The Dolphins Make Me Cry.com - Forums

ESPN.com writer Len Pasquarelli has a good scoop on what actually went down with Ricky.  Here it is:

Several league sources said Monday night that the case against Miami Dolphins running back Ricky Williams, who reportedly violated the NFL's substance-abuse policy for a fourth time and who faces a possible one-year suspension, already is in the appeals process, ESPN.com's Len Pasquarelli reports.

A source told ESPN.com's John Clayton that the team was aware of Williams' appeal.

None of the sources would divulge when the reported violation occurred or precisely when the appeal was filed through the NFL Players' Association. Two sources did acknowledge the appeal was submitted before reports surfaced Sunday evening of Williams' latest apparent violation.

The timetable for resolving such appeals, which could be heard by commissioner Paul Tagliabue, varies by case and might take several months. Sources on Monday suggested Williams' appeal will likely take one-to-three months to resolve.

Meanwhile, sources told ESPN's Hank Goldberg that Williams' violation of the league's substance-abuse policy is not a matter of a missed test. Williams has failed a drug test, the sources said.

The substance discovered is not known publicly but a source told ESPN.com's Clayton that the drug for which Williams was said to have tested positive was not marijuana. Williams has three times prior tested positive for marijuana use.

The Miami Herald quoted a source who called the Williams' situation "confusing." When asked what substance he might have been using, the source told the newspaper, "This whole thing is a little confusing. I'll just leave it at that. The best way to say it is he violated the program."

Denver television station KDVR first reported Sunday night that Williams again had violated the league's policy. An NFL spokesman told ESPN that the NFL had no comment on the report.

Because of the confidentiality guidelines of the NFL system, it is not known how many appeals have succeeded, but reversals are believed to be rare. In 2000, however, then-Miami running back J.J. Johnson won his appeal against charges that he had violated the substance abuse policy, and he was spared a four-game suspension.

The basis of Johnson's appeal remains unknown.

Williams has tested positive for marijuana three times and served a four-game suspension when he returned to the NFL last season following a one-year retirement.

Williams' agent, Leigh Steinberg, did not wish to discuss Williams' situation except in hypothetical terms, according to the Herald.

"Assuming that something like this happened, an appeal would have been filed. In the best case, that appeal would probably not have been heard until April, but now that all this information is out, it's impossible to know what might happen. I would be blown away if Ricky Williams used drugs, and that's how most of the people around him also feel," Steinberg told the newspaper.

The report caught Williams' mother by surprise. On Sunday, Sandy Williams told the Palm Beach Post that her son is currently in India, that they had not spoken of late, and that she'd "bet my life he's not smoking marijuana."

Steinberg said Williams has been in India for approximately two weeks and is not scheduled to return to the United States until early April. He said Williams could have received permission from the NFL to leave the country for a period of time and not be tested under the league's substance-abuse policy.

Williams abruptly retired from the NFL in July 2004 and the Dolphins fell apart, losing their first six games and finishing 4-12 -- their worst season since the 1960s.

At the time of his return, Williams was ordered to pay the Dolphins $8.6 million for breaching his contract, although there has been no financial resolution between him and the team. He was scheduled to be paid the league minimum of $540,000 last season but was docked four games' pay because of his league-mandated suspension and was fined another four games in pay, reducing his take to $285,882.

Williams' base salaries for the two coming seasons are $545,000 and $670,000, the minimum for a player (he entered the league in 1999) of his NFL tenure.

Guys, this is EXCELLENT news.  The fact that the substance is not known publicly means that it was something in one of the dietary supplements he was taking for his yoga classes in India.  I'd bet the farm on it.  And if that is true, he has a better-than-average chance of winning this appeal. 

I took at as "not known publicly" meaning that we (the general public) do not know what the subtance was because the NFL has not told anyone.

That's exactly what that means.  Not known PUBLICLY, but it is known privately.  Stop giving this douchebag the benefit of the doubt, jeez!

Why thanks?? Even if this is an appeal - it's still more drama and BS. 

I'll be ready to take a beating if I'm wrong..... but I'm guessing there was something in one of those yoga supplements.  Stuff like this happens all the time, in every sport.  Athletes test positive for banned substances they didn't know were in the LEGAL supplements they were taking. 

Remember, any test failed starting with the third becomes public knowledge, so the substance that is not known publicly is probably not very widespread.  Additionally, just the fact that it wasn't marijuana is good news.  If it had been marijuana, he would've been fucked.

Who cares.  He's nothing but trouble.  If not this, something else will happen.  I don't get the love affair with this guy.  He's not even that great of a running back in the first place - he fumbles too much, and every offseason there is turmoil.  He's been a thron in the side of this team since he got here, and you people constantly, CONSTANTLY love him and give him chances.

Yeah, I gotta agree.  Every year half a dozen not so great running backs rack up 1850+ yards on teams with poor offensive lines and weak passing games.   ::)

run_to_win, I have to assume jtex is talking about the "new" RW. The old Ricky was clearly one of the very best in the league.

Maurice Clarett is available

And it's clear that the new RW can be one of the best as well. 

What part of this makes you think he has a great shot at winning an appeal????  Even if it's a yoga supplement, if it's banned it's banned.  It's not like players aren't made aware of what they can and can't take.

CBS4's Jim Berry reported on the news last night that the suspected Yoga Supplement is legal but creates a false positive on the NFL drug tests...

I guess the NFL never expected any of their players to be Yoga-loving hippies.

     That's the thing with these drug tests, sometimes ordinary and legal medications can set off a positive result.  Look at the Winter Olympics in Torino.  There was a guy who got kicked out because he tested positive for Propecia, the hair growth supplement.

He could have even eaten poppy seed bagels the morning of a test and tested positive.

Who eats poppy seed before a drug test?  Everyone has heard the rumor about what it can do.  The fact is it takes a crapload of poppy seed to cause this false positive problem anyway.

If it's a legal drug that caused a false positive then why does it take 4-6 weeks to settle an appeal?  I'm not buying Berry's story just yet.

Here is the list from the NFL Players Association of non-illicit drug banned substances.  It could be any of these and Ricky has access to this information like everyone else.  I wonder which one it is??  Of course I am assuming it isn't an illicit drug he tested positive for.


List of Prohibited Substances

The following substances and methods are prohibited by the National Football League: *

I. ANABOLIC AGENTS

A. ANABOLIC/ANDROGENIC STEROIDS: Generic Name Brand Name (Examples)
Androstenediol Androstederm
Androstenedione Androstan, Androtex
Bolasterone Myagen
Boldenone Equipoise, Parenabol
Clostebol Turinabol, Steranabol
Danazol Cyclomen, Danatrol
Dehydrochlormethyltestosteron e Oral-Turinabol
Dehydroepiandrosterone DHEA
Dihydrotestosterone DHT, Stanolone
Dromostanolone Drolban
Ethylestrenol Maxibolin, Orabolin
Fluoxymesterone Halotestin
Formebulone Esiclene, Hubernol
Furazabol Miotolon
Gestrinone Tridomose
17-Hydroxypregnenedione -
17-Hydroxyprogesterone -
Mesterolone Proviron
Methandienone Danabol, Dianabol
Methandriol Androdiol
Methandrostenolone Dianabol
Methenolone Primobolan
Methyltestosterone Metandren
Mibolerone Testorex
19-Norandrostenediol 19-Diol
19-Norandrostenedione 19 Nora Force
Norethandrolone Nilevar
19-Nortestosterone (Nandrolone) Deca-Durabolin
Oxymesterone Oranabol
Oxymetholone Anadrol
Progesterone
Stanozolol Stromba, Winstrol
Testosterone Andronate
Trenbolone Finaject

And related substances

B. HUMAN OR ANIMAL GROWTH HORMONE

C. BETA-2-AGONISTS (CLENBUTEROL, ETC.)

D. HUMAN CHORIONIC GONADATROPIN


II. MASKING AGENTS

A. DIURETICS

Generic Name Brand Name (Examples)
Acetazolamide Amilco
Amiloride Midamor
Bendroflumethiazide Aprinox
Benzthiazide Aquatag
Bumetanide Burine
Chlorothiazide Diuril
Cyclothiazide Anhydron
Ethacrynic Acid Edecrin
Furosemide Lasix
Hydrochlorothiazide Aprozide
Hydroflumethiazide Leodrine
Methyclothiazide Aquatensen
Metolazone Zaroxolyn
Polythiazide Renese
Probenecid Benemid
Quinethazone Hydromox
Spironolactone Aldactone
Triamterene Jatropur, Dytac
Trichlormethiazide Anatran

And related substances

B. EPITESTOSTERONE

C. PROBENECID


III. CERTAIN STIMULANTS

Generic Name Brand Name (Examples)
Ephedrine Ma Huan, Chi Powder
Methylephedrine -
Pseudophedrine * Sudafed, Actifed
Fenfluramine Phen-Fen, Redux
Norfenfluramine -
Phentermine Fastin, Adipex, Ionamin
Modafinil
Synephrine Bitter Orange, Citrus Aurantium

* Except as properly prescribed by Club medical personnel

IV. DOPING METHODS

Ingestion or injection of banned substances, or of supplements or other products containing banned substances. Pharmacological, chemical or physical manipulation by, for example, catheterization, urine substitution, tampering, or inhibition of renal excretion by, for example, probenecid and related compounds.

Even if the situation could've been avoided (like Ricky paying closer attention to the chemicals in dietary supplements, etc), the NFL doesn't want to suspend one of their star players for a YEAR on a technicality.  If it was a first offense, or a slap on the wrist, where there was no REAL PENALTY, fine.

The NFL wants Ricky to play.  He is good for his team, he puts fans in the seats, and he gets people to tune in on Sunday.  If he wasn't DOING DRUGS, I think that it's in the NFL's best interest to further look into the situation, and a possible re-test.

From what I've heard RW may not be back in the US for a month or so.

Appeals take time for both sides to gather info & find out what is going on.

If you pay attention to a lot of my posts you will see I play Devil's advocate a lot. I notice in these boards once one opinion is put out there everyone jumps on it without ever stepping back to think about another viable option. I really don't believe it was poppy seeds, but was throwing it out there as a way for a false positive. As we all know, the NFL is not going to give you very much advanced warning on the test, so the excuse of who would eat them before a test is not valid. Also it doesn't take a crapload either. 2-3 bagels can cause the positive.

Yeah, I saw that episode of Myth Busters too.  Surprising to see how few poppy seeds can cause a false positive.

Not true.  I've heard that sometimes as little as two whole bagels can cause a positive test. 



It takes this long for both sides to gather information.  The fact that he did drugs before does not make this automatically an "open and shut" case, but I'm sure this whole thing will be settled beforehand. 

If it was a supplement that caused the positive test, he should not be penalized.... bar none.

Everyone said the same thing the first time he failed a drug test.  "Oh it was a supplement, he was dehydrated, blah blah blah..."

Lest ye forget...

Come to find out, he really did fail the test cause of marijuana, and took off to parts unknown "to save himself the embarrassment.

I stood up for the guy the first time.  I thought, hey, maybe he was really dehydrated.  This time, I'm raising the BS flag.  This guy is nothing but excuses to save face in front of the media until he develops that "I don't give a crap" attitude he exhibited on 60 minutes.

How many slaps do you have to get in your collective faces before you quit cutting the guy so much slack?

Last season RW was still among the top backs in the league.  He was significantly more explosive than Brown.  His problems are all mental. 

In a way RW reminds me of a less extreme version of Ryan Leaf.  Physically, Ryan Leaf was better than Drew Bledsoe across the board - significantly better in some aspects.   Yet, Bledsoe has played in 188 regular season games and is still going.  Leaf was done after 26.

I'm not standing up. This is a Devil's advocate thing. I personally believe it was a dietary supplement of some sort.

I disagree. I do think he played better than Ronnie, overall, but not well enough to be among the top backs. Larry Johnson, Shaun Alexander, Edgerran James, Rudi Johnson, Tiki Barber and LaDamian Tomlinson were all way out of Ricky's league in 2005.

I'm not saying Ricky wouldn't be able to get back to that elite level - after all, he was AWOL for a year and that's gotta hurt somewhat and he did have fewer weak games in the second half of the season, so the promise of more is there. Or was there, I guess, unless he somehow avoids get a 12 month suspension.

The fact remains:  If Williams tested positive for something that was in one of his yoga supplements (which are legal), he should just discontinue taking that supplement. 

If the supplement itself has no banned substances but in itself caused a false positive test, then he didn't test positive.

Either way, he's off the hook.

he's not off the hook...

If he tested positive for steroids, for example, and admits to taking "supplements", guess what, boys n girls, he's suspended.

Knowing him, and how people were saying how much weight he lost and how small he was, I wouldn't be surprised if Ricky was on the juice.  That'd make sense too, why they're keeping it hush, so congress doesn't get involved ::)

I thought it was obvious that Ricky showed he an elite RB by the end of the season.  Afer a year off of not playing/practicing did anyone really think his first few games were going to be anything to brag about.  He didn't play well when he first took the field.....I think the OL was the biggest problem then.  You can't just look at the yards & TDs, compare them to the league leaders and then say there's no comparison.

What I find strange is that people would doubt his ability less if he was coming off a season ending injury in 2004.  This guy was at his peak at 26-27 and took a year off, stayed healthy, rested, and healed his body.  Now all the sudden he's not that good?  I don't buy it.