"Inconsistencies of how players are punished & to what degree is WACK" - NFL fans call out league's hypocrisy over DeAndre Hopkins suspension
DeAndre Hopkins' suspension by the NFL for violating the league's performance-enhancing drug policy is a topic of conversation amongst fans. These fans took to social media to point out their arguments.
Liv Moods of Volume Sports, FanDuel, and Fan Controlled Football asserts that while the Arizona Cardinals wide receiver received a six-game suspension, Atlanta Falcons receiver ridley" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-is-sponsored="false">Calvin Ridley was given a year-long ban for betting:
DeAndre Hopkins suspended only 6 games for violating the performance enhancing drug policy but Calvin Ridley gets suspended an entire season for betting on a game he didn’t play in…interesting 🤔
Moods also added that the punishments are inconsistent and wack:
and I don’t need y’all to get all lawyer on me about why Ridley got his punishment. The inconsistencies of how players are punish and to what degree is WACK
This San Francisco 49ers fan said he doesn't understand a player getting into trouble for betting unless it was his team:
@livmoods Yup. Will never understand a player getting in trouble for betting on a game he didn’t play in (unless it was his team).
Kendra Middleton of the TV network NESN tweeted that the difference in the suspensions sheds light on how bad the NFL's policies on domestic abuse are:
The DeAndre Hopkins and Calvin Ridley suspensions really highlighting how shitty the NFL’s domestic abuse policies are if you ask me.
This Falcons fan sarcastically notes the contrast in the suspensions of the receivers:
Only six games for deandre Hopkins????? Violating drug policy is only 6 games but Calvin Ridley is suspended 1 whole year for betting 💀👏👏👏 good job nfl
A Philadelphia Eagles fan also pointed out the discrepency:
The NFL - Deandre Hopkins takes performance enhancing drugs, 6 game ban. @CalvinRidley1 has a bet on some games he’s not involved in, banned for the whole season 🤔 🤷♂️
Many other fans tweeted in a similar vein. This one said:
So DeAndre Hopkins gets suspended for 6 games for PEDs but Calvin Ridley gets suspended the ENTIRE SEASON for placing some parlays???
Another Atlanta sports fan stated that Hopkins can consume PEDs but the Falcons wideout can't gamble:
So DeAndre Hopkins can take peds but Calvin Ridley can't gamble LMAOOOOOOO
More and more fans took note of the contrast:
So Deandre Hopkins is suspended for 6 games for violating the PED policy but Calvin Ridley is suspended for a whole season due to betting on a game he didn’t play? Tell me where how that makes sense?! #nfl #suspended
It seems everyone is in agreement:
You can take PEDs and still play the next season, just don’t ever bet a dollar on your team winning some games. twitter.com/AdamSchefter/s…
Suspensions of Hopkins and Ridley by the NFL
In March this year, Ridley was suspended by the league after stating that he gambled on games over a five-day time frame in November last year. At the time, he was on the non-football injury list to improve his psychological health. The earliest the Falcons wideout can apply for reinstatement is Feb. 15, 2023.
Hopkins was suspended six games by the league for violating its performance-enhancing drugs policy. The drug test that came back positive was taken in November last year.
The Cardinals franchise were very much aware of this, which could explain why they traded for receiver Marquise "Hollywood" Brown from the Baltimore Ravens during this year's NFL Draft.
Arizona finished the season 11-6 before losing 11-34 to bitter rivals and future Super Bowl champions, the Los Angeles Rams. It will be very interesting to see how the Cardinals perform without their star receiver when the season kicks off.