As one cheating scandal lingers, another one has emerged.
Jay Glazer of FOX reports that the Chargers are facing stiff punishment after officials confiscated during Monday night’s game against the Broncos a towel that contained a substance that has been banned by the NFL for decades: Stickum.
Per Glazer, an equipment manager brought the towel onto the field during a timeout. Something caught the attention of one of the officials, one thing led to another, and now the Chargers face a large fine and possibly the loss of one or more draft picks for cheating.
It remains to be seen who knew what and when and how many were involved, but the smartest move for anyone questioned by the league will be to tell the truth.
Stickum, once a popular substance that was used liberally by players like Raiders receiver Fred Biletnikoff and cornerback Lester Hayes, provides a competitive advantage by helping a guy catch the football. Or, perhaps more accurately for all too many NFL receivers, not drop it.