Is Green Bay one of the NFL's drug dens?

[Joemailman]

Suspended in recent seasons for drug-related events:

Johnny Jolly
Mike Neal
Allan Barbre (one season after leaving GB)
Datone Jones
Jarrett Bush
Letroy Guion
Mike Pennel
Demetri Goodson


Now the HGH investigations of Matthews, Peppers and Neal.

If this was another team, like the Bengals, we would laugh at them. If it was the Vikings, we would ridicule them. But, its "our" Packers.

How should we respond?

I don't know if there's enough of a pattern here to say there's a big problem. Barbre and Bush were suspended after they were no longer Packers, so I don't know that those can be pinned on the Packers at all. Guion and Jones were suspended after being caught by police. That might be bad luck. It is true the Packers haven't taken a stand against players suspended for drug use. Jolly, Neal, Jones and Guion have all been welcomed back after suspensions. I have no idea if that makes them different than other teams, but perhaps they need to look at how they deal with players who have been suspended.

Too early to judge the situation with Peppers and Matthews. Neal appears to have been shunned by the entire league for now.

[Patler]

Barbre and Bush were suspended after they were no longer Packers, so I don't know that those can be pinned on the Packers at all.

Too early to judge the situation with Peppers and Matthews. Neal appears to have been shunned by the entire league for now.

Bush was suspended just a few months after the season. I suspect it was based on a test while he was still on the team. Some suspensions have come a year or more after the first failed test with the procedural delays and automatic reviews before anything becomes public. For that reason, Barbre's suspension could indicate nefarious acts while still a Packer. Not certain, though. Then, too with Barbre, I would question how soon from first use he actually failed a test.

I agree it is too soon for any conclusions on the HGH investigations.

[Rastak]

I don't know if there's enough of a pattern here to say there's a big problem. Barbre and Bush were suspended after they were no longer Packers, so I don't know that those can be pinned on the Packers at all. Guion and Jones were suspended after being caught by police. That might be bad luck. It is true the Packers haven't taken a stand against players suspended for drug use. Jolly, Neal, Jones and Guion have all been welcomed back after suspensions. I have no idea if that makes them different than other teams, but perhaps they need to look at how they deal with players who have been suspended.

Too early to judge the situation with Peppers and Matthews. Neal appears to have been shunned by the entire league for now.

Does Surly Furious count?