No Need To Guess About Doug Martin
December 29th, 2016
Bigger issue than football.
Fans want to know, and Joe can’t blame them.
Yesterday, we learned exactly why everyone’s favorite Muscle Hamster, Pro Bowl running back Doug Martin, was a shell of his former self in the midst of his career-worst season. He was popped for testing positive for a performance-enhancing drug banned by the current labor agreement between the NFLPA and the NFL.
(If Martin hated his “Muscle Hamster” handle before yesterday’s news broke, imagine all the new nicknames coming his way now? Hope for his sake Martin bit the bullet and trademarked “Muscle Hamster.”)
And there is no need to know what performance-enhancing drug he was popped for other than it was clearly the wrong performance-enhancing drug to take.
Bound by the current NFLPA labor agreement, the league, nor any league employee, can not release the name of the substance publicly.
Sure, Martin’s agent claims it was the ever-popular Adderall excuse. Here’s the thing: Adderall is what Martin’s camp wants the public to believe because they are employed by Martin to serve his best interests. Short of an agent actually releasing a copy of the test results (which, frankly, is an unreasonable expectation), Joe has no reason to ever believe an agent to be upfront with sensitive information that could actually harm his client’s ability to make money.
Here’s what we know and all we need to know: Martin got popped and will serve his sentence. If he does return to the Bucs, the team will not be on the hook for the $7 million next season Martin was originally guaranteed. That has been voided by his PED positive test. It’s possible Martin has carried the rock for the final time for the Bucs, though that is hardly chiseled in stone.
What we should all hope for is that Martin gets the help he needs and is able to be free of whatever demons may have captured him. As Bucs general manager Jason Licht said in his statement yesterday, this is much bigger than football now. This is someone’s life at risk.
Martin is a good dude. Sure, he made a bad and likely very expensive mistake that seems to have taken control of him in some way. Joe sure hopes he’s able to shake it off.
December 29th, 2016 at 5:08 am
Yet another named jersey goes on sale. Check out the jersey graveyard on NFL shop. So much Freeman.
December 29th, 2016 at 5:33 am
What ‘help’ does he need to solve his PED ‘issues’? This is the point I don’t get and one you seem to ignore. What kind of help could that be? Is there a rehab center for PED? I don’t recall such needed help for Kwon or Jude.
December 29th, 2016 at 5:37 am
We are praying for you Doug,get we soon.
December 29th, 2016 at 5:47 am
..and also: “we learned exactly why everyone’s favorite Muscle Hamster, , was a shell of his former self in the midst of his career-worst season”
If it was indeed PED, I, for one, did not learn anything. Especially if it was adderall. In which scenario using PED reduces performance? Only case I can think of is him being seriously injured and trying to mask it somehow by using a drug (probably not adderall), so the problem isn’t the PED rather him being injured.. but yet again, in such case, what is the ‘seeking professional help’ for?
December 29th, 2016 at 5:53 am
No wonder he sucked this year…
December 29th, 2016 at 5:58 am
“Hey, Why no love for me” JAB
has is Kwon handling this extreme ADDICTION
all those numerous nfl players caught for peds and adderal, is our bloated cheating doug the only one going to rehab?
December 29th, 2016 at 6:08 am
Just curious, what is the frequency of the drug testing?
This PED suspension for Doug sure does not feel the same as the PED suspension for Kwon last year. And in that regard, his performance was not enhanced by this drug, it made is worse, leading me to believe it was not Aderall or any other stimulant or steroid.
I would love to see Doug back and stronger than ever on the other side of this situation, but many pieces will have to fall in place, starting with Doug.
December 29th, 2016 at 6:20 am
Adderal can be used as a masking agent so there’s more than meets the eye
December 29th, 2016 at 6:33 am
kobe used to workout and amateur bodybuild when i was little kobe
bloated dougie was huge last year with ridiculous low bodyfat
he cheated last year to get the 7 mill…good for him
he cant play at 3o years old without the juice
December 29th, 2016 at 6:55 am
maybe he should have said that he “voluntary” entered the program and suspension like josh freeman did!!!!!
https://www.joebucsfan.com/2014/06/something-is-wrong-with-josh-freeman/
December 29th, 2016 at 6:55 am
This is just speculation but I think he may have gone the Josh Freeman route in terms of the drug he got busted for.
December 29th, 2016 at 7:02 am
If it was only a PED, then why does he have to go into a rehab program?
December 29th, 2016 at 7:11 am
How do we know it wasn’t simply some ‘roid that Martin’s chemists failed to disguise properly.
Because there is a protocol and testing do we really believe the league is roid free? Martin just got caught. Think this is his first dip in the PED cup? Think he is the only one? This time he got caught.
As for curing his problem… when he leaves the NFL he’ll no longer need to look like a muscle hamster. He can go back to human proportions like Brad Culpepper.
December 29th, 2016 at 7:13 am
to get symphony from the sheep and gullible
the same folks who believe the tmz treads that mike smith is going to be a head coach and mike glennon getting 13 million next year
December 29th, 2016 at 7:19 am
Martin has a taste for el diablo blanco. Martin lays off the nose candy and the Bucs would have made the playoffs. So Martin screwed us all. Plain and simple.
December 29th, 2016 at 7:24 am
I’m confused. Here the Bucs are on the verge of a winning season and what’s everyone talking about? A suspended RB who can’t help them one iota at this point, and who very likely won’t even be on the team next year. JBF seems to be turning into a ‘The Young and the Restless’ soap opera website. Sadly (for him), Doug Martin became yesterday’s news when he got suspended. Bucs may not make the playoffs, but they still have a lot to play for this weekend … like having our first winning season since 2010 AND going 4-4 at home after losing our first 4 games at RayJay this season. That’s a BIG deal and fans should be excited about that possibility, not about a suspended RB.
December 29th, 2016 at 7:26 am
“we learned exactly why everyone’s favorite Muscle Hamster, Pro Bowl running back Doug Martin, was a shell of his former self in the midst of his career-worst season. He was popped for testing positive for a performance-enhancing drug”
LOL – so Martin sucked this year because he was taking drugs intended to make him bigger, stronger and faster???
Alllllll-righty then. Mystery solved. That explains everything…..
December 29th, 2016 at 7:27 am
The only thing worse would have been that if Doug Martin told everyone something then gets proven wrong/caught and then turns out to be a liar!!!!!!
Kobe Faker Says:
November 20th, 2016 at 10:42 am
Yes, i will sacrifice myself in behalf the the tampa bay bucs.
If tampa wins i will not post here ever again
Lets go bucs!
https://www.joebucsfan.com/2016/11/gameday-tampa-bay-156/
December 29th, 2016 at 7:32 am
Last year was his year and he got paid. Addiction is a B and can over run your life and prevent you from making good decisions. Quite a costly mistake he made and at 28 going on 29, no team will ever offer him that type of money again.
December 29th, 2016 at 7:45 am
show some appreciation
it was poster doctor shroud and i who was involved in dougs positive ped test which allows us out of his ridiculous 7 mill contract
“it tasted alittle funny” kobe faker
December 29th, 2016 at 7:47 am
I’m sorry, PED’s do not cause the same addiction characteristics as other illegal drugs and should not require treatment for addiction. I believe he is either covering for the use of another illegal drug or is using the rehab as a sham to show he’s getting help for something out of his control. Pathetic. He’s either a liar, stupid, a cheater, an addict or all of the above. Either way, no sympathy here. I’m done with him. Cut our loses and move on. Whatever the reason, he violated requirements for his employment. I’m sick and tired of babying athletes.
December 29th, 2016 at 8:16 am
Stop it! Stop it right now! We don’t know and we don’t need to know because it’s none of our business. Just wish him well and stop speculating.
He’s suspended. End of story.
Get well Doug!
December 29th, 2016 at 8:21 am
I’ve hear rumors that his drug of choice is actually not a PED and is actually something that Noah Spence enjoyed while in college. Can a player claim it was a PED even if it wasn’t?
December 29th, 2016 at 8:22 am
He hurt the Glazers, his coach, the fans and most of all, his team. Cost us the play offs. Get well soon.
December 29th, 2016 at 8:57 am
Pickgrin I have a feeling Joe has some inside information that he can’t report on here that it wasn’t actually a PED. I think that is why Joe made the statement he did in this article. I could be wrong, but he is more well informed than most of us fans and the PED claim doesn’t make any sense. If there are rumors out there Joe probably has the scoop and simply can’t report on them.
December 29th, 2016 at 8:58 am
TouchdownTampa… like joes said in article “his people” let it out on the adderal, its prolly as stated above the s tampa party favor, the guy is going to rehab, adderal doesnt put you there, hope he gets the help there because there is a LONG list of tampa athletes that couldnt shake that monkey
December 29th, 2016 at 9:03 am
I agree Duthsty, I have never heard of anyone, anywhere, ever going to rehab because they can’t shake their adderal addiction.
December 29th, 2016 at 9:09 am
Opportunity to go get dalvin cook
December 29th, 2016 at 9:10 am
Kobe hit the nail on the head. Doug juiced himself to a 7 million dollar contract last year, and can’t perform w/o his juice. The DAY we drafted him, I could see the juice monster he was. LOL, Muscle Hamster my azz.
Now, we can cut him and not be on the hook for the 7 million.
December 29th, 2016 at 9:20 am
LOL, Chris and Kobe, who do you know that has gone to rehab for juice??? 5 minutes before Doug released the statement Kobe was calling Koetter an ass clown for deactivating him. You should never agree with Kobe as he is almost always off base.
December 29th, 2016 at 9:34 am
I like that Chris @ roof cleaning thinks it is some kind of revelation!!! News Flash, there are college kids juicing to get in the league!! There are high schoolers that are juicing to get recruited to college!!!! @Chris maybe you need a new breathing mask when you clean those roofs, because you are feeding the biggest tool on this site kobe liar!!!!!!
Go Bucs!!!!!!!!
December 29th, 2016 at 9:36 am
He was clearly covering up acohol abuse. Aderral helps you recover from severe hang overs. I.e. Eric Wright.
December 29th, 2016 at 9:45 am
I couldn’t imagine having a job with a contract of making 7million guaranteed no matter what my performance is on the field, and all I have to do is say NO to drugs and then I say YES to drugs. WOW!!!!
December 29th, 2016 at 9:53 am
It is true kids are juicing to get into College and the NFL, and Doug Martin was certainly not the only one. I lived in Seattle when we drafted Brian Bosworth, who was nothing w/o the juice he lived on in College.
Going back even further, John Matuzak comes to mind.
December 29th, 2016 at 10:05 am
Again Chris, who do you know that has gone to rehab for juice? Doug’s agent can say whatever he wants without fear of anyone with knowledge of the situation coming forward and contradicting his claims. What sounds better to you, “my client got popped for taking adderal” or “my client got popped for doing mollies?”
December 29th, 2016 at 10:09 am
So touchdown Tampa bay thinks Joe is going all local radio personality now…. ” I have my sources but I’m not telling you who they are or what the subject is” VERY interesting.
December 29th, 2016 at 10:12 am
doug liked the smell of his drug of choice a lil too much, dude aint in rehab for roids, rather it be the s tampa pocket rocket than oxys
December 29th, 2016 at 10:15 am
Actually Believer I am saying that he is doing the exact opposite of said radio personality. There are a lot of rumors out there and I see Joe taking the high road on all of this.
December 29th, 2016 at 10:21 am
I would see doug almost every time I went to SOHO dressed in suites with dark shades….always smiling and laughing….you could tell he was like a pillow in the sky….he’s either a pot head or a coke head….I hope he gets his life together….tire of seeing young men throw their life away over something so dumb….many would kill to have a chance to play in the league….hope everything works out…..GO BUCS!!!!
December 29th, 2016 at 10:29 am
“If he does return to the Bucs, the team will not be on the hook for the $7 million next season Martin was originally guaranteed. That has been voided by his PED positive test.” – J0E
How do we know this? Is it automatic or is it up to the team? If it is up to the team, have they officially announced they won’t pay it?
I know, on the surface, why would a team pay it if they don’t have to? But we don’t know the true inside story. That’s why I’m wondering.
December 29th, 2016 at 10:34 am
SeanyMac in SC Says
“…his performance was not enhanced by this drug, it made is worse…”
Hold up now, people. You are all assuming he didn’t use it last year to make it through his contract year. It is entirely possible he did, and never got caught.
Also, his performance after coming back from the injury could be explained away. He could have had lingering effects from the injury, may not have been in football shape, and the offensive line is worse. Regardless of any PED, his game would have been effected by these things.
Personally, I think he was on the PED all last year in order to get his money.
December 29th, 2016 at 10:42 am
WTF!
are you guys for real?
the test came back for ped substances NOT weed or coke
you stupid fvks
rehab? Doug said that BS because he wanted to save his image, the little he has left
Doug has been marketed big time by tampa FO. He has been now a huge black eye to the buying fanbase community
December 29th, 2016 at 10:52 am
Wow Kobe you are one gullible dude. I guess I will have to repeat it again. Doug’s agent can say whatever he wants without fear of anyone with knowledge of the situation coming forward and contradicting his claims. What sounds better to you, “my client got popped for taking adderal” or “my client got popped for doing mollies?” Everyone claims adderal or energy drinks when they get busted because that sounds better than roids, coke, mollies, etc. I didn’t think anyone believed these adderal claims anymore but I guess we still have some out there who don’t understand the process and take these claims at face value.
December 29th, 2016 at 10:53 am
Nobody will ever see what the test results were unless Doug himself decides to release them.
December 29th, 2016 at 10:54 am
The stories aren’t adding up. Martin’s statement sure doesn’t sound like a PED issue. His agents had to be cringing when they heard him say what he said. They are now in full cover up mode.
Either way, he might stay on the roster as of now with the slim hope of someone coughing up a 7th round pick for him, but he’ll never tote the rock in a Bucs uniform ever again.
From a business view, he bailed the Bucs out. From a personal view for Martin without knowing exactly what he’s “addicted” to, he couldn’t have screwed himself and his family much harder on this one. Flush $7 million down the drain.
December 29th, 2016 at 11:12 am
People need to pump the brakes on their reactions to this story. All we know for sure is these things.
1) Something is severely up with Doug Martin.
2) His production was woeful this year
3) He is serving a 4 game suspension for testing positive to a PED
4) He is entering rehab
5) Next years guaranteed money is now void
Everything else is speculatory. I wouldn’t go sell your Doug Martin jersey just yet, I would wager that there is at worst a 50% possibility that he is on the opening day roster for the Bucs next year but the contract would be redone. He has the off season to rehab. No doubt the Bucs are aware of the issue that is sending him to rehab, my guess…total guess is this is an alcohol issue. A tough thing to beat but no doubt could be overcome. How he handles the situation with the Bucs will dictate his future.
The thing is, now, you can’t pay him like a feature back. As an organization, by the time he’s proved he has fully kicked this addiction, he will be beyond the age to be a high paid running back. I would give him a 3 year deal with a minimal impact hit and a roster bonus in years 2 and 3 that would serve as a carrot if he stays clean and produces. Be the team that gives him the second chance, but take advantage of your risk and pay him for his production.
December 29th, 2016 at 11:18 am
doug martin jersey?
is there a filter on this website?
i want to filter out women and anyone under 18 years old from reading my posts
December 29th, 2016 at 11:33 am
Damn Joe please write an article about some of the particulars of how these positive drug tests work. TNew, his agent claims he tested positive for PEDs. Again, Martin’s camp can claim anything they want and the results cannot be released unless Doug says so. I would say your third bullet is not a known fact at all. He tests positive for drugs, gets a suspension and is entering rehab and you’re speculating that he has an alcohol issue (which he would not get a suspension for). Really?
December 29th, 2016 at 11:49 am
My question is a bit O/T. States are beginning to legalize pot for recreation as well as medical. The Seahawks play in two of them. How’s the NFL going to handle that one? The marijuana reform will continue irregardless of who POTUS is.
December 29th, 2016 at 11:50 am
I have not commented to this point about Doug Martin. It is disappointing that the young man has developed some sort of dependency on at least one illegal substance. His play declined and I think this may have played a big part of it.
Life is bigger than football though and I respect his owning his mistakes and desire to get help. I hope for his sake that he is successful in his detox and recovery. He may never be a Buc again but he is a human being and I wish him the strength of will to overcome this and remain clean.
December 29th, 2016 at 11:52 am
That sentence should read: The Seahawks and Broncos play in two of them. Oh well…old age. 🙁
December 29th, 2016 at 12:19 pm
I have a long time friend from Pittsburgh, a huge Steeler fan. He says the 70’s super bowl winners were all steroid users. Martin’s supposed ped use is a freaking joke. The NFL tie in with the war on drugs is a freaking joke. Police state enforcement right in your face is not to be confused with caring. The image is cracked.
December 29th, 2016 at 12:34 pm
So now we know why he sucked this year. I’m guessing it’s Freeman-itis. The mix of Adderrall, coke, and alcohol. You don’t go to rehab for PEDs. Didn’t see this happening with Doug. Hope he recovers.
December 29th, 2016 at 12:44 pm
Nah id doubt its peds or adderrall whatever lame excuse hus camp is giving up. He flubbed up when he said he was going to rehab. People dont go to rehab 4 adderrall. My guess is that it was probably sometype of pain pills or something along those lines.
December 29th, 2016 at 1:13 pm
We do know it’s a 4 game PED suspension. That’s what he was popped for. This is a collective bargaining fact. If it were a recreational drug suspension it wouldn’t be auto 4 game suspension and the union would be up in arms. We don’t know what the PED was nor do we know what he is going to rehab for.
December 29th, 2016 at 1:25 pm
Someone needs to look into these guys, Doug, asj, Kwon, hey Jude … becoming a pattern.
December 29th, 2016 at 1:36 pm
Where did you hear that TNew? Stage 2 is when the suspension are applied and they range from 4-6 games. Stage Two is similar to Stage One in terms of treatment, testing, and violation. However it lasts for 24 months instead of 90 days and players that commit infractions can face suspensions of four to six games. Failures here send a player to Stage Three of the NFL’s Intervention Program, where Will Hill and Martavis Bryant reside. Like with the other two stages, players are subject to a treatment plan, but they are now subject to unannounced testing. Failed tests will result in a 10 game suspension if the first violation is for marijuana. Unless the medical director chooses to discharge the player, Stage Three will last for the remainder of the player’s career.
December 29th, 2016 at 1:43 pm
There appears to be no dlillineation between PED vs recreational drugs as far as the length of penalty. The only drug that is treated somewhat differently than the other appears to be marijuana. If you can cite the source I would appreciate it. I was unable to find anything stating that the length of suspension for a recreational drug was different than a PED suspension.
December 29th, 2016 at 3:02 pm
If a player tests positive for a diuretic or masking agent, he will be suspended for two games without pay. Positive tests for anabolic agents or stimulants result in a four-game suspension. And, for those crafty players who test positive for both masking agents and anabolic agents a six-game suspension is in order.
December 29th, 2016 at 3:29 pm
Thanks for clearing that up Lakeland. Didn’t think there was a difference. There may be in baseball but not in football.