who suffers from migraines and used to dabble in the use of marijuana I can vouch that it works as well as the prescription medicine I now take. Certainly helped more with the nausea!
53 Bears, 1 Cup
by I voted for Kodos on Apr 27, 2011 11:15 PM CDT reply actions
I wondered about that regarding Houston...
If he uses it for migraines like Harvin I might not have as big a problem w/ the positive test. Thankfully I don’t get headaches, much less migraines, but I’ve heard weed works better than anything for them.
You've been Stroh'd™!!!
Migraines and reefer
Marijuana definitely did the trick for me – I didn’t actually get diagnosed with migraines until after I quit smoking! Didn’t know the headaches would get so bad without it, so I never went to the doctor about it until after I had left that behind.
I actually didn’t start getting them until well after the college years – got hit in the head with a baseball bat by a mugger in Chicago (explains a LOT, don’t it?). My head has not been the same since – I never used to buy or have any headache medicine on hand. Now I go through that stuff like Tic Tacs and it still isn’t sufficient. Regular headaches are something I’ve just grown accustomed to in the last five years, but the migraines that have come on are a real bitch. The Rx helps, but I still don’t think it works as well as my previous cure.
And that’s my life story! I’d say I’m sorry for going on about it, but since I’m going ahead and posting it I’m obviously not.
53 Bears, 1 Cup
by I voted for Kodos on Apr 28, 2011 1:26 AM CDT up reply actions
I would start using it again...
Are you in a situation where you could get drug tested? If you already have a really good job, I would start using weed agian. Once you have a good job, unless something happens a company isn’t likely to have you tested again. Not that I’m advocating drug/weed use!!! LOL
You've been Stroh'd™!!!
I certainly think about it
I’m in a situation where I can’t really, though.
I also meant to add: I can’t imagine playing football is anything but bad for migraines.
53 Bears, 1 Cup
by I voted for Kodos on Apr 28, 2011 8:13 AM CDT up reply actions
I don't think even pot can offset the migraines brought on....
by playing for the Vikings.
by PhoenicianPakFan on Apr 27, 2011 11:49 PM CDT up reply actions 4 recs
Ladies and gentlemen, we have a zing
Zing!
53 Bears, 1 Cup
by I voted for Kodos on Apr 28, 2011 12:24 AM CDT up reply actions
Almost every person I've ever met, including athletes, has smoked weed
and most of those still do at least occasionally…
Weed isn’t even a big deal, though guys about to get drafted should obviously be smart enough to not do it anytime around the combine, that’s just plain stupid
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