Matt Prater Suspended

[Mondio]

so says his agent. Then again, the league doesn't tell us what the exact substance was, just that there was a violation.

 

[WalkerBoh]

so says his agent. Then again, the league doesn't tell us what the exact substance was, just that there was a violation.

This was a violation of the NFL's alcohol policy. So that right there tells us the exact substance they're referring to here is alcohol. If it were something different it would constitute a violation of a seperate policy.....

 

[BroncoInCALI]

I agree that Prater should have known better......but, I also feel like the NFL sends a ton of mixed messages with it's fines and punishments.

Beat your girlfriend into submission.....2 games.

Drink a few beers 3 years after you got a DUI....4 games.

That makes zero sense. I have not done my research, but how the heck long is the probation period on the NFL's substance abuse policy? Especially when it is concerned with a legal substance........

 

[4down20]

So at least understand a little more why Prater has struggled this off season and why we brought in some competition for him...Looks like he has been suspended 4-games for substance abuse (alcohol). How do you get suspended for alcohol? I guess he was drinking at home and somehow then during his testing still had alcohol in his system so now is suspended...

This again comes back to the whole Ray Rice gets suspended 2-games for knocking out his fiancé/wife yet Prater gets 4-games for drinking alcohol at home.

As for the Ray Rice vs this.

Ray Rice didn't do something that was detrimental to the team. Showing up for the team stuff drunk is.

I'm not a big fan of the NFL suspending over legal troubles really. I mean, we have a legal system for that. So I think Prater's suspension is way more warranted.

 

[cdumler7]

As for the Ray Rice vs this.

Ray Rice didn't do something that was detrimental to the team. Showing up for the team stuff drunk is.

I'm not a big fan of the NFL suspending over legal troubles really. I mean, we have a legal system for that. So I think Prater's suspension is way more warranted.

From what I understand about the situation...Matt Prater was at home on vacation and had a couple of beers. I'm not seeing how that is detrimental to the team other than the fact that he was by the NFL's eyes on strike 3 when it came to alcohol stemming from his DUI accident 3 years ago. So essentially he has been on probation for 3-years for the NFL because of a DUI to the point that him being found with any alcohol whether drunk or not would get him suspended for 4-games. At one point I had heard there was talk of suspending him for the full year for having these couple of beers.

So not sure where you are getting this he showed up stuff drunk. You realize they do these tests sometimes at the actual home of the player right? Not like he got up and drove to the facility drunk then took the test and was found to be drunk.

Also how is Ray Rice's incident not detrimental to the team? Every player now is being asked about him and that has become the whole focus of the team instead of what they are actually doing on the field. It has now also put fans in a weird position of do you support a guy that beats his wife or not...Fans at the first home preseason game had to make that decision and some of them gave him a standing ovation which has now painted the Ravens fans in a very bad light around the country.

 

[Broncosr0k]

Ray Rice didn't do something that was detrimental to the team. Showing up for the team stuff drunk is.

Source? To my knowledge Prater was going nowhere. He just got random tested because of the phase 2 substance program rules.

The real issue is:
1. Courts do not punish these players enough. The pats CB that punched a cop prior to the draft gets to serve his time in the offseason. A few hundred dollar fine means nothing to a player. This leads to the league cracking down.
2. The league, in its infinite wisdom, decided that they should have overly complicated rules when it comes to substance abuse. First time violators get a slap on the wrist and sent to Phase 2. Phase 2 allows for more random drug tests and increased suspension. The league never thought maybe they should have harsher rules for violent offensives like beating your girlfriend.

Goodell has no issue banning players and coaches for an entire year based on circumstantial evidence on bounties but he takes issue with major suspensions on players dragging their unconscious girlfriend out of an elevator after going a couple rounds.

The more interesting take on this will be what Goodell does to Irsay. If he lets him off with a warning it will not look good.

 

[Broncos6482]

I agree that Prater should have known better......but, I also feel like the NFL sends a ton of mixed messages with it's fines and punishments.

Beat your girlfriend into submission.....2 games.

Drink a few beers 3 years after you got a DUI....4 games.

That makes zero sense. I have not done my research, but how the heck long is the probation period on the NFL's substance abuse policy? Especially when it is concerned with a legal substance........

I don't think it's entirely fair to compare the Ray Rice situation to Prater's situation (or even the Josh Gordon situation). The league has pretty set guidelines when it comes to any kind of substance abuse, and as such there isn't a lot of wiggle room. Perhaps the NFL is too strict when it comes to substance abuse, and maybe that policy should be revised. However, both Prater and Gordon know what the rules are, and they know the consequence of violating them. I don't think either of them are being treated unfairly.

As to Ray Rice, frankly I haven't been following the details of that case very closely. I agree it does seem that he got off pretty lightly. However I do think it complicates matters for the NFL when the girl goes through with marrying him, has seemingly completely forgiven him, and even pleads on his behalf before the NFL. Perhaps the NFL needs to better define punishment when it comes to domestic violence so it doesn't seem so arbitrary. If a guy like Roethlisberger can get a 4 game suspension for allegations of r*pe (not even a charge), I do believe Rice deserved a longer suspension.

But the bottom line for me is that the NFL wasn't too harsh with Matt Prater, it was too lenient with Rice.

 

[cdumler7]

Honestly I with your last statement Broncos6482. I think if the Ray Rice situation had been different where they actually suspended him for more than just a wrist slap in the NFL season kind of thing I don't think many of us would have a problem with 4-games for drinking when he wasn't supposed to. Prater has owned up to his mistake not trying to cover it up. He knew the consequences and will now serve the time. The NFL like you said does have a very strict already established set of rules that all players know when it comes to substance abuse. The problem is the NFL needs to look into those things that happen that don't involve substances such as the Ray Rice situation and revise how they handle those situations. I think the Ray Rice situation because it doesn't happen very often in the NFL is one they just haven't taken the time to set up how they will deal with it. I'm guessing right now they are revising all of it to make sure they don't get caught with their pants down next time and looking like a fool like they have.

 

[Malibu]

Guess it's time to see what Mitch Ewald can do....

I hope not. Wait and see if Feely or another vet gets cut. Just saying.

 

[BroncoInCALI]

I don't disagree with you at all.......in fact, my initial reaction when hearing about Prater was "Freaking Kickers". He should have been better versed on the Substance Abuse policy and it's guidelines since he had already gotten himself tangled up in that.

As for the comparison between Ray Rice and Prater.....I am not comparing their offenses. I am comparing the NFL's ridiculous application of suspensions for two "crimes" that are vastly different. If you had just come back from a 10 year vacation on the Moon and someone came up to you and said "Ray Rice beat his girlfriend in an elevator, knocked her out cold and there is video evidence of the incident and Matt Prater had a few beers at his house 3 years after being placed into the NFL's substance abuse program. One got a 2 game suspension and one got a 4 gamer. Who do you think got what?" You would most likely think Rice got the harsher of the suspensions." It just does not make sense.

I get that Ray Rice's wife "defended him" and all that jazz.....that is a societal problem that is much bigger than the NFL. Women who allow that stuff to happen to them and go back for more have been around for ages, and it is sad. I think Roger Goodell and the NFL clearly dropped the ball on the Ray Rice suspension. The Prater incident came at a bad time for us. As usual, it will take a case like this for them to look into changing things going forward.

Aren't the NFL and Aldon Smith still battling it out on what type of suspension he has to serve? That will be interesting to see since his has guns, drugs and alcohol involved. I'm guessing 1 game sounds about right.....lmao

 

[BroncoInCALI]

Also, let's be serious here.....Didn't Ray Rice's incident happen at like 2 in the morning at a Casino? If there wasn't alcohol involved there, I would be very surprised.

Thin line the NFL dances on when it comes to some of these cases.....in my opinion.

 

[Broncosr0k]

I hope not. Wait and see if Feely or another vet gets cut. Just saying.

Feely was cut.

What the hell is with the "Just Saying" at the end of all posts?

 

[4down20]

Re: Source of showing up drunk.

Alcohol leaves the system extremely quick, like 1 beer/shot per hour. You drink a 12 pack, and 12 hours later it's basically out of your system. So if he had alcohol in his blood stream it means he had been drinking only a few hours before being tested.

If he only had a "few beers", then he had to have drank them only a "few hours" before being tested.

 

[Broncosr0k]

Re: Source of showing up drunk.

Alcohol leaves the system extremely quick, like 1 beer/shot per hour. You drink a 12 pack, and 12 hours later it's basically out of your system. So if he had alcohol in his blood stream it means he had been drinking only a few hours before being tested.

If he only had a "few beers", then he had to have drank them only a "few hours" before being tested.

Alcohol processing rate is exact. There are a ton of variables.

Even if he had a keg, he did not show up to any team event hammered, or at all. The reports I have seen is that he was on vacation. Part of the Phase 2 substance abuse program is that you get surprise tests to ensure you are keeping clean. As someone else mentioned, he may not have had to go anywhere. Someone may have shown up from the league and said "blow."

 

[oaknightshockey1]

Let's see what Peyton has to say about this...

 

[4down20]

Alcohol processing rate is exact. There are a ton of variables.

Even if he had a keg, he did not show up to any team event hammered, or at all. The reports I have seen is that he was on vacation. Part of the Phase 2 substance abuse program is that you get surprise tests to ensure you are keeping clean. As someone else mentioned, he may not have had to go anywhere. Someone may have shown up from the league and said "blow."

The variables from being an athlete would actually reduce the time, not extend it wouldn't it?

Kind of like how I smoked weed all the time while in the army, but never failed a drug test because I had 0 body fat from being so fit and drinking extreme amounts of water every day.

I am more sympathetic if he wasn't showing up for work etc and just got tested while on vacation. That's kind of lame.

 

[HOF-ELWAY-7]

I find some of these posts stunning. It's totally fine to compare suspensions. To say that showing up to a team function drunk, deserves a steeper suspension than knocking your fiance out cold is the silliest thing I've read in a while. Prater didn't show up at a team function drunk, get your facts straight. There is a player conduct policy in every players contract and I assume one of those infractions would cover knocking out the women you "love". Take it out of the NFL and into court. Who gets the steeper sentence, a guy that knocks out his wife and drags her out of the elevator face down and drops her like a piece of meat or a guy that gets a DUI? Oh wait, he didn't get a DUI for this suspension, he served all of his time, paid his dues and had a couple of beers legally. It's absolutely ridiculous that a guy has a couple of beers legally, doesn't hurt anyone and gets a stiffer sentence than a thug that knocked out his wife.

One more point,as Cali said it's hypocrisy to watch all the beer commercials where everyone is drinking, lining the NFL's considerably deep pockets.

 

[HOF-ELWAY-7]

Re: Source of showing up drunk.

Alcohol leaves the system extremely quick, like 1 beer/shot per hour. You drink a 12 pack, and 12 hours later it's basically out of your system. So if he had alcohol in his blood stream it means he had been drinking only a few hours before being tested.

If he only had a "few beers", then he had to have drank them only a "few hours" before being tested.

Not true at all. The NFL uses an ETG test that test's the enzyme left over from alcohol from up to 96 hours. Again, get your facts straight.

 

[4down20]

I find some of these posts stunning. It's totally fine to compare suspensions. To say that showing up to a team function drunk, deserves a steeper suspension than knocking your fiance out cold is the silliest thing I've read in a while. Prater didn't show up at a team function drunk, get your facts straight. There is a player conduct policy in every players contract and I assume one of those infractions would cover knocking out the women you "love". Take it out of the NFL and into court. Who gets the steeper sentence, a guy that knocks out his wife and drags her out of the elevator face down and drops her like a piece of meat or a guy that gets a DUI? Oh wait, he didn't get a DUI for this suspension, he served all of his time, paid his dues and had a couple of beers legally. It's absolutely ridiculous that a guy has a couple of beers legally, doesn't hurt anyone and gets a stiffer sentence than a thug that knocked out his wife.

One more point,as Cali said it's hypocrisy to watch all the beer commercials where everyone is drinking, lining the NFL's considerably deep pockets.

One event is 100% off field, the other was potentially not.

And btw, kind of off topic - but it's actually pretty common to see people in jail for longer on things that aren't actually worse. I had to do 30 days once over a misdemeanor charge of "criminal damage to property" and I watched people come in and then leave a few days later with probation on a felony via plea.

As for the NFL and hypocrisy over advertisements. What a bunch of horseshit. That's like claiming anyone who works at the alcohol factory should be allowed to drink while working and calling them hypocrites. It's a business, making money off a product isn't some kind of free pass towards it.

 

[4down20]

Not true at all. The NFL uses an ETG test that test's the enzyme left over from alcohol from up to 96 hours. Again, get your facts straight.

Fine, your kicker is a drunk and should have known better.