Sunday, September 7, 2014

Statement Analysis: Wes Welker

should have remained silent 
NFL football player Wes Welker has been suspended for four games for violating the leagues ban on Perforamnce Enhancing Drugs. Welker tested positive for Adderall.

We look for a reliable denial in which the subject uses the pronoun, "I" and the past tense verb, "didn't" and addresses the accusation directly.

A reliable denial is simple, and has 3 components.  If there are two, or four, it is no longer reliable.  The word "never" is not accepted for the word "didn't."

If you had been falsely accused of using performance enhancing substances, of any kind, you would say, "I didn't take banned substances" in some form, using the three components:

1.  The Pronoun "I"
2.  The past tense verb
3.  The specific allegation addressed.

A short denial is best.  The encompassing denial is often unreliable.

What will football player Wes Welker say? Will he simply say "I didn't do it"?

Here is his denial in an email to the Denver Post.

"I'm as shocked as everyone at todays news. I want to make one thing abundantly clear: I would NEVER knowingly take a substance to gain a competitive advantage in any way. Anyone who has ever played a down with me, lifted a weight with me, even eaten a meal with me, knows that I focus purely on what I put in my body and on the hard work I put in year round to perform at the highest levels year-in and year-out.
"I want any youth football players and all sports fans to know, there are NO shortcuts to success, and nothing but hard work and studying, leads to success.
"I have never been concerned with the leagues performance enhancing or drug abuse policies because under no scenario would they ever apply to me, but I now know, that (drug-policy procedures) are clearly flawed, and I will do everything in my power to ensure they are corrected, so other individuals and teams aren't negatively affected so rashly like this.
"I have worked my whole life to be the best that I can be, and I have encountered many obstacles over my career, and THIS WILL BE NO DIFFERENT!
"Thank you for the outpouring of support, and I want Bronco nation to know, that no one and no thing will get in the way of our goal as a team, to bring Mr. Bowlen the trophy he and this great region deserve."

Now let's look at his denial to see if he has made a Reliable Denial:

"I'm as shocked as everyone at todays news
Where one begins a statement is important.  Here, he expresses shock at the news, but does not tell us if it is the news of a failed drug test, or the news of suspension.  Perhaps he is shocked at himself, that he broke down and used Adderol.  

I want to make one thing abundantly clear: I would NEVER knowingly take a substance to gain a competitive advantage in any way. 
Note that he would not take a substance knowingly, and this knowledge would have to be to gain a competitive advantage. 
He might take banned substances, but it would not be to gain a competitive advantage.  This should lead investigators to see if he is using other substances.

Anyone who has ever played a down with me, lifted a weight with me, even eaten a meal with me, knows that I focus purely on what I put in my body and on the hard work I put in year round to perform at the highest levels year-in and year-out.
This is to not only avoid saying "I didn't do it" but to say that whatever went into his body, he was well aware of it, researched it, and would not do it unless he knew it was "pure" and would help him perform at the highest level.  
He comes very close to an admission. 
"I want any youth football players and all sports fans to know, there are NO shortcuts to success, and nothing but hard work and studying, leads to success.
Which is also to avoid saying "I didn't take banned substances."
"I have never been concerned with the leagues performance enhancing or drug abuse policies because under no scenario would they ever apply to me, but I now know, that (drug-policy procedures) are clearly flawed, and I will do everything in my power to ensure they are corrected, so other individuals and teams aren't negatively affected so rashly like this.

The more circumspect a denial is, the more likely it is to be unreliable.  This is extreme in its "unreliability" as he boasts so much as to attempt to convince the reader that it is the testing that is flawed, even while he still avoids a reliable denial. 
We do know something about him:  he has confidence (the lack of concern) in his ability to avoid testing positive
"I have worked my whole life to be the best that I can be, and I have encountered many obstacles over my career, and THIS WILL BE NO DIFFERENT!
He does not specify what the obstacle is.  Again, officials should see if he needs professional intervention for substance abuse. 
"Thank you for the outpouring of support, and I want Bronco nation to know, that no one and no thing will get in the way of our goal as a team, to bring Mr. Bowlen the trophy he and this great region deserve."

He wants Bronco nation to know "that I did not use..."  No.  He is unable to say those simple words.

Statement Analysis Principle:  If the subject is unwilling or unable to say that he did not do it, we are not permitted to say it for him.

Wes Welker's suspension is deserved.  He is a liar, without actually lying, but withholding information instead. 
Direct lying is stressful as no one wants to be called a "liar"; therefore, 90% or more will be deceptive in what they leave out, rather than what they say.  

We Welker is deceptive.  

10 comments:

Anonymous said...

I used to like Wes Welker. :(

I'd still at least have a bit of respect for him, if he had told the truth.

VLW said...

Regardless of whether he's deceptive or not (and it looks like he is), why should anyone care if the guy took Adderal? It's a common ADHD prescription. Has he been diagnosed with an attention deficit disorder? I can't figure out how this would impact his sports ability one way or another, apart from depressing his appetite or maybe keeping him awake at night.

OldPsychNurse said...

The team's statement is also spin (lies). Wes' test showed he was positive for amphetamines. Adderall shows up on drug screens as an amphetamine as well as MDMA (ecstasy), methamphetamine (meth), and other stimulants. Which one was Wes actually abusing?

OldPsychNurse said...

@VLW
Drug screens used by employers and the NFL don't specifically test for Adderall. Such drug screens would only show Wes was positive for amphetamines. It's all spin.

Anonymous said...

I would never knowingly test positive for peanut m&m's. ;)

Statement Analysis Blog said...

what about plain?

Tania Cadogan said...

teehee

Anonymous said...

“I wouldn't have any idea where to get a Molly or what a Molly is,” he told the Denver Post. “That's a joke. I don't do marijuana, I don't do drugs. I don't do any drugs.”

He's right, he doesn't do drugs. He did them and got caught. I wish he wouldn't have opened his mouth. Bummer cause I liked him.

He could of just beat the you-know-what out of his wife/fiancee and he would have shaved 2 games off his suspension, like Ray Rice.

Anonymous said...

I agree. Deceptive.

Anonymous said...

"Bummer cause I liked him."

I know, me too. :(