It was Philadelphia native Bob Saget, appearing in the critically-acclaimed, Half Baked, who once said, “Marijuana is not a drug. I used to suck **** for coke.”
Seems like the NFL is going to follow suit and adopt Saget’s stance on alternative medicine, as described today in a press release that introduces two joint agreements to “address pain management and behavioral health.”
They are called:
- Joint Pain Management Committee – which will include “medical experts appointed by both the league and union, which will establish uniform standards for club practices and policies regarding pain management and the use of prescription medication by NFL players as well as conduct research concerning pain management and alternative therapies”
- Comprehensive Mental Health and Wellness Committee – this group will “develop educational programs for players, coaches, club personnel and players’ family members regarding mental health and wellness”
“Marijuana” is not written specifically in the release, but Mark Maske at The Washington Post talked to the NFL’s Chief Medical Officer, Allen Sills, who said the league will indeed study the Swedish cheebah, after the jump:
A report from Ian Rapoport:
#Eagles QB Carson Wentz is progressing well from his back injury from 2018 and sources say he has no limitations for on-field drills during OTAs, beginning tomorrow. The team will be smart with him, of course, but he’s expected to be involved in the majority of all work.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) May 20, 2019
Big, if true.
I’m willing to bet that Doug Pederson will be asked about this tomorrow when OTAs begin.
The last time he was asked about Wentz, we got this exchange, after the jump:
Sports Betting Updates
Let’s check in on the Dallas Cowboys.
Huh… Seems like Ezekiel Elliott had an eventful weekend.
The running back shoved a security guard at the EDC music festival in Las Vegas, leading to a handcuffing and detainment.
…the NFL star’s attorney says Zeke was NOT formally arrested (only detained) and claims the whole thing is much ado about nothing.
Here’s the deal … the Dallas Cowboys superstar running back had been spotted in the parking lot at the Electric Daisy Carnival around 3 AM on Saturday morning arguing with his girlfriend.
Zeke never puts his hands on the woman but he uses his body to block her from walking away several times during the argument.
We spoke with Zeke’s attorney, Frank Salzano, who says Elliott was released shortly after our video ends and he was not formally arrested or charged with a crime.
Salzano says Elliott was just having a normal discussion with his girlfriend and blames event security for “overreacting.”
You be the judge, after the jump:
Remember when the Redskins controversially signed Reuben Foster off waivers?
He went down in OTAs this afternoon with what appears to be a serious leg injury:
Redskins linebacker Reuben Foster was visibly in serious pain and carted off the field after an injury on Monday. pic.twitter.com/Ha6QnT4Owy
— NBC Sports Redskins (@NBCSRedskins) May 20, 2019
That personnel move was derided at the time, since Foster was just 72 hours removed from a domestic violence charge that resulted in his release from the 49ers. Washington put out a statement at the time, noting the severity of the allegations made against the linebacker while assuring fans they had investigated his background and the off-field situations that had resulted in past legal troubles.
From Shams and others:
Philadelphia 76ers swingman James Ennis (@JamesDa_Truth) will decline his $1.8M player option for next season and become a free agent, league sources tell @TheAthleticNBA @Stadium.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) May 20, 2019
James Ennis' agent, Scott Nichols of Rize Management, confirms he will decline his player option.
Nichols says Ennis is seeking a more lucrative, multi-year deal and that he may still return to the Sixers. He said Ennis enjoyed his time in Phily and built good relationships.
— Noah Levick (@NoahLevick) May 20, 2019
Right, so Ennis is just looking for a new deal. I don’t blame him. He was solid for the Sixers in the playoffs as a capable defender who could hit the offensive glass and knock down the occasional three pointer. He’s only 28 years old.
First priority is Jimmy Butler and Tobias Harris, then the Sixers will turn to Ennis, JJ Redick, and perhaps Mike Scott. The wing market has a number of guys valued in that $1.5 million to $3 million range, so we’ll see how it plays out and what kind of deal Ennis can get elsewhere. Keep in mind you’ve also got Zhaire Smith returning from injury and multiple draft picks the Sixers can use on young two-way wings.
Happy retirement to Chris Long, who finished his NFL career with:
- two Super Bowl rings
- 332 tackles
- 70 sacks
- 15 forced fumbles
- a Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year award
So on, and so forth. You could tire yourself out writing about his contributions to the Rams, Patriots, Eagles, and NFL as a whole both on and off the field. I mean, the guy donated his salary to charity, so that’s probably worth a mention as well.
In the meantime, I picked these as Long’s best three plays as an Eagle, and if you disagree, you can tell me in the comments section and/or make your own list:
It’s that time of the year.
Camden workouts ahead of the 2019 NBA Draft, which takes place one month from now on June 20th.
The Sixers have five selections, including picks 24, 33, and 34. Today they’ll host the following six players at the practice facility:
- Ky Bowman (Boston College)
- Tookie Brown (Georgia Southern)
- Zylan Cheatham (Arizona State)
- Terance Mann (Florida State)
- Marial Shayok (Iowa State)
- Max Strus (DePaul)
Here’s a little bit about each of these guys, who are upperclassmen and second round projections:
Ky Bowman
6’2″ point guard, junior
19 points 8 rebounds, and 4 assists per game for Bowman, who was fourth on the ACC scoring charts this year behind Zion Williamson, RJ Barrett, and Marcquise Reed.
The Sixers need a backup point guard next season, since T.J. McConnell was essentially just covering for Markelle Fultz this year before coming out of the rotation in the Brooklyn playoff series.
A clean sweep for the weekend.
After losing three of four to the Brewers, the Phillies took all three games this weekend from the Colorado Rockies.
It began Friday night with the Phillies edging Colorado 5-4. The Phils were down early 2-0 when pitcher Cole Irvin had a game-changing 10-pitch at-bat that resulted in a walk and brought up Andrew McCutchen. He would promptly hit a two-run home run to tie the game at two. Cesar Hernandez drove in a run in the fourth, while Bryce Harper started his fantastic weekend with a two-RBI double in the fifth.
Irvin did give up all four runs in the game, three of them earned runs, on five hits with a couple of strikeouts. But the at-bat was pivotal in the Friday night win.
The following afternoon, Harper hit one of two 400+ foot home runs. The first was a 466 footer:
Bryce Harper went over everything pic.twitter.com/gLMtJ4EIWB
— Starting 9 (@Starting9) May 18, 2019
That, along with a career-tying 12 strikeout performance from Aaron Nola, helped the Phils edge the Rockies 2-1 on Saturday.
In the series finale on Sunday, the team saw the return of Scott Kingery. In center field. But after a three-run second inning, the Rockies would hit home runs in the fourth, fifth, and sixth innings to take a 5-3 lead. In the bottom half of the sixth, a pinch-hit two-run homer from JT Realmuto and a two-run shot by Harper would eventually lift the Phils to a 7-5 win.
Is Harper finally over his early season slump? He recorded six RBIs this weekend and went 5-for-12. Could be early, but a good development nonetheless.
The Phillies head to Chicago to take on the Cubs for a four-game series that starts tonight at 8:05 PM on NBC Sports Philadelphia. Jake Arrieta will make his first ever start against the Cubs as he goes against Yu Darvish.
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The Roundup: Continue Reading
