Ricky losses appeal..........

[Brian Fein]

FRED TAYLOR!??!

I'm drooling at the opportunity to have an often-injured super stud on the Dolphins.

Seriously - he's the definition of RBBC.

[Brian Fein]

Just so that this isn't all hearsay...


http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=2421774


Williams suspended one year
ESPN.com news services

Dolphins halfback Ricky Williams lost his appeal with the NFL for violating the substance abuse policy and will be ineligible for the 2006 season.

The appeal was of his fourth violation of the NFL's substance abuse policy, a ruling that places his football career in jeopardy.

Two sources said Williams was told of the ruling earlier Tuesday. This will mark the second time in three years that Williams will sit out a full season. Williams missed the 2004 campaign when he abruptly retired days before the start of training camp that summer, following his third violation of the substance abuse policy.

"I'm disappointed with the decision but I respect it," Williams said in a statement issued through the Dolphins. "I'm proud of my association with the National Football League and look forward to returning to the Dolphins in 2007."

Williams can apply for reinstatement to the league after one year. He will not be allowed to train at the Dolphins' facility for the next year.

But even if he were to be reinstated in 2007, Williams would return as a 30-year-old running back who had appeared in just 12 games in three years. Life is difficult enough for a running back in the NFL once he turns 30. It would be especially difficult for Williams, given the rust he would have accumulated. And there are no guarantees that he will want to resume his career when eligible for reinstatement.

"Ricky is obviously disappointed," his agent, Leigh Steinberg, told The Associated Press. "He'll need to work hard to get back to the league in 2007."

The four-time 1,000-yard rusher returned to the Dolphins in 2005, served a four-game suspension for his past drug-related offenses and forfeited an additional four game checks as part of the sanctions against him. He then ran for 743 yards and six touchdowns while serving as the backup to rookie tailback Ronnie Brown, the team's first-round pick. Williams played in 12 games, starting three.

League officials have yet to comment on the resolution to Williams' appeal, which was heard April 10 in a session presided over by league counsel Jeffrey Pash. There had been no indication of when a resolution might come on Williams' appeal, but in the hearing, the Dolphins requested an expedited decision. That was because Miami wanted to go into the draft the weekend with a clear picture of their tailback situation.

Decisions on such appeals can often take months, but the league clearly viewed the Williams situation and the proximity to the draft as a mitigating circumstance and made a quicker determination.

According to various reports, Williams tested positive, likely in December toward the end of the 2005 season, for a substance banned by the league. In at least three other violations, Williams tested positive for marijuana. Several sources have claimed that the substance in the latest positive test was not marijuana.

News that Williams had failed another drug test surfaced in February, while he was in India studying yoga and holistic medicine.

In the lengthy appeals hearing, it is believed that attorney David Cornwell, who represented Williams, claimed that the positive test was inconsistent with his client's behavior over the past year. A former league counsel, Cornwell helped craft the NFL's substance abuse guidelines, is eminently familiar with the policy and has represented many players in the past in the appeals process.

"We raised substantial and legitimate issues arising out of the application of the NFL's policy and program for substances of abuse," Cornwell said in a statement. He urged the players' union and ownership to "review the issues we raised on the appeal ... and restore the original intention of the NFL's policy to put equal focus on helping NFL players as is put on testing and suspending them."

One of the witnesses who testified in support of Williams in the appeal was Dolphins coach Nick Saban, who has repeatedly praised Williams' conduct and performance last season.

"This is a league decision, and we are disappointed in what it means for Ricky and the team," Saban said in a statement. "Ricky did an outstanding job for the Dolphins, not only as a player but also what he added as a person to the team's chemistry and to our overall success."

For his career, Williams, the first-round draft choice of the New Orleans Saints who was traded to Miami in 2002, has rushed for 7,097 yards and 47 touchdowns on 1,757 carries. The former University of Texas star has appeared in 82 games and started 73 times.

The suspension represents a financial blow for Williams, who owes the Dolphins $8.6 million for breaching his contract when he retired in 2004. His return to the NFL was motivated partly by the need for a paycheck.

The Dolphins recently re-signed backup tailbacks Sammy Morris and Travis Minor, but neither figures to provide them the kind of productivity that Williams did in 2005.

[JVides]

I'm actually bummed for the guy.  Not that he'll really mind; his passion's elsewhere.  Hope he figures himself out...

[Dphins4me]

If he really had some balls, he would fight this in court.  I'm guessing the test was all a big mistake, but because the DONKOS leaked the confidential info, the NFL had to save face.  

Probably right.  The NFL is a hypocritical league anyway.

[Dphins4me]

Does Saban draft another runningback?

Wonder what Saban thinks of Kay Jay Harris?

[The_Phinatic]

They still won't say what he tested positive for.

A source claimed a couple of weeks ago that is was an amphetamine or metamphetamine.  This ranges from diet pills to Ecstasy/X. 

You Ricky lovers are laughable.  The guy has tested positive 3 times for banned substance already, but the NFL screwed him on the 4th one? 

He won't take it to court because he will lose there too.  He had to prove his innocence and he failed.  Wake up.  And, please, never be on a jury.

[bsfins]

Either Adam Shefter or Chris Mortenson mentioned that The league tested the supplement,or what ever Ricky "claims" caused the false positive.The League couldn't get a false positive.

[The_Phinatic]

“I’m disappointed with the decision but I respect it. I’m proud of my association with the National Football League and look forward to returning to the Dolphins in 2007.”

Sounds like he is pissed about the tainted NFL screwing him over!  I hope he sues 

[Brian Fein]

Good Riddance to the biggest headache this team has known since Cecil Collins.

[dolfan13]

well this sux, but whatever... have to move on. basically this pretty much means that the phins need to get out of the #16 in order to pick up another pick. if we can trade out and get a second or third rounder, with a low first round, we'll be in good shape.

[JVides]

You Ricky lovers are laughable.  The guy has tested positive 3 times for banned substance already, but the NFL screwed him on the 4th one? 

All right, choke your bile down for a sec...the "Ricky Lovers" here are just doing what all fans would do: lament the loss of a physical specimen of a running back.  You may dislike the guy for quitting on a coach you hated, but he was an asset to this team last year. 

[phinphan]

http://sports.excite.com/news/04252006/v9535.html

Oh well....

[jtex316]

Physical Specimen?  Let's not get too carried away there.  He was a solid NFL back for literally 1 and 1/2 seasons.  The rest of his career were mired with fumbles and off-the-field drama.

I can't believe some of the posters here are STILL in denial over this situation!  You're STILL trying to find an excuse as to why he should still be on the field playing football!  Amazing.  He failed FOUR NFL DRUG TESTS - 4.  Not one, not two, and not three - FOUR. FOUR FOUR FOUR FOUR FOUR FOUR.

Bravo to the NFL for sticking to their rules, and not allowing this low-life junkie to blame society and whatever else, and sticking it to him.  He broke the rules, 4 times.  Game = Over.

[Dphins4me]

Bravo to the NFL for sticking to their rules, and not allowing this low-life junkie to blame society and whatever else, and sticking it to him.  He broke the rules, 4 times.  Game = Over.

Get your facts straight.  RW has blamed no one for anything.  He said he smoked pot the first time.

RW has been nothing but stand upish about this.

[Denver_Bronco]

RW has been nothing but stand upish about this.

LMFAO...yeah, cause we all know that drug addicts are stand up, honest guys....