Calvin Johnson Up In Smoke

by MaconDawg on Apr 19, 2007 2:38 PM EDT in Football

The AJC is reporting that in pre-draft interviews, several high profile players, including Georgia Tech's Calvin Johnson, Louisville's Amobi Okoye and Clemson's Gaines Adams admitted to smoking marijuana during college.

With apologies to Ludacris, it appears that Reuben Houston wasn't the only one in the huddle smoking that Cheech & Chong.

While this is after all a blog focused on University of Georgia sports, I just couldn't let this one slip by, for a couple of reasons. One is that I simply cannot stand by and let any random stupidity associated with the North Avenue Trade School go by without being appropriately trumpeted. That's just how my toast is buttered.

Second, and more importantly, I know you all are a sophisticated group of readers, who like to keep a finger on the pulse of the larger college football world. And it is in that vein that I ask you: does this story matter?

To me, the answer is yes. I think that given der kommisar Godell's new discipline policy, brought about by Fulmer Cup role model/West Virginia Mountaineers Pacman Jones and Chris Henry, character matters more than ever in pro football. In the past, NFL teams saw a guy like Randy Moss as a publicity liability. Now, guys who have a penchant for being in the wrong place at the wrong time miss games, or even seasons, for their shenanigans. And that's bad for business.

I predict that none of these guys will fall out of the first round. Or even the first half of the first round, largely because, as no less a disciplinarian than Chan Gailey pointed out about Johnson "he's a great young man who probably did it one time to see what it was like, and told the truth [when asked about it]." Tommy Bowden noted that Bill Clinton used to dance with mary jane too, and he turned out ok.

For Johnson however, this is a bit of a blow to his squeaky-clean image, polished on overseas toilet-building trips and honed by shouldering the adversity of having Reggie Ball as his quarterback. Of course, this also probably makes it a lot harder for Al Davis to pass him up with the first selection in the upcoming draft because he would provide Randy Moss someone to hang out with.

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lame

Admitting to having tried marijuana revels little about a person's character. Unless, of course, they would have a passed a drug screen and made the admission due to a personal commitment to telling the truth even when doing so is unpleasant and costly. In that instance, Calvin Johnson should be applauded for his commitment to honesty, even while we snicker at his naivety.

And just because Terry Bowden wants to inject politics into sports doesn't mean you should jump off the same George "I did enhale, and it was cocaine not marijuana" Bush Bridge.

by 34hawk on Apr 19, 2007 3:55 PM EDT 0 recs

no big deal

I would venture to say close to half of the people I know who are in or have been to college can say they smoked.

That's a low ball number considering most of the people I know have smoked at one time or another.

The real question is that is he continueing to smoke and does he have a substance abuse problem. I don't think he does. But I don't know.

Pacman's problem was that he knew he could smoke during the offseason and be fine. I hope he doesn't have the same problem. Who knows it maybe that one day he smoked while he was in high school. I'm just delighted that he was truthful.

by JHallStang on Apr 19, 2007 6:14 PM EDT 0 recs

34Hawk,

"And just because Terry Bowden wants to inject politics into sports doesn't mean you should jump off the same George 'I did enhale, and it was cocaine not marijuana" Bush Bridge.' "

I think Bowden was trying to make the same point you and JHallStang made, that Gaines Adams' admission doesn't mean he's a degenerate, it just means he's honest. I don't really know Bowden's politics, but I get the impression it was tongue-in-cheek, which was what I meant to get across.

I agree. But I do think that NFL teams are seriously considering even minor recreational drug use more now than they used to (well, except for the Bengals).

by MaconDawg on Apr 19, 2007 6:52 PM EDT 0 recs

As someone who

smoked an amount of pot in college that can only be described as "tremendous," I'm in no place to judge Calvin Johnson and have no intention of doing so.

Be that as it may, Tech fans revel in needling Georgia fans anytime a Bulldog player gets caught with some dope, so I see no reason why Bulldog Nation as a whole shouldn't be afforded the same opportunity.

"Maybe, just once, someone will call me 'sir' without adding 'you're making a scene.' " -- Homer Simpson

by Doug on Apr 20, 2007 8:39 AM EDT 0 recs

Doug, you've hit the nail on the head

Is it a big deal? No. Does the Reuben Houston Institute for Dime Bag Technology deserve every gram of ribbing we give it? Absolutely.

By the way, if you were an N.F.L. general manager and a division rival of yours drafted Calvin Johnson in the first round in 2007, why wouldn't you draft Paul Oliver in the first round in 2008?

by T Kyle King on Apr 20, 2007 9:37 AM EDT 0 recs

2 Things . . .

"Does the Reuben Houston Institute for Dime Bag Technology deserve every gram of ribbing we give it? Absolutely."

Actually I think we should re-open the Reuben Houston investigation considering this new evidence. Considering CJ's obviously super human appetites a 100 lbs of weed really is just like a nickel bag to the rest of us.

"By the way, if you were an N.F.L. general manager and a division rival of yours drafted Calvin Johnson in the first round in 2007, why wouldn't you draft Paul Oliver in the first round in 2008?"

Uh, because Reggie Ball is no longer (under)throwing him the football?

by JacketDan on Apr 20, 2007 3:45 PM EDT up 0 recs

Let's not kid ourselves, Dan . . .

. . . those balls hit C.J. on the hands and Paul Oliver shut him down anyway, reaching in and taking sure touchdowns away legally and repeatedly. Boneheaded decisionmaking is Reggie Ball's fault, but Oliver's coverage of Johnson was airtight, textbook, and decisive.

Besides, if Calvin Johnson is as good as advertised, he ought to be able to haul in anything thrown in his general vicinity, right?

I'm not saying C.J. isn't good; he is . . . but either he's overrated, or Paul Oliver is better than he is, or both. That, or Calvin was high at the time.

by T Kyle King on Apr 20, 2007 5:05 PM EDT up 0 recs

I'm not faulting Oliver

But in neither of the last two games did Reggie really ever throw a ball where CJ could use his superior size and leaping ability to shield Oliver from the ball. Some of that was great coverage from Oliver and some of it was poor throws by Reggie. I haven't watched the game recently, but they are both contributing factors to the whole process.

I'm not trying to take anything away from Oliver when the ball did go to CJ he did his job and kept him from catching it. You can't ask for much more from a DI CB and I don't doubt that he's a future 1st day draft pick. But you are kidding yourself Kyle if you think having a QB that is incapable of making passes to take advantage of your WR's height, leaping, and strength advantage was not a contributing factor as well.

by JacketDan on Apr 20, 2007 5:19 PM EDT 0 recs