A lawyer who apparently isn’t too busy to check out PFT (and we appreciate that) has floated an intriguing theory about the out-of-the-blue decision by Browns receiver Josh Gordon to seek permission to play in the land of Labatt Blue.
Did Gordon ask to play in Canada knowing that the request would be denied, so that he in turn could bolster an effort to seek an injunction preventing the implementation of his suspension via a lawsuit challenging the suspension?
Those facts would help show what the law calls “irreparable harm,” one of the key factors that must exist for a court tell a party who wants to do something to not do it until the case has ended. Gordon currently is caught in a vise, unable to play for the Browns and also not permitted while suspended to play for anyone else. While that may not win the day, it’s one of those real-world facts that could cause a judge to conclude that Josh has gotten jobbed.
Of course, none of that is relevant unless and until Gordon sues. Per a source with knowledge of the situation, Gordon’s legal team is still exploring the possibility of filing suit.
Time is running out. Practice in advance of the Week One game at Pittsburgh begins on Wednesday. Courts will likely be shut down until Tuesday, given the holiday weekend. If Gordon wants to get an order allowing him to practice and play, he needs to move a lot more quickly than, say, the NFL did in resolving his appeal.