Breaking Down Today’s Le’Veon Bell Story

Social media is often the shooting star across the night sky. When seen, it can be beautiful and when missed it can be ‘ho-hummed’ as if it never happened. Today on Twitter, the shooting star was a report that claimed Steelers’ Running Back Le’Veon Bell had missed or skipped a mandatory drug test.

This allegation came during Mark Madden’s 3pm radio show. The claim caused an immediate firestorm on Twitter that lasted roughly 20-30 minutes and then disappeared as rapidly as it came.

Madden had tweeted that he had a story coming up on his show about a “key Steelers’ player.”

I hear a bad rumor about a key Steelers player. Listen at #3pm on @1059thex!

— Mark Madden (@MarkMaddenX) June 14, 2016

Madden would again take to Twitter after his comments on the radio to say people were not tweeting/quoting him correctly. His final tweet  (or so I thought) on the subject would reiterate his claim.

If you go on Twitter &quote what I said on the radio, quote me accurately. I'm being badly misquoted today.

— Mark Madden (@MarkMaddenX) June 14, 2016

Madden is far more connected to Pittsburgh Sports than I could of dream of so he talks to a lot of people. I’m not in any position to say this information is credible or isn’t but by now you know that Bell has claimed the allegation is false. He did this through a series of Steelers’ beat writers including the “dean” Ed Bouchette.

Steelers RB Le'Veon Bell said he has not failed a drug test, did not miss a drug test, denying rumors circulating on the Web.

— Ed Bouchette (@EdBouchette) June 14, 2016

For his part, Madden is sticking to his guns.

Everyone believes that Lev Bell is telling the truth, huh? OK.

— Mark Madden (@MarkMaddenX) June 14, 2016

What we can take from the events that transpired today is up for interpretation but here’s my take on how this applies to Le’Veon Bell.

First of all, we already know that Bell has a history with the League as it pertains to drug use. I’m guessing I don’t need to re-hash Bell and LeGarrette Blount’s Excellent Adventure now do I? This resulted in Bell missing the first two games of last season.

Secondly, Bell has been quite adamant about his desire to collaborate on a record with legendary pot enthusiast Snoop Dogg. Not a good look for an athlete already busted for marijuana right?

So can any of us be blamed for automatically jumping to the conclusion that Bell had in fact missed or skipped a mandatory drug test? No, I don’t think so. Is it fair? No, it sure isn’t but as one person said to me earlier today during the story’s explosion, where there’s smoke there’s fire.

Assume what you will Steeler Nation but at the end of the day let’s hope this allegation is indeed false. This is a shooting star that needs to go away quickly.