Steelers Le'Veon Bell Suspension Doesn't Add Up

The Steelers and Steeler Nation were impatiently awaiting for the NFL’s punishment of Le’Veon Bell.

On Thursday afternoon, the punishment finally came. On Thursday afternoon, one minute following the announcement, the conspiracy theories flew.

Bell is suspended three games plus an extra paycheck for his arrest of possession of marijuana and DUI (in this case high rather than drunk). His partner in crime that day, then teammate LeGarrette Blount, received a one game suspension with no extra dock in pay on Wednesday.

Three games plus an extra fine versus one game.

Somehow that just doesn’t add up.

Sure, as Adam Schefter so obviously pointed out, Bell was charged with an extra offense.

LeGarrette Blount gets 1-game suspension, LeVeon Bell 3-game suspension now under appeal. Bell charged w/ DUI, plus marijuana possession.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) April 9, 2015

Bell could have faced up to four games under the new substance rules, and in some weird twisted way, the NFL did that – but just through his paycheck. Meanwhile, Blount gets one game for possession and being able to enjoy his car ride a bit more that day because he wasn’t driving at the time.

It just doesn’t add up for me. Somehow the DUI adds two games and a paycheck if we are trying to compare apples to apples by way of Bell and Blount.

They both deserved consequences, I don’t think anyone is going to argue that. What they did was wrong and violated league rules (let alone the law in Pennsylvania)

But, the comparison in severity just doesn’t add up. Blount was in the same vehicle, they both were in possession, but Bell was behind the wheel.

If anything, Blount should have received two games and Bell three – as long as you wanted Bell to receive the severe punishment and work your way down from there.

If the NFL wanted to work from the bottom up, then Blount’s punishment becomes the base. From there, Bell should have received an extra game at most. Maybe the game check too.

Both Bell and Blount are appealing their punishments. Blount should be denied so that he at least serves one game. Hopefully Bell will get knocked down from three games to two games.

It would be great if the league would explain the discrepancy, especially why Blount received just one game. Was it because he appeared before a judge about his case before the new substance abuse rules went into effect last season?

That would mean the NFL would have to make sense of it’s own handling of discipline. Booooom **Mind’plosion**

Or is the NFL really hell bent on turning the screw on the Steelers at any opportunity?

I’m honestly hoping that the NFL does not have the Steelers and Patriots face off against each other in the first week. Ideally, it would be great to have Bell as a weapon while up in Foxboro – so a Week 4 contest or later is much more appealing.

However, if that’s not in the cards, I am at least praying that they don’t go head to head until after Week 1. I want Blount on the field when the Steelers play the Pats.

Blount deserves every type of punishment t- and that includes some hits from James Harrison and Lawrence Timmons.

Next: Are Steelers Set At Running Back?

Steelers Le’Veon Bell Suspension Doesn’t Add Up

By Craig Gottschalk | Apr 9, 2015

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