Chiefs Receiver Dwayne Bowe Arrested for Weed – Should We Care?

The wide-out got busted, but not for stinking it up on the field.

If the undefeated Kansas City Chiefs lose their showdown with the Broncos in Denver this Sunday, Dwayne Bowe may bear some of the blame. But not for creating a “major distraction” to the team, as ESPN blogged today.

Saturday night Bowe was pulled over for driving 48 in a 35 mph zone, and officers subsequently caught a whiff of something unmistakable, and discovered two bags containing a total of about 16 grams of marijuana. These are obviously violations of traffic and drug laws, and Bowe will face a court date as well the NFL’s substance abuse panel. (He also served a suspension in 2009 for a PED violation.) Still, we doubt this incident will “shatter” the Chiefs’ “tranquil season,” as Adam Teicher suggested this morning. Moreover, his indiscretions don’t seem so egregious in light of other recent sports-star, uh, distractions, which have included murder, domestic assault, freaking the fuck out at a Travelodge, and countless drunk driving arrests. And while we don’t condone any sort of impaired driving, a recent New York Times editorialpoints to studies showing that marijuana-impaired driving is much less hazardous than alcohol-impaired driving. And who among us hasn’t been guilty of gunning it to 48 in a 35? Or wanting a late-night chili dog?

As far as on-field performance, Bowe, who will play Sunday, has yielded seriously diminishing returns since signing a $56 million contract this year—nothing like the guy who caught 15 TD passes in 2010. This may be a product of the Chiefs’ anemic passing game (28th in the NFL) under the stewardship of “game manager” Alex Smith, but it also certainly has to land somewhat on Bowe’s back. So what of these is his most heinous crimes? I think we can assume what his fantasy owners would say. 

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