I am not talking about an all time low of merchandise purchases or ticket sales, but something that means more...Morals and ethics.
I recentley read an article today that said Adam Jones was to be reinstated and would be able to play later this year. This is a guy with 13 police dealings in two years along with 2 suspensions and has embaressed his owner and commissioner by getting into a fight with a NFL employee after they trusted him enough to let him play. So why is he granted another chance? Because he completed a alchohol abuse program? Big deal, I know people who have been in drug rehab for acid and they have come out craving it even more than they did before rehab. The man is a walking time bomb, and is going to blow up at any time and completley embarass himself and league.
But what really gets me is how this guy isnt fined, isnt suspended, he is left alone and gets to play again. Yet, a guy like Ray Lewis is fined 50,000 dollars for insulting a ref. Give me a break, not only is that empedding on his right to free speech, but it is completley ridiculous because the referee did make a horrible call and no one else is calling him out!
In my opinion the NFL and Roger Goodell need to keep their promise of a stricter NFL punishment policy instead of worrying about the refs credibility.
Lets be serious, how does a guy who gets caught with six grams of cocaine not get booted from the league? Oh yeah, becuase Roger Goodell is more worried about how he looks than policing his league. Matt Jones, was caught with possesion and intent to sell cocaine and wasnt fined at all by the NFL, yet Jared Allen has racked up 75,000 dollars in fines for what was said "a dirty hit".
Please, Roger Goodell is just protecting his star players in the league...notice no one gets fined for hitting a linebacker too hard, it only happens when a defensive guy hits a WR, RB, or QB. He cares more about protecting the star players than keeping control of his league. If he was serious about trying to fine players to keep the playing clean, he would outlaw cut blocking. Seriously, if he wants to go by the idea that he is "cleaning up play" he would not allow cut blocking. Cutting is probably the dirtiest, cheapest thing in football. For those of you who do not know what it is I will try to depict it. Essentially a offensive lineman throws his body at a defensive players knees, trying to bend them backwards to either make him fall down, or break his knees. More injuries are because of cut blocking than anyother action in football.
So if Roger Goodell wants me to take him and his policies seriously, he needs to start worrying about controlling the thugs that are in his league. They are giving the NFL a bad reputation and will eventually cause the complete downfall of the league.
Shanon Lersh
Jessica Hart
Heisman Moments: Closest Finishes
Sled Hockey
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You make some valid points, but I believe Matt Jones was suspended 3 games, but he is appealing and that's why he is still playing. He will probably miss at least 2 maybe all 3.
Also Randy Moss was fined 20G's for saying there were "iffy calls" in a game. It's not the best system, but it is getting better. I just think at some point enough is enough.
Can't wait to see what Goodell comes up with for Michael Vick.......
Foxy's Back
Total Comments (11730)
Ok, first of all, the only reason that Pacman was even suspended for the last incident is because he's pacman; and he has a history of off the field issues. If that were a player with a clean past, there would have been no suspension.
Linebackers are all about hitting; fining a player for hitting a linebacker too hard just wouldnt be right. And dont bring that freedom of speech stuff into defending Ray; I could argue that Lewis is stopping the refs 'pursuit of happiness' and BS like that all day.
All in all, nice blog, good read, I enjoyed your point of view.
travis31
Springfield, US
Total Comments (17798)
Pacman isnt a thug, you are a idiot tho...
LOVERnottaFIGHTER
Total Comments (6407)
You may have the right to free speech, but that does not supersede the right to make a legally binding contract that says that you will keep your mouth shut. If you've ever done a project at work that can't be leaked to the media (/competition), you've had to sign a NDA which makes you liable to prison time if you talk about it outside of the working project/other people who have signed one. I'm under the impression that in the CBA the league has a thing about the right to levy "appropriate punishment when deemed necessary for league violations".
Adam Jones probably should have been suspended/fined for forever, but if the league did so, he probably would have taken it to the media as "I have a problem and I want to fix it, but they aren't giving me my like 8th chance" and he'd be crying with Oprah... He just has talent and he does work for a team with a rather wealthy owner...
Matt Jones was suspended three weeks like everybody else, and as it is an off the field incident that does not relate at all to football, that is all that they can punish him with, it was and is up to the government to pursue these crimes (which they did).
And Jared Allen's fine was to say, please stop doing these activities in which the already questioned refs must make borderline calls on your late hits (which they have been) that can be unpopular with fans. With all the bad calls in this season, calling Jared Allen for the late hits he's been dishing out every game will be dismissed as "more bad calls" by the already pissed NFL fans although they kind of are deliberately late hits.
The league will always have unlawful players, talkative players, dirty players. The vast majority though, are quietly good players who get no media attention. I really think that the NFL is actually doing pretty well right now. The thing that will be the downfall of the league is the casual ignorance the owners/players are casting on the CBA which expires pretty soon.
packfan0820
Louisville , CO
Total Comments (26)
Um, yes, Pacman is a thug. 13 run-ins with police in 2 years kinda supports that assertion well.
jrscott
Cumming , GA
Total Comments (202)
I see either of you don't have a clue as to what a thug is...Pacman is just a guy who can't seem to keep out of trouble, but a Thug not really...here is your definition of a THUG (a cruel or vicious ruffian, robber, or murderer) Now I aske where does he fit in.
Stellers-Phan
Steeler Nation, US
Total Comments (212)
ask
Stellers-Phan
Steeler Nation, US
Total Comments (212)
You're right "Commishiner" Roger Goodell is terrible. I haven't even seen him shine ONE Commie properly.
The Ram
Pittsburgh, PA
Total Comments (28390)
thats my fault...I was just typing this quickly...I will change it to COMMISSIONER
CiA is X
Milwaukee , WI
Total Comments (767)
The league rescinded Moss' fine. Vick is already under indefinite suspension, I don't see that being lifted until after the 2009 season at the earliest.
Rocktman
Cincinnati, OH
Total Comments (1524)
You make some valid points, but I'd be careful about using Ray Lewis as an example of someone who was unfairly targeted.
Porkins: I stole…
The Triangle, NC
Total Comments (30133)
There are dozens of definitions for the word thug. The most commonly used one in the American parlance is:
thug - noun - an aggressive and violent young criminal.
This isn't Pacman Jones? A man who very obviously has no respect for other people, laws, or society in general? Someone said that if this was a player with a clean slate he wouldn't have gotten suspended. What if he wasn't an NFL player at all? He'd be rotting in a jail cell for assault.
Actually, he wouldn't have had the chance to assault his own bodyguard, because he'd most likely be in jail for any number of his TWELVE recent priors!
Dallas_W
Cincinnati, OH
Total Comments (1738)
Good Job
The True Joker
Total Comments (11609)
Jones ahould be forced to play for Cincinatti. He would look like a choire boy on that team of thugs
Art Modell
Baltimore, Maryland, MD
Total Comments (209)
He would look like a nun
CiA is X
Milwaukee , WI
Total Comments (767)
The Bengals do have some problem children, but if you're a Ravens fan passing judgement, excuse me if I scoff. To my knowledge the Bengals never had a convicted drug trafficker or someone on trial for murder on the team, let alone at the same time.
Dallas_W
Cincinnati, OH
Total Comments (1738)
hahaha, nice point. Millions of kids idiolize these guys, and some of them are selling cocaine and doing drugs...its very weird to think about.
CiA is X
Milwaukee , WI
Total Comments (767)
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