Von Miller suspension should come down today!

[boomer]

Von Miller suspension coming, per @mortreport. At salary of $2.28 million, Miller will lose $134,000 per suspended game. I am reading that the games will total (6). This is a huge blow with both Champ and Wes Welker in walking boots. I will give some updates as they come in.

[eagle eye]

The original suspension was only 4 games and nobody is saying why the NFL is pushing for 6. Millers reps are trying to negotiate it back down to 4 but you can't help wondering if the arrest of Miller last week because he failed to appear in court for traffic violations might have something to do with it but word is this is a separate issue.

[boomer]

There could be any number of reasons as to why the extra games where added. I always try to check local news to see if it can give me insight into the real person. This is just one article but I have to say it does not help if you are in the middle of talks to appeal a suspension. Add this one as covered by SB Nation to the list of items stacking up against Von.

enver linebacker Von Miller was one of more than a dozen people named as a potential witness in a murder trial against a man who fatally stabbed five people in 2012. Although he's listed as a "possible acquaintance" Miller is said to have had no direct-involvement in the incident, according to a report from 9news.com.

The case stems from an incident at a Denver-area bar on October 17, 2012. Dexter Lewis allegedly fatally stabbed five victims before helping set the building on fire, according to police investigators. Prosecutors are seeking the death penalty against Lewis, and Miller was listed as a potential witness in court documents released by the Denver District Attorney's Office.

According to the report from 9news.com, who obtained the documents, Miller is labeled as a "lay witness" and a "possible acquaintance of (a friend of Lewis) and may testify about prior events and the Defendant's attire." The report says the Broncos are aware of the situation and have been told Miller had "zero direct involvement" in the murders.

There is a chance Miller may be called to testify during the trial, which could occur during the NFL season. Miller's status for the start of the upcoming 2013 season remains unknown as he is currently facing a suspension for violating the NFL's substance abuse policy.


I am a fan of Millers play but this is a classic example of " When it rains it pours". The Broncos were beaten badly this last week end by the Seahawks. Peyton played great but was not even close to keeping them in it. The first two weeks have them seeing Baltimore, and yes Elvis will be in the building. Then they come home to play the other Manning brother and his high flying offense. Dont forget the injuries to Champ and Welker. Be careful with the Broncos who have alot of preseason hype as a team that you want to ride in the Fantasy season.

[boomer]

This article just hit the web this morning. I wanted to share it with you because the media sources spent most of the day yesterday telling us that Miller did not fail a drug test. The reports went on to be about as vague as one can be when it comes to why he was being suspended. That being said this article comes out from a credible source and here we go with new allegations.

Miller case once again raises questions about sample collection
Posted by Mike Florio on August 20, 2013, 7:14 AM EDT

Apart from the numerous and ongoing breaches of confidentiality plaguing the Von Miller case (unless Von Miller’s camp is confidentially leaking details regarding the case), the NFL has a problem with its substance-abuse policy.

Per a league source, the NFL is nervous about potential flaws with the manner in which Miller’s sample was collected. The anxiety and/or uncertainty possibly has contributed to the delay in taking the case to a hearing. Currently, Miller and the league reportedly are negotiating a resolution that could drop the proposed six-game suspension down to four games.

The proposed six-game suspension reportedly is fueled by a spilled sample and, separately, a diluted sample. While samples can be diluted via pre-test ingestion of certain substances, it also can be diluted by adding substances to the sample cup. Spilled samples in theory can happen under even the strictest adherence to the testing protocol; however, it’s impossible to assess Miller’s case without considering other recent situations involving the collection process.

Last year, former Broncos linebacker D.J. Williams and defensive end Ryan McBean filed a lawsuit challenging their six-game suspensions. They pointed to “fatal issues concerning the collection process,” noting that the specimen collector eventually was fired by the NFL for failure “to fulfill his duties and obligations as a specimen collector in material manners.”

Later in 2012, Seahawks cornerback Richard Sherman secured a reversal of a suspension because the sample collector allowed Sherman to transfer the contents of a leaking cup to a second cup, which Cook failed to mention in his official report.

“Insuring that the sample is collected properly is the cornerstone of the program and when an event occurs that does not happen routinely or that the collector has never experienced while collecting the sample it is incumbent on the collector to note what happened,” hearing officer Bob Wallace wrote in his decision regarding Sherman’s case.

In Miller’s case, no specific wrongdoing or failure has been alleged or reported regarding the sample collector. Still, the situation is shining a light once again on the process of physically collecting urine specimens and properly transferring them to the lab for testing.

The persons who collect the samples operate largely in anonymity. After the Onterrio Smith Whizzinator debacle, the process changed to require direct observation of the providing of the sample. Over the years, however, we’ve heard from time to time accounts of sample collectors who don’t insist on actually watching the cup get filled. (Indeed, how did D.J. Williams allegedly provided a “non-human urine” sample if the collector was actually watching the urine flow from a human?)

With multiple cases in the past year or so pointing to problems with the collection process, fair questions should be raised about the qualifications and the integrity of the persons charged with harvesting urine samples. What are their qualifications? How are they trained? How are they supervised? How much are they compensated?

In theory, abuses could be rampant. Considering the financial stakes of a positive test, who’s to say a sample collector hasn’t been offered an envelope containing something other than a birthday card in order to ensure that the sample sent to the lab will be deemed clean?

We’re speculating on that point, but with little known about the collection process and with multiple instances of alleged irregularities, the NFL should be worried not only about the accuracy of the program but also the possibility of affirmative corruption.

With the HGH testing issue still not resolved and with all other issues regarding the league’s drug-testing policies still open because of it, this would be a perfect time for the NFLPA to ensure that steps are taken to protect players against negligent and/or intentional misconduct from the so-called piss men. Given the consequences and stigma of a failed test, the league and the union should apply the same rigid standards to the collection process that are applied to the men who are giving the samples.