Ricky Williams lost his appeal of his suspension, and as a result, he will be out all of next season. The appeal was heard April 10 in New York by NFL attorney Jeff Pash, who then gave his recommendation to league Commissioner Paul Tagliabue. This means he will have missed two of three seasons when he comes back at age 30. There is good and bad news with this all around for the Dolphins. Lets take a look at a few things that are effected by this.
Lets start with all the negative stuff and get it out of the way right now.
Negatives:
1. The team still holds a federal court judgment of $8.6 million against Williams for breach of his contract in 2004.
2. He will have missed two of three seasons
3. He has three kids and a fourth on the way with his long time girlfriend. He has nearly $9000 in child support each month.
4. The Dolphins will be without their best back once again.
5. If Williams had won his appeal, the Dolphins had planned to offer Williams around the league in trade. Can't do that now and his value only goes down more and more now.
Okay enough of the negatives. Lets move on just like the Miami Dolphins should.
Positives:
1. The Dolphins can now see exactly what Ronnie Brown is made of featuring him as the number one back.
2. Ronnie Brown has one season under his belt so the game should dtart to slow down a bit for him.
3. The Dolphins can now see what they have in the post Ricky Williams era, which they have already kind of started but not really.
4. At least they didn't trade away their whole draft to get him and then smoke a cigar afterwards!!
5. He is one of the best running backs in the league, or at least once was. Now they have a younger back with a whole lot less miles on him.
6. They don't have Ricky Williams around anymore. I guess he really needs to lose himself before he will ever really find himself.
I'm a baseball man myself, and usually don't talk football. But I thought that this topic deserved some comment.
Was it stupid for Williams not to have submitted some of his suppliments to the League Testing Office to see if he was violating something? Yes it was. But to be fair, the NFL should have granted him some leeway, as it was not for his usual drug of choice (green paprika, as Kelso from That 70's Show called it). He's been a model citizen around the Dolphin's locker room, has stayed committed to his new Holistic Medicine ideals that instruct him to stay away from mind altering drugs and stuff like that. They should have given him another four game suspension and a modest fine, but not suspension from the league for a year.
Even worse, this hurts the Dolphins, as they'll now have to start looking for another running back to share time with Ronnie Brown. Not a lot of options out there unless something happens at Training Camp.
you are right. I think he made a concious effort and has shown he is capable of doing what needs to be done. I think the application of the suspension is unjust for this "unknown substance"
Flint Michigan -
-bob260505@ya hoo.com-
Three time defending (division 2) four square champion
1993 United States Hacky-Sack Champion (runner up in 92 and 94) - finishing move "the Stall"
MVP of 1986 Whiffleball World Series - WWS was played in the side yard and had longer home runs.
2006 1st place league Champion fantasy baseball, 2003 and 2004 second place in fantasy football, 2003 second place in fantasy baseball and hockey, The last person out in Dodgeball in a record 17 of 22 games played in 1992 and led the gym class with over 175 kills in 92 - 93 (averaged 8.18 kills per game)
bob260505@yah oo.com
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