Jumbo Package: Should athletes be permitted to use marijuana for pain management?

The mothership defends the honor (and play) of SEC quarterbacks. The notion that they uniformly suck and have in perpetuity remains one of the weirdest perceptions. It’s not just that the SEC plays better defense overall (although that is the case,) it’s that when the defenses are so good, it creates a really unforgiving environment for the average Joes, exacerbating poor play and furthering the perception. What a player can get away with, for instance, at Oregon State, turns into a few dumpster fires if you put him in Gainesville.

BOL looks into the crystal ball as to what it thinks we will see from the defense this season.

About two weeks ago, I speculated that Aaron Robinson may wind up at Miami or another South Florida school; it was pretty clear he missed home. Close enough: He’s heading to UCF.

Charlie Potter previews Auburn, the team many expect to compete for the West this season.

Good for him! The speedy DeAndrew White signed on to the Houston Texans for a 2-year deal. That’s the shot he’s needed.

Casagrande looks at the players who need to step up in 2017 -- not just stars, but not-so-obvious positions of need.

Matt Zenitz provides AL’s look at the linebackers.

Who’s the richest team in the SEC? The revenues might surprise you, but it is not Alabama.

SEC Network projects the biggest storylines for God’s Conference.

Sadly, Les Miles will not be working the booth this season :( This may surprise you, but the free-wheeling Miles didn’t too much care for the constraints they put on his analysis.

Someone hire this man, please?

Finally, the NFL is approaching something resembling common sense. With medical marijuana legal in 31 states, and recreational use decriminalized or legal in 13, and given the much hyped opioid “crisis” the Shield and the NFLPA are going to “explore” the option of allowing players to use medical marijuana for pain management. I have always thought (without any firm evidence, wheeee!) that the high rate of weed use among athletes is associated with the need for a palliative -- it’s not just cultural use.

The league is creating the Brett Favres of the world because they don’t want to see the Ricky Williams of the world. C’mon, NFL, do the right thing for once. All these stupid drug policies have done is wreck careers, often needlessly and, in essence, punish its members for availing themselves of medical options available in their state. But, with Budweiser as the NFL’s largest sponsor, I have little faith the NFL will ever let this happen.

What do you think?