Cincinnati Bengals’ defensive end, Antwan Odom was just handed a four game suspension for violating the NFL’s substance abuse policy. Now the exact substance that he failed the test for was not released according to NFL policy, but his lawyer made this statement:
“Antwan did not take a steroid or any other performance enhancing substance,” Cornwell said in a statement. “While driving after midnight from Alabama to Cincinnati to report to training camp, Antwan’s wife mistakenly opened her prescription pill bottle instead of Antwan’s and gave him one of her prescription weight-loss pills instead of Antwan’s medicine. Naturally, Antwan’s preseason urine test was positive for his wife’s medicine.”
Yeah, that’s what happened. It has nothing to due with the fact that he was tied for the NFL lead with 8 sacks last October, when an injury cost him the rest of the season. Now this season he is struggling still battling injuries. It’s not like a player would want to get back to dominant form quickly, that never happens.
His lawyer continues to state:
“The NFL did not dispute the facts in this case and accepted the Cincinnati Bengals’ weight records showing that Antwan’s target reporting weight was 275 lbs. and that he actually reported at 255 lbs., confirming that Antwan had no reason to take a weight-loss medicine,” Cornwell said in the statement.
You could say he had no reason, or you could say, “thank you medicine for helping me reach my goal.”
Blaming someone else for a failed test is not new. Actually its never the players fault for failing a test. Let’s see:
- Edinson Volquez failed because he was trying to start a family
- Rafael Palmeiro failed, well he doesn’t know why, but it wasn’t on purpose.
- Perhaps one of the all-time greatest excuses was Brian Cushing’s “Overtrained Athlete Syndrome.”
Anyway, to all you guys out there. If you get busted for something, I advise you don’t blame your wife.
[Photo Credit: blog.wkrq.com]
