REST OF THE STORY ON RICKY?
While the media continues to get its beauty sleep, skips out on church in lieu of snarfing Homer Simpson's patented moon waffles, and/or continues to recite "we're stunned" by the announcement that running back Ricky Williams is retiring after only five NFL season, we're bringing you the details, the inside poop, and (as outlined below) the speculation from some league insiders as to what might be going on behind the scenes.
And we must preface the following remarks by emphasizing that this specific blurb is rooted in speculation only.
In a conversation with one league insider this morning, we were reminded of the reported fine of up to $650,000 that the league was set to impose on Williams for violation of the league's "smoky, smoky" policy. If, the insider surmised, Ricky feared arriving at camp and failing given yet another pee test, he would have next faced a four-game suspension and another $650,000 fine. The next violation would have resulted in a one-year suspension.
By walking away voluntarily, Williams avoids a potential outcome that would have placed him on the sidelines for 25 percent of the year anyway, and one step closer to a full-season ban.
If this speculation is accurate, look for Ricky to come back in 2005, or possibly sooner. In theory, he could clean out his system over the next month and show up for the start of the regular season. (Could that reported trip to Asia be a 28-day visit to the Betty Ford-son Center?)
And by filing his retirement papers, Ricky can't be fined for missing camp or the preseason. Instead, he can un-retire in September -- and the team can restore him if it so chooses (and so choose it likely would, given the dearth of other options presently available to it).
Again, this is all speculation. We don't know whether or not Ricky has been puffing on the magic dragon. But the insider who formulated this theory is the same person who told us on the day that the Bucs dumped Darrell Russell that the move likely was the result of yet another violation by Russell of the league's substance abuse policy.
i got this off another message board so it could be b.s.
While the media continues to get its beauty sleep, skips out on church in lieu of snarfing Homer Simpson's patented moon waffles, and/or continues to recite "we're stunned" by the announcement that running back Ricky Williams is retiring after only five NFL season, we're bringing you the details, the inside poop, and (as outlined below) the speculation from some league insiders as to what might be going on behind the scenes.
And we must preface the following remarks by emphasizing that this specific blurb is rooted in speculation only.
In a conversation with one league insider this morning, we were reminded of the reported fine of up to $650,000 that the league was set to impose on Williams for violation of the league's "smoky, smoky" policy. If, the insider surmised, Ricky feared arriving at camp and failing given yet another pee test, he would have next faced a four-game suspension and another $650,000 fine. The next violation would have resulted in a one-year suspension.
By walking away voluntarily, Williams avoids a potential outcome that would have placed him on the sidelines for 25 percent of the year anyway, and one step closer to a full-season ban.
If this speculation is accurate, look for Ricky to come back in 2005, or possibly sooner. In theory, he could clean out his system over the next month and show up for the start of the regular season. (Could that reported trip to Asia be a 28-day visit to the Betty Ford-son Center?)
And by filing his retirement papers, Ricky can't be fined for missing camp or the preseason. Instead, he can un-retire in September -- and the team can restore him if it so chooses (and so choose it likely would, given the dearth of other options presently available to it).
Again, this is all speculation. We don't know whether or not Ricky has been puffing on the magic dragon. But the insider who formulated this theory is the same person who told us on the day that the Bucs dumped Darrell Russell that the move likely was the result of yet another violation by Russell of the league's substance abuse policy.
i got this off another message board so it could be b.s.
