The Pittsburgh Steelers, always considered a blueprint for how to run a National Football League franchise, dropped the ball big time by allowing recently arrested running backs Le’Veon Bell and LeGarrette Blount play in a meaningless preseason game against the Philadelphia Eagles on Thursday evening.
There may be something to be said about due process and letting the legal system play out, but it’s relatively clear at this point that neither Bell or Blount were acting as law-abiding citizens when they were pulled over in Ross Township, Pennsylvania on Wednesday. The two were charged with possession of marijuana, while Bell himself faces a DWI chage.
Blount apparently made the trip with the team across state, while Bell hailed his own flight. And they were both on the field against Philadelphia just over 24 hours after being arrested.
Both Steelers RBs Le'Veon Bell and LeGarrette Blount are in uniform vs PHI a day after facing marijuana charges. pic.twitter.com/egJARjSN3n
— NFL on ESPN (@ESPNNFL) August 21, 2014
We know full well that NFL’s marijuana policy is archaic and I am not attempting to indicate otherwise. But we also know that Josh Gordon is facing a season-long suspension for testing positive for the “drug.” While Gordon’s situation is much different than what happened with the Steelers running backs, it’s still something worth noting.
Remember when the San Francisco 49ers gained a bunch of cricitism after deciding to play linebacker Aldon Smith days after his DUI arrest last September? The argument some made in regards to the 49ers showing a lack of good judgmenet was that Smith’s actions made both the team and the league look bad. No one was convicting him in a criminal trial, though he was already found gulty in the court of public opinion. San Francisco proceeded to almost literally force Smith into alcohol rehabilitation following that game, but the criticism didn’t stop there.
Some will look at this comparison as nothing more than apples and oranges. While that’s understandable considering Smith put the entire community at risk by driving drunk during Friday rush-hour traffic, Bell is also charged with a DUI. Those who support him playing that also questioned the 49ers decision are simply indicating that it’s better to drive high off marijuana (allegedly) than drunk. That’s about the most ignorant argument one could make.
As it relates to the Steelers, what exactly would they have lost by deciding to sit both Blount and Bell? In this era where public perception is huge to franchises around the NFL, Pittsburgh decided to suit these two players up and let them play in the first series of the game.
Courtesy of USA Today: What happened to Tomlin’s tight ship?
It did so fully understanding that the two were charged with crimes just hours before opening kickoff. It did so with the understanding that league discipline wouldn’t come until much further down the line. Why not make a statement here?
It’s a statement that would have told all players that they will face the wrath of the organiazation, especially while the league waits to chime in. It’s a statement that no player is above the law. More than that, it’s a statement that would go a long way in showing the rest of the NFL that Pittsburgh is actually all its cracked up to be from an organizational standpoint.
Instead Mike Tomlin and Co. decided to play it safe. And in this era of excessive off-field incidents, it was the wrong decision.
Photo: Deadspin.com