The big news in the NSFL today is the revelation that Baltimore Hawks' tight end Carmel Gibson has failed a drug test, with reports indicating that he was twice over the accepted limit for the controversial substance TPE. Gibson's sample read over 100 units, when the league guidelines for this scenario indicated he should not have had over 50 units in his bloodstream. A spokesperson for the league revealed that the head office are currently discussing which course of action to take, while a source inside the Baltimore Hawks organisation has indicated that the Hawks are considering imposing a team suspension in the meantime. With the Hawks flying high and chasing a playoff berth, some coming thanks in no small part to Gibson's excellent performances, the implications of any league decision could be crippling to the Baltimore side's Ultimus ambitions.
Nobody within the Hawks organisation is believed to have been aware of Gibson's trangressions, leading some to argue that punishing the team would be unfair. Others, however, cite that the Hawks have gained an unfair advantage for the entirety of the season to date, and this should be "equalised". A major point in the scandal, however, is that Gibson appears to have been unwittingly contravening league rules, complicating the issue. Rumours that Gibson destroyed his phone the day before the scheduled test -- which would almost certainly shatter the suggestion that Gibson had no dishonest intent -- are unsubstantiated.
"It's being reported that the test result is down to a supplement Gibson had been using," explains Joseph Oakes, an attorney specialising in sports. "He claims he had prior approval from league officials to go ahead and use the supplement, and seems genuinely dismayed at the whole thing." With this in mind, there is some clamor from the NSFL community that league officials involved should face sanctions, and possibly even lose their jobs. Oakes added that Hawks GM Gordon Gekko may be somewhat nervous about the league's decision, given that they could "pull a Goodell" and declare that Gekko was "generally aware" of Gibson's offence. "In the admittedly unlikely event that the league head office decides that Gekko was aware of the problem but chose not to report it, they might take action against the Hawks and could strip them of picks, for example." Oakes explained. "It's far more likely though that Gibson will be suspended for the remainder of the season at least, while further action is impossible to predict."
Some have suggested that the Hawks be disadvantaged in the playoff race by automatically losing any tiebreaker in the NSFC, while others go further still, calling for the league to allow excessive TPE presence in opposing players in the remaining games of the season, or to effectively poison the Hawks' backup tight end Jesse Sanderson, who is likely to start their remaining games this season. Putting aside the moral implications of the latter two suggestions, it is hard to imagine the league sanctioning such extreme measures, though they may opt to impose a tiebreaker forfeit. The alternative would be to outright ban the Hawks from the playoffs, which many would consider to be patently unfair.
The Hawks currently sit at 7-4, in a tie with the Wraiths for control of the NSFC, and just one game ahead of third placed Colorado, with three games remaining in the season. With one of those three scheduled games away at Colorado, any suspension or sanction placed on Gibson could be fatal to the Hawks' playoff aspirations. Hawks offensive lineman Avon Blocksdale insists that the team can win without Gibson, though. Rumours suggest that Blocksdale, as well as two other Hawks starters, have floated the idea of a team suspension, while enhancing their resolve to go all the way and become NSFL champions.
Where we go from here seems to hinge almost entirely on the decision of the head office, however.
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GRADED
Nobody within the Hawks organisation is believed to have been aware of Gibson's trangressions, leading some to argue that punishing the team would be unfair. Others, however, cite that the Hawks have gained an unfair advantage for the entirety of the season to date, and this should be "equalised". A major point in the scandal, however, is that Gibson appears to have been unwittingly contravening league rules, complicating the issue. Rumours that Gibson destroyed his phone the day before the scheduled test -- which would almost certainly shatter the suggestion that Gibson had no dishonest intent -- are unsubstantiated.
"It's being reported that the test result is down to a supplement Gibson had been using," explains Joseph Oakes, an attorney specialising in sports. "He claims he had prior approval from league officials to go ahead and use the supplement, and seems genuinely dismayed at the whole thing." With this in mind, there is some clamor from the NSFL community that league officials involved should face sanctions, and possibly even lose their jobs. Oakes added that Hawks GM Gordon Gekko may be somewhat nervous about the league's decision, given that they could "pull a Goodell" and declare that Gekko was "generally aware" of Gibson's offence. "In the admittedly unlikely event that the league head office decides that Gekko was aware of the problem but chose not to report it, they might take action against the Hawks and could strip them of picks, for example." Oakes explained. "It's far more likely though that Gibson will be suspended for the remainder of the season at least, while further action is impossible to predict."
Some have suggested that the Hawks be disadvantaged in the playoff race by automatically losing any tiebreaker in the NSFC, while others go further still, calling for the league to allow excessive TPE presence in opposing players in the remaining games of the season, or to effectively poison the Hawks' backup tight end Jesse Sanderson, who is likely to start their remaining games this season. Putting aside the moral implications of the latter two suggestions, it is hard to imagine the league sanctioning such extreme measures, though they may opt to impose a tiebreaker forfeit. The alternative would be to outright ban the Hawks from the playoffs, which many would consider to be patently unfair.
The Hawks currently sit at 7-4, in a tie with the Wraiths for control of the NSFC, and just one game ahead of third placed Colorado, with three games remaining in the season. With one of those three scheduled games away at Colorado, any suspension or sanction placed on Gibson could be fatal to the Hawks' playoff aspirations. Hawks offensive lineman Avon Blocksdale insists that the team can win without Gibson, though. Rumours suggest that Blocksdale, as well as two other Hawks starters, have floated the idea of a team suspension, while enhancing their resolve to go all the way and become NSFL champions.
Where we go from here seems to hinge almost entirely on the decision of the head office, however.
(645 words)
GRADED
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