PRO FOOTBALL TALK's Mike Florio wrote under the header, "Is The NFL Softening Its Stance On The Substance-Abuse Policy?" That is the "only way to explain the vague, ominous statements" from the Browns, WR Josh Gordon, and the league "regarding Gordon’s status." Something has "happened with Gordon to prompt his absence from training camp for at least one week, and his comments on the matter strongly imply that it has something to do with the condition that got him suspended for an extended stretch." That "invites speculation that the NFL may be trying to find a way to not suspend him, again." Maybe the league "finally has realized that its over-the-top obsession with players smoking marijuana hurts the game more than it helps the game" (PROFOOTBALLTALK.com, 7/23).
SELLING OUT? SOCCER AMERICA's Paul Kennedy noted Bundesliga club Bayern Munich is reportedly acquiring Whitecaps MF Alphonso Davies for a transfer fee of $13M, which "would break the MLS record for a transfer." Atlanta United MF Miguel Almiron has "attracted lots of interest from clubs in England." As MLS clubs "go into selling mode -- entering the international transfer market in a serious way -- they are faced with the prospect of disappointing loyal fans who care about only one thing -- winning a trophy -- if they move players during the summer." It has "been suggested that fans will accept their favorite MLS clubs becoming selling clubs and losing young stars after a couple of seasons like fans at top college basketball programs have come to accept that the best players will turn pro after one or two seasons" (SOCCERAMERICA.com, 7/21).
MAKING INROADS: In N.Y., Scott Cacciola writes the NBA has long been "known for its progressive approach toward social issues," and now has "emerged as an industry leader among men’s professional sports leagues when it comes to hiring and promoting women." One evening during Summer League this month, a group of 60-odd "power brokers gathered at an upscale restaurant on the Las Vegas Strip. They were "among the league’s elite: executives who help engineer blockbuster trades, salary-cap gurus who devise contracts and scouts who identify prospects" and they "were all women." NBA VP/Diversity & Inclusion Liliahn Majeed said, "This is the first time, to our knowledge, that this has ever happened." Women in the Summer League "worked games as referees, drew up plays as assistants and crunched numbers as statisticians" (N.Y. TIMES, 7/25).
