According ESPN’s Adam Schefter, Seattle Seahawks cornerback Richard Sherman argued in his appeal on Friday with the NFL’s brass that a broken cup is to blame for his positive test.
According to the report, Sherman claims that the cup containing his urine specimen was leaking. The collector responded by placing a second cup underneath it to capture any leakage.
Sherman stated that the second cup’s seal already had been broken before being used to stop the leakage from his cup. Since the second cup’s seal was broken, the chain of custody also was broken, therefore nullifying Sherman’s positive test for Adderall.
Schefter says Sherman and his representatives argued that his tested urine sample was contaminated as a result of the second cup.
Sherman is expected to play today against San Francisco. He is appealing a four-game suspension levied by the league for allegedly violating the NFL’s performance-enhancing substance policy.
There’s no timetable on when the NFL will announce a decision.
What a pile of horse puckey!
I loves me some Richard Sherman, but that is garbage. Especially considering Browner also tested positive, I dont believe he’s innocent. However, its a smart argument in court and has a slight chance of getting him off.
It still isnt right. Dude very likely used PED’s, and so did Browner, and that sucks.
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Was the cup broken or did it melt through?
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So since Browner tested positive that means Sherman HAS to test positive as well? Come on man! He has a great argument. Who are you or anybody else for that matter to paint him guilty without knowing the facts? With that said I’m very excited to see him out there. He’s going to be responsible for shutting down their #1 receiver, giving our pass rush time to smash kaepernick into the ground.
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Funny cerjam!
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Initial cup was cracked + seal broken = other flesh was definitely coming into contact with the urine + contaminated sample
If that’s accurate, then this test is invalid, pure and simple.
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It’s a stretch but hopefully it works as it is an tainted specimen….if a cop did that for a dui a good attorney would get the test thrown out and I think a judge would agree….my worry is they weren’t in front of a judge but goodell and he decides…should be interesting.
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STTBM, You should become an inspirational speaker.
Your optimistic outlook on everything is truly inspiring.
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“What a pile of horse puckey!
I loves me some Richard Sherman, but that is garbage.”
Would you care to explain the logistics of exactly how Richard Sherman is telling a fib? That’s basically what you’re saying, right? If he were lying about any of this, wouldn’t the sample taker be able to immediately confirm his lie?
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Sounds like an OJ Simpson defense. Guilty as hell but don’t let that get in the way of a verdict. But unlike OJ, I hope Sherm gets away with it. But he needs to be smarter about what he ingests.
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Lame, but I hope this ‘defence’ works.
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Its been interesting to watch the betting line on the Seahawk / 49er game change this week.
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IF they find this story to be true, we can ride Shermanator the whole way to the divisionals, IMO. What if this was a urine sample to test for something else and it was a false negative or positive under these same circumstances. This is complete bullshit, if true.
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If the cup doesn’t fit, you must aquit.
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There are a lot of different ways to look at this, but it’s interesting to see some of these reactions to this latest news of Sherman’s appeal; particularly the knee-jerk variety.
I look at it like this: Either Sherman cheated, but is savvy enough to manipulate the system to the point of squeezing every inch he can to stay active in as many games as is possible; or he’s telling the complete truth. If he’s telling the truth then his urine sample was almost assuredly contaminated, whether or not it contained traces of Adderall.
I tip my hat to Sherman. This team needed him active for this particular game, at all costs. Playoffs clinch possibly on the line here, with still an outside chance of winning the div. This is an All Hands on Deck sort of scenario, so Sherm at the very least has done his part to make sure he’s not going to miss this game.
His story is more plausible than I think some would care to realize, but the account of this unnamed ‘sample taker’ is important testimony. Either this person’s job is possibly on the line, or Sherman will be verified a liar.
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Can’t believe The Packers ran up the score on the Titans. What ever happened to good sportsmanship?
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This game is a statement game but because the division is just about out of reach it won’t hurt the Seahawks if they lose.
Evan Moore dropped the ball at the Washington 2 yard line with 10 seconds left today. The Eagles were down by 7.
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I was watching that game with my neighbor who’s a skins fan.
He said thanks to the Seahawks for cutting him.
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I turned onto that Eagles game just in time to see Moore drop that completely catchable game-tying 2 yd touchdown pass.
Re Sherman – there’s no reason not to hold the people who want to suspend him to a high standard of proof. That’s what our judicial system is about. If they screwed up the testing and/or the chain of evidence, then he should walk. And I’d be fine with this result if it were a Niners starter in the same situation.
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So much buildup for this game.
Eric, Dave, Ryan. If the unspeakable happens will you be turning off the blog? This place may implode.
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Hey Pabs, thats pretty funny. I wasn’t aware that the Eagles had signed Moore, thanks for passing that along.
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If you know someone that plays in the NFL and it turns out that person is Evan Moore, do you tell anyone?
Also, Sherman broke the rules (I don’t know how Adderall could get into a second cup that was a clean cup to begin with), lucky for him he might not do the time due to good/bad luck.
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Isn’t it just a little ironic that the Eagles couldn’t figure out what the Seahawks already know about Evan Moore, that the Browns ultimately already knew before either of them? Will he be given yet another chance to fail in the NFL?
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And one other thing re the Sherman case – - how in the world does Shefter get this kind of info? Isn’t what happened inside the hearing room completely confidential until the decision is made? How many people could even have been in the room?
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I didn’t think Moore would have gotten in had he caught it. It almost seemed like he made the catch harder to make it easier to get into the endzone .
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@pdway
Sherman’s agent undoubtedly has all the details. Schefter is probably using him as his unnamed “source”. Sherman himself might also be giving him the details under a confidential basis.
This is what Schefter does. This is why he gets paid. He is next to useless in any other regard.
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This game has SO much riding on it! Not about playoffs but about pride, recognition on the national level, who’s going to be the team to beat in this division next year, which coach will be looked at as the best in the west and an endless list of topics aside from the actual game.
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Well, the playoffs too. I for one, would much rather Seattle lock up a playoff spot tonight than have it come to next week. To me, that’s the pre-eminent reason for the hype. They can lock up a playoff spot and keep (slim) division hopes alive. Everything else adds to that and makes the game even richer.
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I told this to Duke earlier:
If Seattle is able to run up the score or gain a decent lead near the end of the game… I need you guys to start chanting “WHAT’S YOUR DEAL?”. In case you’re unaware, Harbaugh ran the score up against Carroll in the USC/Stanford days, and Carroll asked Harbaugh, “What’s your deal?”, and Harbaugh arrogantly replied “What’s YOUR deal?”.
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No one wants to see the 49ers win the division on Seattle’s home field.
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What’s your de, al…?! Clap, clap, clapclapclap. That would be awesome.
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“@pdway
Sherman’s agent undoubtedly has all the details. Schefter is probably using him as his unnamed “source”. ”
you’re probably right.
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Watching the Cards vs Bears, no way the Cards win next week, their QB’s are so so bad.
I wish the 49′ers were playing someone else, anyone else next week.
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I think we’re gonna win this. We may not be the better team (although we may be) but in prime time with the 12th man and our momentum coming into this game I just don’t see us losing.
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A tainted sample, without a second sample, is invalid. Case dismissed. Even if he is guilty as sin.
That’s an easy call. Isn’t somebody in here a lawyer? I bet a sold quarter that case is over, if indeed the sample has a possibility of being impure.
Packers are total a-holes for running the score up. .. Effing jerks……sigh….
Getting close to game time, I am way to jacked up… On adderol I guess…
WAR HAWKS!
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We should all know by now that STTBM doesn’t need any facts to declare someone guilty. He’s truly omnipotent. What does Browner have to do with it? I guess if your sister tests positive for cocaine you must be snorting it to, right?
Pretty good day for the Hawks even if they lose. Cowgirls and apparent Giants losses helps in the scenario that they lose the last 2 games.
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Just win baby!
When will we hear NFC Least – everyone what happy to throw out the “worst” tag for a few years!!!
You can make a point right now that they are the best division in the NFC right now!!
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xcman, you will NEVER hear it, regardless of the truth. NFC West and East teams had the same number of wins last year, 30.
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When I took a piss test it was a plastic cup with a screw on cover. You couldn’t take another cup and put it inside because they would be the same size. Something is very fishy here.
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