Koren Robinson is back and I’ll drink to that!

This was really one of the moments I was waiting for. NFL commissioner Roger Goddell has taken such a hard line on everything concerning player discipline, so I was sort of curious to see how he’d respond now that some of the people that have been suspended for extended periods of time can apply for reinstatement (still waiting on that Ricky Williams verdict, and the Chris Henry, Tank Johnson, and Pacman Jones verdicts will come up before you know it). In his first “true” test, Goddell decided that Robinson had been rehabilitated and deserved a second chance.

Let’s recap the Koren Robinson madness, shall we?

Robinson’s suspension came in the wake of an incident in August 2006 while he was playing for the Minnesota Vikings.

Police said Robinson led them on a car chase at speeds over 100 mph, and his blood-alcohol content was found to be 0.11 percent, above the legal limit of 0.08. The Vikings cut Robinson, and he signed a two-year deal with the Packers in September.

However, he played in only four games before he was suspended.

In February, Robinson was sentenced to 90 days in jail after pleading down to a charge of fleeing police. Robinson also was sentenced to three months in jail for violating probation on a separate drunken-driving case in Kirkland, Wash., last year.

But fortunately for Robinson, all of that is the past, and he will once again get to play the game he loves (NOTE: the Packers have been granted a roster exemption for Robinson until they figure out what to do with him).

So, what will keep Robinson out of trouble now? He now takes a daily pill that keeps him from drinking by making him physically sick if he ingests any alcohol. “It’s a safety blanket for me,” Robinson said. “I use it like a vitamin. I don’t have any qualms about it.”

Well, all I can say to Koren is good luck. Hopefully with his new regimine he will be able to stay clean and finish out a successful career in the NFL. Robinson faces a lifetime ban if he violates the league substance abuse policy again.

Koren Robinson is represented by the same man who represents Larry Johnson. That man, is Alvin Keels (contact information). Alvin may have had some trouble with contract negotiation in the past, but it seems that after the successful Larry Johnson deal and today’s reinstatement of Koren Robinson, things seem to be on the right track.

ESPN: NFL reinstates suspended Packers WR Robinson

Related –

Sports Business Digest: The Chiefs re-sign Larry Johnson

1. 

   Sportsattitude says:

   October 18, 2007 at 7:43 pm

   I laughed out loud when I saw the title to the post. Beautiful. I know an alcoholic (former co-worker) who had those daily pills…he washed them down with a combo of mixed drinks and beer. I wish Robinson well but he’s already had a bunch of chances so chances are he’ll need a bunch more.
2. 

   Troy says:

   October 19, 2007 at 2:52 pm

   I remember when Robinson was in Minnesota a few years ago and playing well. Then he was suspended. Just like that. Hopefully, which seems unlikely for all athletes, he knows his limits and understands when to stop.