Ricky Williams to the Argonauts?
 

Rumour that Ricky Williams will end up with the Toronto Argonauts of the CFL.

Would it be a wise move by the Argos? The CFL?

I dunno, they let in the Whizzinator so I dont see how Ricky Williams would be any worse for their image.

Isn't he a brilliant player? Who just smoked dope?

Yeah, but he failed the NFL drug test at the end of last year. Too much baggage, IMO

If I were the CFL I'd do anything to get Ricky Williams in my league, even if he wanted tto smoke a blunt while running for a touchdown.

Ricky Williams would dominate in the CFL. He took a year off, then still had a pretty productive year in the NFL - if he ends up in the CFL he'll be coming off a season where he actaully played, instead of one where he was just in Asia chillin

I don't see why a team wouldn't want to take him, he just failed a few drug tests for weed - its not like he killed someone.

Doug Flutie is the one of the greatest CFL players ever, in the NFL he's pretty much been a career #2 - what do you think Ricky Williams would be do up there?

wasn't the last drug test a no show not a fail anyway


But yeah, he is pretty much still the man, if he wants to go I don't see any reason the CFL wouldn't want him

Who is the CFL to be picky? It doesn't have drug tests to begin with.

Yeah, why should the CFL be picky. If a player is booted out for failing a drug test, cool. Sign him.
Sure says a lot about your league.
It doesn't matter if the athletes that play in the CFL are of a 'lower quality' than the NFL. That doesn't mean you run yourself in a less professional, or moral manner.

Yeah but he only failed a few tests for weed, it is not like he was caught with kilos of crack or something. He smoked a few blunts and got caught. Big deal.

I also think the signing of Williams would boost the interest in the CFL, atleast from Americans for the year that he plays there. So while the image of the CFL could possibly take a hit (I disagree) fan interest would increase. Even as simple as some curious fans checking out a CFL website would be worth it, since the CFL does not have much to risk (How would the CFL be seen any different than the NFL since the NFL is going to take back Ricky Williams for the '07 season + they already took him back for the '05 season)

That is the whole point, and being Canadian I'd think you would have known that. The CFL doesn't have drug testing, so if they are letting other players come in and not be tested why should they be picky about Ricky Williams?

I understand your point and would agree with it, but the CFL doesn't come off as a league that can be picky about an issue like this, and obviously they aren't being picky.

In hockey for example, if a player is suspended for something, say in Europe, the NHL recognizes that suspension and will not allow that player to play in the NHL. Vise-versa as well. Otherwise what's the player's punishment really? This is the way it needs to be. Doesn't matter if the suspension of for a violation of something another league doesn't enforce. A suspension is a suspension.

That is a pretty stupid rule IMO

What if a player is banned for a legal over the counter supplement that is not banned in another league? Why should that player be barred from competing in another league? Ricky Williams smoked some weed - smoking weed isn't againest the rules in the CFL so why should he be barred from competing?

O. Smith has signed on with an CFL team after being told he was barred from competing in the NFL for the 2006 season as well, so apparently the CFL does not feel that allowing these players to participate is going to hurt their image. Hurting the image or not, it is going to increase fan interest you'd imagine. Business is buisness

The thing is, if the CFL doesn't test for drugs, what baggage do these guys have? I think that is the point Stima is trying to get across.

In the big picture, I think the CFL has these rules because it is such a low-level league. I mean getting Onterio Smith is going to be huge for some ream, and he was barely a No. 1 running back, if even. The team's really can't afford to be too picky, or else there will be nobody to pick.

Nonetheless, like Stima said, I will be interested to see how this turns out, Ricky Williams more than Onterrio, but it should be interesting and could mark some sort of change in how the two leagues interact.

The CFL isn't really that "low level" of a league though plus that has nothing to do with anything really. They could be the worst football leauge in the history the world but if they had drug testing then Ricky Williams shouldn't be allowed in. If the CFL had a drug policy then I'd be all for the banning of Ricky Willaims - but they don't. They got a lot of good football players up there, it is not like it is some semi-pro league or something with part timers.

Ricky and the Argonauts, part of the Whizzonautika

You make a pretty good arguement, Stima. While I can understand where you are coming from, weed is an illegal substance in Canada, so the suspension should follow him into the CFL. Now you make a hypothetical arguement about other things, which I would agree to.

Let's say Casey Printers smokes tons of weed but is allowed to play since he has never been tested for it, since they don't have testing in the CFL. How is banning Ricky Williams fair at all?

Will he be allowed to smoke weed? If so, take him.

Yep, since they don't test he can smoke as much as he wants.

But then he can't get reinstated to the NFL, makes $55,000 per year and has a lifetime debt to the Dolphins! :$

I don't think he gets tested by the NFL while he is banned for year...does he? It only takes a little while to get out of your system. Couple of my friends play at D1 schools and as soon as they got home for summer break they were all fiending weed 'cuz they couldn't smoke cuz they get tested while at school haha....so I am assuming it doesn't last very song since they are all going back to camp in August.

30 days, but there are things you can do to cut that time considerably

Drink a lot of water.

I'd sign him.

If you're a habitual smoker it can take longer than a month to get it out of your system, it varies.

The NFL and the Dolphins have the right to test him whenever they want next year

A little bit of old news now, but Joe Thiesman ripped the Argo's organization for signing Williams. He stated he was ashamed to have ever wore their uniform. While I still agree it's a poor move for them and the CFL, Williams statement when asked about it was beautiful. He said, if you didn't hear, that he didn't think Joe hated him, but hated himself. He said he thought that since he was unable to forgive. I mean come on, how do you respond to that without going further and making yourself come off as a jerk.

Ricky had a pretty low day in the preseason, but they said he had only been practicing for a couple days before that. It goes to show though, people will be interested in what he does and it will definately boost some awareness of the CFL.

BC Lions baby

:love:, Miz

I really wanna see Eric Crouch play but I don't think NESN (the Red Sox owned channel) is airing CFL games this year...damn

Seriously, if the CFL could get some of the bigger name college players that can't make it in the NFL, I think people would notice. I mean if Reggie McNeal can only play as WR in the NFL but is able to play quarterback in the CFL, it would give people a reason to pay attention.

Other 'name' players the CFL could try to lure:
Maurice Clarett
DJ Shockley
Marcus Vick
Jason White
Mike Stima
JJ Arrington (is he out of a job in Arizona yet?)
Chris Rix
Aforementioned Eric Crouch
Tommy Chang

And then there are other factors, like if you are the Toronto Argonauts, why not cater to former Big 12 players or something? I mean if you can put a couple guys from the same programs together, you might get some fans down there. Like people from kansas are going to be looking for Nick Reid and Charles Gordon in years to come. Neither will make the NFL, but they were a big deal at ku and will probably end up in the CFL, why not sign both of them? Little things like that wouldn't hurt the competition in the CFL, and maybe if done right it could help the league make some more money. Make the money and then you could even start attracting the deep NFL reserves. Right now, if you can make 100,000 not playing a second in the NFL or 50,000 as a CFL starter, players will likely take the 100,000. But there are a lot of players that were good in college that are just taking their time on the third string of NFL teams. If you could get some of those guys to go and star in the lesser league it would be tremendous, methinks.

Well for guys like Reggie McNeil he is looking at a lot more money playing wideout in the NFL then compaired to playing QB in the CFL. Plus, just assuming here, he probably does not want to have to live in Canada.

I bet that could be a big factor in a lot of the other guys too, having to live and play football in Canada, a lot of guys may not be interested for the amount of money they could be making. There could also be a lack of interest from teams in Canada, I know their is certain rules stating that there must be a certain percentage of Canadians on each roster, so the desire for more American players may not be that great.

Plus there is now the AFL in the States, I was watching the other day and I noticed a lot of names I've heard before. One name I noticed was Woody Dantzler playing for Chicago, he was a Reggie McNeil type in college and he tried his hand in the NFL as well.

I hardly think Reggie McNeal is a lock to make an NFL roster in any position though

I think someone should give him a shot at QB. Just because he runs a 4.4 it doesn't mean he shouldn't be a QB. He has a great arm

The thing is though, after the success he had as a junior, if he still wasn't even drafted into the NFL, quarterback is a very, very long shot. And just because he is black and fast doesn't mean he can be a good wide reciever (not implying that you said that).

My point is just that if you can put him as a QB and a few other A&M players on one of those lower level teams, it seems like it would help their fan base rather than trying to simply make the best possible team.

Well if he doesn't make it as a wideout, then yeah my point is N/A. I was kind of saying that implying he would catch on with a team as WR.

Even though he is projected wideout, I think McNeil should be given a chance at QB , he isn't DJ Shockley or Michael Robinson. I think the guy would be a good NFL style QB.