Browns receiver, Gordon, suspended for year
The NFL has suspended Browns wide receiver Josh Gordon for at least one year without pay for violating the league’s substance-abuse program.
Gordon, who has already served two league suspensions, will have to apply for reinstatement. A league spokesman said his one-year ban begins immediately. The former Pro Bowler has been a repeat offender of the league’s drug policy, and his latest offense has jeopardized his once promising career.
Last week, Gordon said his failed test was for alcohol. He was prohibited from drinking following a DUI arrest last summer in North Carolina.
Browns general manager Ray Farmer said the team is “disappointed to once again be at this point with Josh.” The team has supported the 23-year-old, but Farmer said “unfortunately our efforts have not resonated with him.”
Gordon led the league with 1,646 yards in 2013. He was suspended for the first 10 games last season.
Falcons owner: We’re guilty: Falcons owner Arthur Blank said Tuesday he has seen enough of the NFL’s investigation of fake crowd noise at Atlanta’s home games to acknowledge wrongdoing.
The NFL is trying to determine if the Falcons pumped artificial crowd noise into the Georgia Dome for home games the last two years. Apparently, the answer is yes.
Blank had a quick response when asked if there was a fine line for crowd noise not allowed by the league.
“It’s not really a fine line,” Blank told the Associated Press. “I think what we’ve done in 2013 and 2014 was wrong. Anything that affects the competitive balance and fairness on the field, we’re opposed to, as a league, as a club and as an owner. It’s obviously embarrassing but beyond embarrassing it doesn’t represent our culture and what we’re about.”
Brady wants to give gift to teammate: Patriots quarterback Tom Brady said he “would love to” give the truck he got for winning his third Super Bowl MVP to defensive back Malcolm Butler.
Butler made the game-saving interception at the goal line in the final minute of Sunday night’s 28-24 victory over the Seattle Seahawks.
Brady said on WEEI radio in Boston Tuesday he wants to see that Butler gets the truck. Said Brady: “I’m going to figure out how to make that work.”