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This week, Buffalo Bills wide receiver Stefon Diggs became the unexpected center of online debate, and not for a record-breaking catch, but because of a short, silent video clip. The clip shows Diggs briefly holding an unidentified substance at what appears to be a private event. No words, no confirmation, and no context – just enough visual ambiguity to send social media into its usual spiral of speculation. Some were quick to accuse, others cracked jokes, and a few wondered aloud whether it was anything more than a poorly lit clip capturing a guy holding… something, anything. Maybe it was herbal tea! Maybe it was nothing. But the reaction was everything.
At the time of writing, neither Diggs nor his representatives have commented on the video, and no action has been taken by the NFL or law enforcement. So far, it’s all speculation, yet that hasn’t stopped the conversation. Behind the jokes and judgment is a much bigger issue: how drugs, race, and professional sports relate in the public imagination, and why moments like this reveal more about us than the athletes we rush to critique.
The use of drugs, both recreational and performance-enhancing, in sports has long been a source of controversy. For decades, leagues like the NFL have struggled to balance fairness, player safety, and the image of the game. Players are expected to perform at inhuman levels while also maintaining squeaky-clean public personas. That tension has often led to substance use, especially when it comes to pain management, mental health, and recovery. The problem isn’t new, but our understanding of it continues to evolve.
However, what hasn’t evolved nearly as fast is how differently these stories play out depending on the athlete’s race. Black athletes, like Diggs, are often met with harsher public scrutiny, their behavior quickly linked to criminality or carelessness. White athletes, in contrast, are frequently framed as troubled or struggling – flawed but sympathetic. The media narratives may be subtle, but they have real consequences: public opinion, endorsement deals, and even league discipline can all shift based on how a story is told, and who’s at the center of it.
This inconsistency mirrors more pressing social patterns. Decades of racially biased drug enforcement, from the War on Drugs to mass incarceration, have conditioned many Americans to associate drug use with criminality in communities of color, while viewing it as a health issue in white communities. That same mindset often finds its way into sports media, where the focus too easily shifts from concern to condemnation depending on the face in the headline.
The NFL has made some progress in recent years, particularly around marijuana. In 2020, it stopped suspending players for cannabis use and began offering more support for mental health and substance use treatment. Still, the league’s culture and its public image are slower to change. Reforms may exist on paper, but that doesn’t prevent snap judgments, viral outrage, or racially tinged double standards from taking root online.
Diggs hasn’t been accused of anything illegal, and there’s no indication that any rules were broken. But the reaction to a 10-second clip reminds us how quickly assumptions are made, and how differently those assumptions land depending on who’s being watched. The video itself may turn out to be nothing, but the conversation it sparked is something worth paying attention to.
Ultimately, this isn’t just about one athlete at one party. It’s about how we as a society talk about drugs, accountability, and fairness. It’s about who gets second chances, who gets judged immediately, and why. And it’s about the need to build a sports culture, and a public culture, that recognizes complexity rather than demanding perfection.
So until we know more, maybe let’s hold off on the armchair commentary. After all, if every poorly lit video of someone holding something was taken as evidence, a lot of us would be in serious trouble – especially whoever’s still trying to convince TSA that vape pens are “just for relaxation.”
Author Profile
- Tessa Winkleman is a dynamic scholar-athlete and aspiring sports law professional. Raised in Las Vegas before heading to Michigan (Go Blue!), she earned a Division I volleyball scholarship to St. Francis College in Brooklyn. After transferring to Hunter College, she led her team as MVP, earning numerous athletic and academic honors. Tessa has interned at McShane & Bowie LLP and the PREA Investigation Unit at Rikers Island, combining her passions for justice and advocacy. She is set to pursue a master’s degree in Sports Law and Management at the Universidad Europea de Madrid, in partnership with Real Madrid FC.
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