Sunday Night Discussion... With Carson Palmer

[HairOnFire]

Fair enough. Let the permanent record show that Chris Henry celebrated an important win over the hated Steelers with a little too much gusto, and as a result blew infamous direct-to-video chunks out of the window of an automobile. Still, that was 9 months ago....enough time for the other members of the unholy trinity to commit fresh crimes.

Meanwhile, from John Clayton....."Wide receiver Chris Henry, who hasn't missed a drug test or a counseling session as he prepares for his eight-game suspension, had a false positive on a drug test, but the office that received that information was quick to leak it to the press."

I mention the above because Clayton reported several weeks ago that The Pacman had already missed multiple counseling sessions, important considerations that Goodell ruled were needed to reduce his suspension from 16 to 10 games.

I'm just saying....

[duus]

Fair enough. Let the permanent record show that Chris Henry celebrated an important win over the hated Steelers with a little too much gusto, and as a result blew infamous direct-to-video chunks out of the window of an automobile. Still, that was 9 months ago....enough time for the other members of the unholy trinity to commit fresh crimes.

Meanwhile, from John Clayton....."Wide receiver Chris Henry, who hasn't missed a drug test or a counseling session as he prepares for his eight-game suspension, had a false positive on a drug test, but the office that received that information was quick to leak it to the press."

I mention the above because Clayton reported several weeks ago that The Pacman had already missed multiple counseling sessions, important considerations that Goodell ruled were needed to reduce his suspension from 16 to 10 games.

I'm just saying....

And knowing that I am anything but a defender of irresponsible off-field behavior, I still have a gut-feeling that Henry has been treated slightly unfairly. I base this on the fact that he was already suspended two games last year, plus received a one game suspension by the team. Having already served those suspensions, not much new, if anything, has occurred by him on the completely negative side. Yet he received a half season suspension that as best I know is not reducible under any circumstances. Does it really bother me that he is suspended as such? No. But I just have this deep-down gut feeling that last year's suspensions were not considered enough. I think 4-6 games would have been more appropriate, or at least a 2-3 game reduction based upon clean-slate behavior. Anyway, he made his bed. Is what it is.

[Defender]

And knowing that I am anything but a defender of irresponsible off-field behavior, I still have a gut-feeling that Henry has been treated slightly unfairly. I base this on the fact that he was already suspended two games last year, plus received a one game suspension by the team. Having already served those suspensions, not much new, if anything, has occurred by him on the completely negative side. Yet he received a half season suspension that as best I know is not reducible under any circumstances. Does it really bother me that he is suspended as such? No. But I just have this deep-down gut feeling that last year's suspensions were not considered enough. I think 4-6 games would have been more appropriate, or at least a 2-3 game reduction based upon clean-slate behavior. Anyway, he made his bed. Is what it is.

I view it as a character building exercise. The past is what it is and neither he nor any of us can change it. So you man up, serve it out with dignity, and know you took a harsher punishment (relatively speaking) than Pacman and Tank and it'll make you a better man for doing so. If/when some sports columnist wants to lump Henry in with the other bad guys after he's served his punishment and is square with the house again, it SHOULD (meaning probably won't) be noted that Cris Carter had a rather checkered past at about the same stages of his career and he used it to make him a better player and person.

[duus]

I view it as a character building exercise. The past is what it is and neither he nor any of us can change it. So you man up, serve it out with dignity, and know you took a harsher punishment (relatively speaking) than Pacman and Tank and it'll make you a better man for doing so. If/when some sports columnist wants to lump Henry in with the other bad guys after he's served his punishment and is square with the house again, it SHOULD (meaning probably won't) be noted that Cris Carter had a rather checkered past at about the same stages of his career and he used it to make him a better player and person.

Yeah, there is no doubt Carter is an excellent example, but keep in mind that he had a 'conversion experience' as he became a Christian. Oh, I am not saying this is the only hope for Henry to 'simply clean up his act' (and he may very well already have done so), but from my perspective, it is instrumental in the likes of Carter (and I am quite sure he would say so himself, and when talking about him, it is his opinion that matters most, right?). Don't get me wrong ... I am not trying to push my faith around to all you guys and to the Bengals players alike, and I think you will be hard-pressed to find examples on this board where I have done so. That said, such an experience surely is the pivot point for myself and obviously guys like Cris Carter. The only thing that would excite me more than seeing Henry on the field for an entire season is to have knowledge of such a pivot point for him as well.

OK, enough. I just thought it an important point once Carter's name was brought in as a comparison.