HOW 'BOUT THEM DALLAS COWBOYS?

It seems my favorite NFL team is once again making headlines.

It's anticipated the NFL Players Association will file a grievance against
the Dallas Cowboys on behalf of former Dallas quarterback Quincy Carter
because of the conditions under which Dallas released him last week.

Carter entered the league in the NFL substance abuse program and the Cowboys
cut him after his second positive drug test, reportedly for cocaine. Carter
claims he never used cocaine.

In any case, Cowboys owner Jerry Jones and coach Bill Parcells were
apparently in agreement it was time for Carter to go. Jones probably feels
his team has had enough bad press - especially related to the use of illicit
drugs and Parcells just doesn't seem the type to put up with such
infractions. They aren't saying the positive drug test is the reason why
Carter suddenly finds himself a quarterback without a team. Probably because
under the terms of the collective bargaining agreement between the league
and the union, teams aren't allowed to release players for failed drug
tests, only for performance reasons. Yes, you read that correctly.

Under those rules, assuming Carter did fail two consecutive drug tests, the
player's association might argue a point: Carter should face a fine equal to
pay for four regular-season games while a third violation would mean a
four-game suspension. But Carter's not in that situation. He's not looking
at a loss of pay or a suspension. He's gone. Cut. Out of a job. Poor Quincy.

Most of us work for employers who require random drug testing. I imagine in
most circumstances, failing one such test would put one's job in jeopardy
and consecutively failing two such tests would likely be a sure-fire way to
end up in the unemployment line.

But in the NFL a different set of rules apparently applies. Under normal,
real-world circumstances, it would never be necessary to question someone
being fired for twice failing a required drug test.

In the world in which Quincy Carter lives, such activities are too typically
considered par for the course, almost acceptable. The punishments aren't
equal to those applied to the rest of society.

For once, a team owner and coach are trying to do the right thing. Granted,
it hasn't always been that way in Dallas but on this particular issue Jones
and Parcells called the correct play.