View From the UpperDeck #3

So it’s been a few weeks since the world got see a ref get attacked during a high school football game in Texas. Two players from John Jay High School in San Antonio, TX hit a referee during a game where it was alleged that the ref may have said some racially charged things towards the players. Now that everything is out in the open we now know that the young men were acting under the direction of an assistant coach on the team. The young men have been suspended for the rest of the football season and now will have to spend the rest of their semester in an alternative school and will be able to return to their regular academic environment next semester.

Now a lot of people may think that this punishment is not severe enough but I am of the school of thought that it doesn’t help anybody keeping these young men out of real school. Going to an alternative school will not help them academically and may even set them back a little. I understand taking football away from the students for the rest of the year and even into next season. Maybe even give them a 3 to 5 day suspension as they would for an actual fight in school. The fact that they were acting under the instruction of an adult whom they trust and seeking the approval of should be taken into account. Although these young men should have known better they should not be held to a high standard than the adults whom we trust with their guidance.

Former UFC Welterweight contender Nick Diaz will be pondering his future as a fighter after the Nevada State Athletic Commission dropped a 5 year suspension on him after his third failed drug test for marijuana. The 32 year old competitor tested positive after fighting Anderson Silva at UFC 183.

Diaz is now is a tough position because not being able to fight in Nevada will definitely hamper his career and potential to make money. Most of the money in fight sports is made in Las Vegas and that as of right now is not an option of a man who has earned a living as a fighter since he was 18 years old. Because he is a money draw in MMA there is hope that he can still pick up some decent fights in events held outside the state.

There are a lot of people who feel like Nick got a raw deal from the commission. The punishment is excessive and especially when you consider that marijuana is not a performance enhancing drug and does not put anyone in danger in the octagon. In full disclosure I am an advocate for legalization of the substance and not in favor of any kind of punishment for usage of marijuana. That being said I can see the commission’s side of things.

As of right now the rules are the rules and marijuana is a banned substance. This is Diaz’s third positive test which basically him saying that he has no regard for their rules. To be a governing body they had to send some kind of message because other fighters will defy them. Although a message had to be sent the board may have went too far. Hopefully cooler heads will prevail and the suspension will be reduced and maybe we can revisit that rule book in the near future.

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