Ricky Williams - CFL?

[Franklinnoble]

Argos may drug-test Ricky

Canadian team considering signing suspended RB

Posted: Tuesday May 9, 2006 5:04PM; Updated: Tuesday May 9, 2006 8:33PM

	Ricky Williams was suspended by the NFL for his fourth violation of the league's substance abuse policy. Al Bello/Getty Images

TORONTO (AP) -- Ricky Williams may have to take a drug test if the running back wants to play for the Toronto Argonauts of the Canadian Football League.
The NFL suspended Williams for a year last month for his fourth violation of the league's substance abuse policy. Since the suspension, Williams' agent Leigh Steinberg has indicated that the 1998 Heisman winner is seriously interested in playing in the CFL.
The CFL has no formal drug testing policy, but Toronto president Keith Pelley said the team could conduct its own tests if the Miami Dolphins allow Williams to play for the Argonauts.
"It's something that we've talked about internally. ... Certainly, it would be an area that we would at least discuss," Pelley said during a conference call.
Pelley cautioned that the team isn't yet discussing drug testing and other contract demands with the 28-year-old Williams because he still needs permission from the Dolphins to speak directly with Argos officials.
Pelley said he expected to hear soon -- possibly by the end of the week -- on whether permission will be granted. He said the Dolphins are debating whether they would benefit if Williams kept playing while he sits out the 2006 NFL season, or whether the injury risk is too high.
Pelley said both Williams and Steinberg "thoroughly understand and appreciate" their requirement that Williams not only stay clean, but also promote a drug-free lifestyle to Toronto youth. The team has made conscious efforts in recent years to highlight their players as community role models, Pelley said.
"It is absolutely crucial that before we would proceed with Ricky Williams that he is prepared to be absolutely clean and more importantly, educate the youth of Toronto to say no to drugs," Pelley said. "If he's not prepared to do that, we would not sign him, even if he was prepared to play for free."

[sovereignstar]

I think it'd be stupid if they actually did drug test him. As a PR move, it makes sense though. Do whatever it takes to get (and keep) the guy on your team.

Maybe the CFL/Toronto doesn't really *need* Ricky Williams though. *shurg*

[sovereignstar]

Dola-

Sounds like Onterrio Smith is leaning towards playing in the CFL as well (Winnipeg holds his rights).

[cthomer5000]

Toronto also holds Marcus Vick's rights...

Sign them both and it's a season-long party in Toronto!

[Franklinnoble]

CFL football could get real interesting...

(I'm trying real hard not to make a Maximum Football joke here...)

[Easy Mac]

If the NFL hadn't purchased the World League back in the day he could go play for Amsterdam.

[waltwal]

when you reach the age of 21 a person should be required to take some sort of intelligence test. if he or she flunks the test it means that they should have a keeper who makes all decisions for that person. every 10 years or so you can retake the test and if passed you can take over your affairs. this would be a great because it would create the job of keeper and also protect people like williams and mike tyson.

[IwasHere]

There is no reason the Dolphins should allow Williams to play in Canada. The Dolphins should just get Ricky into a Treatment program ASAP. He could Workout and stay in shape while being locked up in a Treatment Center.

[scooper]

Originally Posted by IwasHere

There is no reason the Dolphins should allow Williams to play in Canada. The Dolphins should just get Ricky into a Treatment program ASAP. He could Workout and stay in shape while being locked up in a Treatment Center.

They can't stop him from playing in Canada. He can play in the arena league. He can start his own league and play in it if he wants to. NFL contracts only affect his status within the league.

[cthomer5000]

Originally Posted by IwasHere

There is no reason the Dolphins should allow Williams to play in Canada. The Dolphins should just get Ricky into a Treatment program ASAP. He could Workout and stay in shape while being locked up in a Treatment Center.

The guy's NFL career is over. If he plays in 2007, that's what would have be en his 8th season. How many guys are really blowing minds in years 8+ as a running back?

[QuikSand]

Originally Posted by scooper

They can't stop him from playing in Canada. He can play in the arena league. He can start his own league and play in it if he wants to. NFL contracts only affect his status within the league.

Many NFL contracts contain a variety of clauses about not being an asshat in ways that would potentially jeopardize your ability to play football pursuant to the contract (engaging in other sports, riding without a helmet, etc). That might be what's at issue here.

[IwasHere]

Remember Ricky still has a contract with the Dolphins. Williams has to have the Dolphins permission before he can go play football in another league that competes with the NFL.

[Galaxy]

Originally Posted by scooper

They can't stop him from playing in Canada. He can play in the arena league. He can start his own league and play in it if he wants to. NFL contracts only affect his status within the league.

He's got a football contract with the Dolphins. He cannot play in another league with the permission of the Dolphins.

[Galaxy]

Originally Posted by waltwal

when you reach the age of 21 a person should be required to take some sort of intelligence test. if he or she flunks the test it means that they should have a keeper who makes all decisions for that person. every 10 years or so you can retake the test and if passed you can take over your affairs. this would be a great because it would create the job of keeper and also protect people like williams and mike tyson.

I think 99.9% of Americans would fail. I think a test more on street smarts than pure intelligence would be better.

[JS19]

Originally Posted by cthomer5000

The guy's NFL career is over. If he plays in 2007, that's what would have be en his 8th season. How many guys are really blowing minds in years 8+ as a running back?

Keep in mind that Williams won't be your typical 8 year veteran RB, the guy missed half the time being suspended.

[cthomer5000]

Originally Posted by JS19

Keep in mind that Williams won't be your typical 8 year veteran RB, the guy missed half the time being suspended.

And took 1.5 year's worth of beating basically every year he played, especially his 2 years in Miami.

[rkmsuf]

combine the extreme inactivity with the lack of desire to really play the game and it's hard to see the guy being anything but a shell of his former self in 2007. plus the dolphins have ronnie brown. I have to think Saban will get rid of this guy as soon as he can.

[miami_fan]

Originally Posted by rkmsuf

combine the extreme inactivity with the lack of desire to really play the game and it's hard to see the guy being anything but a shell of his former self in 2007. plus the dolphins have ronnie brown. I have to think Saban will get rid of this guy as soon as he can.

From what I have read, the Dolphins would like to show teams film of Williams do well in 2006 in the CFL as proof he is worth trading for in 2007.

[rkmsuf]

Originally Posted by miami_fan

From what I have read, the Dolphins would like to show teams film of Williams do well in 2006 in the CFL as proof he is worth trading for in 2007.

good luck. I would be stupified if any team gave up anything for him.

[miami_fan]

Is it really possible that the CFL does not have a drug policy? I wonder what kind of steriod problem they have.

[IwasHere]

Originally Posted by miami_fan

Is it really possible that the CFL does not have a drug policy? I wonder what kind of steriod problem they have.

That is crazy.

[Pumpy Tudors]

Given the dimensions of the CFL field, the only players who would need steroids are the punters.

Paging Todd Sauerbrun.

[Dutch]

This reminds me. I need to let Matrix Games know the spokesman that will go on the cover of Maximum Football Too.

[JS19]

Originally Posted by cthomer5000

And took 1.5 year's worth of beating basically every year he played, especially his 2 years in Miami.

I know, I suppose my sarcasm didn't show. I think the guy is over and done with as well. If I were Miami and I would let him go, if he blows his knee out then oh well, probably wasn't gonna be too much worth for you anyway, but if he is the leagues best rusher then now you can shop him around for something.

[scooper]

Originally Posted by Galaxy

He's got a football contract with the Dolphins. He cannot play in another league with the permission of the Dolphins.

Canada is another country. I doubt his Dolphin contract will mean much there.

[rkmsuf]

Originally Posted by scooper

Canada is another country. I doubt his Dolphin contract will mean much there.

I heard they plan on installing a pot tent at all CFL fields.

[IwasHere]

Originally Posted by scooper

Canada is another country. I doubt his Dolphin contract will mean much there.

Yes, the CFL team wouldn't care, but it would void his NFL contract and he would be back to owing the Dolphins millions of dollars.

[miami_fan]

Originally Posted by IwasHere

Yes, the CFL team wouldn't care, but it would void his NFL contract and he would be back to owing the Dolphins millions of dollars.

That is the correct answer.

[IwasHere]

Question: Do any NFL, or other sports, Drug related suspensions come with mandatory rehab time?

EX: testing positive for a 3rd times requires a 1 year suspension and a 90 day rehab program.

[miami_fan]

TORONTO (AP) -- Ricky Williams has a new home in the CFL.

Suspended for the 2006 season by the NFL after a fourth positive drug test, Williams signed a $240,000, one-year contract Sunday with the Toronto Argonauts -- a deal making him the highest-paid running back in the Canadian league.

Williams, who's still under contract with the Miami Dolphins, is expected to begin practicing with his new team Monday; the Argonauts open preseason play this weekend and start their regular season at home against Hamilton June 17. The 18-game regular season runs through late October.

"It hasn't been too often that I've heard kind words about me and my situation. ... It's really an uplifting feeling to be in this kind of environment," Williams said at a news conference in Toronto, after team officials introduced him warmly.

Williams, a former Heisman Trophy winner, missed Miami's first four games last year following his third positive test, and lost an appeal over the fourth -- which carries a mandatory one-year ban. But the desire to continue playing and earning led him to Toronto, adding another chapter to the enigmatic player's resume.

"I'm a very positive person," Williams said. "I understand that in life, when you go through adversity it only gives you an opportunity to make the best of the situation. So I'm happy to be here in Toronto, having a chance to further my career on the football field."

Earlier Sunday, before the signing was formally announced, Dolphins coach Nick Saban issued a statement saying the team left the decision about playing in the CFL up to Williams.

The Dolphins have supported Williams throughout the suspension, but insisted on assurances that he'd be allowed to return to the team in 2007 -- provided he's reinstated by the NFL.

"We expressed to Ricky our concerns about playing in Toronto in 2006," Saban said. "We are relying on assurances made by Ricky, his agent, the Toronto Argonauts, and the commissioner of the Canadian Football League that Ricky will return to the Dolphins in 2007.

"Based on these assurances and despite our concerns for Ricky playing in the CFL in 2006, we will leave it up to him to decide whether or not he will negotiate a contract to play for the Argonauts this year."

Williams -- who said he will wear No. 27 instead of No. 34 in the CFL -- thanked Saban and the Dolphins for allowing him to play in Toronto.

"I don't think there are very many benefits to the Dolphins, and I think that speaks volumes for the kind of guy that Nick Saban is and the Dolphins organization," Williams said.

Leigh Steinberg, Williams' agent, didn't immediately return a message left on his cell phone by The Associated Press. The Argonauts said he was on a family trip to Ireland.

The 29-year-old Williams wasted little time in getting settled in Toronto. He was shown on the Rogers Center videoboard at the White Sox-Blue Jays game Sunday wearing an Argonauts hat and was introduced as the team's newest player.

"I've learned to notice a good thing when it comes and not let it slip by. ... You obviously make money playing football than you do sitting at home," Williams said.

Williams still owes the Dolphins $8.6 million for breaching his contract when he retired shortly before training camp in 2004. He returned last year and, playing alongside first-round draft pick Ronnie Brown, rushed for 743 yards -- averaging over 4 yards a carry -- for the Dolphins.

"I noticed that in the CFL they don't use the backs as a receiving threat," Argonauts linebacker Lee Woodall, a two-time Pro Bowl selection and a veteran of more than a decade in the NFL, told The Toronto Sun for a Sunday story. "But I'll tell you, if the Argos get Ricky, that's one of the factors you can put on your plate."

Toronto has won the Grey Cup -- the CFL championship -- 15 times, most recently in 2004. The Argonauts were 11-7 last season and are led by veteran quarterback Damon Allen, the brother of Pro Football Hall of Fame running back Marcus Allen.

Damon Allen, who has more than two decades of CFL experience, threw for 5,082 yards, ran for 461 more and had 37 touchdowns last season while earning the league's Most Outstanding Player award.

Williams said he's been asked several times why he wanted to play in the CFL. He said his answer was always, "Why not?"

"I feel like I have a lot to offer," Williams said. "I have the right attitude. I'm looking forward to this year."

Copyright 2006 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

$240,000?! That is it? I have never reall studied CFL contracts in comparison to NFL but I would have never guessed the highest paid running back made that little.

[stevew]

I'm suprised they make 240k. I think that's canadian money, cause I thought the league max was 150K american.

[Johnny93g]

i usually go to 2 or 3 games a year....this signing already has 4 people i know wouldnt go to games very excited. It's a fun time to be a argo fan. AAAAAARRRRRRRRRRRGGGGGGGGOOOOOOOOOSSSSSSSS!!!!!!!

[IwasHere]

Originally Posted by miami_fan

$240,000?! That is it? I have never reall studied CFL contracts in comparison to NFL but I would have never guessed the highest paid running back made that little.

Would you like to compare that to the Arena League?

[Deattribution]

Didn't XFL players get like a $1,000 a game?

[Deattribution]

dola

Actually just a tad over that -

The XFL paid standardized player salaries. Quarterbacks earned $5,000 per week, kick-punt specialists earned $3,500, and all other uniformed players earned $4,000 per week. Players on a winning team received a bonus for the week.

From wiki

[Grammaticus]

Originally Posted by rkmsuf

combine the extreme inactivity with the lack of desire to really play the game and it's hard to see the guy being anything but a shell of his former self in 2007. plus the dolphins have ronnie brown. I have to think Saban will get rid of this guy as soon as he can.

Saban's track record of personnel decisions in Miami is far from stellar. Plus I think he really likes Ricky Williams and that will interfere with making a good football decision.

Bottom line is, Ricky smokes pot, take it or leave it. Since the NFL does not allow it, the decision is already made for you. As one of the other posters said, he does not have a passion to play football anymore. Too bad, once a great running back, now a typical pro athlete with a lack of sense. Move on and get the cancer away from Ronnie Brown and the other young players.

[stevew]

I'm sort of interested in how Williams and the Whizzinator will do in Canada this year. Figure both are at worst marginal starters in the NFL, I think they will run over the league.

[mckerney]

"I'm a very positive person," Williams said.

I think the results of his drug tests made that very clear.

[rexallllsc]

Originally Posted by IwasHere

There is no reason the Dolphins should allow Williams to play in Canada. The Dolphins should just get Ricky into a Treatment program ASAP. He could Workout and stay in shape while being locked up in a Treatment Center.

Disagree. I don't think he needs a "Treatment program" and I'm sure they'd rather he come back in some semblance of football shape - if he ever comes back.

[Axxon]

Originally Posted by mckerney

I think the results of his drug tests made that very clear.

Nice.

[cthomer5000]

Originally Posted by Johnny93g

i usually go to 2 or 3 games a year....this signing already has 4 people i know wouldnt go to games very excited. It's a fun time to be a argo fan. AAAAAARRRRRRRRRRRGGGGGGGGOOOOOOOOOSSSSSSSS!!!!!!!

Also, I bet this guarantees us a dose of CFL highlights (or at least Argonaut highlights) on Sportscenter every week. It's a big win for the CFL.

[Karim]

Originally Posted by stevew

I'm sort of interested in how Williams and the Whizzinator will do in Canada this year. Figure both are at worst marginal starters in the NFL, I think they will run over the league.

There have been some players that have made an impact going from the CFL to the NFL (Moon, Garcia) but only Flutie has "run over the league" after starting in the NFL. It's a completely different game with the wide field and three downs, one more defensive player on the field, one yard off the ball on the line of scrimmage, etc. There is no power running game so time will tell...

[stevew]

RB Robert Edwards MON 209 1279 8 6.1


If that's the same Robert Edwards that played for the Pats, he put up pretty stellar canadian numbers last year.

Does the field get measured in yards, or metres?

[Joe]

Originally Posted by stevew

RB Robert Edwards MON 209 1279 8 6.1


If that's the same Robert Edwards that played for the Pats, he put up pretty stellar canadian numbers last year.

Does the field get measured in yards, or metres?

inches

[Johnny93g]

2 quick points. That is the same Robert Edwards who played for the Pats and the Dolphins.

Ricky Williams domminated our local sports radio station today. The point was made many times by one host that the NFL has been testing Ricky for Pot for the last 15 months. Ricky has not tested positive for pot during the testing. He was suspended for testing positive for a different banned subtance related to his yoga or something like that. So yes, he smoked in the past, but it really doesnt look like he is smoking right now, or has been in the recent past. So those who think he is smoking pot right now....PROVE IT

[Franklinnoble]

Originally Posted by Johnny93g

2 quick points. That is the same Robert Edwards who played for the Pats and the Dolphins.

Ricky Williams domminated our local sports radio station today. The point was made many times by one host that the NFL has been testing Ricky for Pot for the last 15 months. Ricky has not tested positive for pot during the testing. He was suspended for testing positive for a different banned subtance related to his yoga or something like that. So yes, he smoked in the past, but it really doesnt look like he is smoking right now, or has been in the recent past. So those who think he is smoking pot right now....PROVE IT

The Barry Bonds fan club called. Their spokesman is missing.

[sovereignstar]

Originally Posted by Franklinnoble

The Barry Bonds fan club called. Their spokesman is missing.

oh yeah....PROVE IT(!!)

[Joe]

does yoga require him to snort cocaine?

[st.cronin]

Originally Posted by Johnny93g

2 quick points. That is the same Robert Edwards who played for the Pats and the Dolphins.

Ricky Williams domminated our local sports radio station today. The point was made many times by one host that the NFL has been testing Ricky for Pot for the last 15 months. Ricky has not tested positive for pot during the testing. He was suspended for testing positive for a different banned subtance related to his yoga or something like that. So yes, he smoked in the past, but it really doesnt look like he is smoking right now, or has been in the recent past. So those who think he is smoking pot right now....PROVE IT

geez, ok, fine he hasn't recently tested positive for pot ... can't we have a little fun? what are you, his brother?

[Joe]

Originally Posted by st.cronin

geez, ok, fine he hasn't recently tested positive for pot ... can't we have a little fun? what are you, his brother?

no, I think he's ricky's dealer.