Goodell's Got Some Balls
NFL Commisioner Roger Goodell decided to take a stand on off-the-field transgressions that seems to be plaguing the league. He chose the two with the most well-known troubles and showed them, and the league, how he would tolerate them. Bengals wide receiver Chris Henry has been seemingly averaging an arrest every 2.3 weeks, ranging from supplying alcohol to teenage girls to alleged sex crimes. Goodell's response to him? Henry got suspended for half of a season.
Titans cornerback Pacman Jones has had some small transgressions here and there, but his big one was when he Made it Rain in Vegas. Goodell suspended him for the season, which is a fitting punishment. Hell, if it were heavier, I'd understand too.
These punishments sure fit the crimes. The NFL seems to be having more and more off-field problems -- ie the Cincinnati Bengals -- and under former commish Paul Tagliabue, nothing was getting done about it. Goodell changed that and sent a message to the entire league that no one is safe from punishment. This'll be in the back of some of the players' minds now who may think twice before driving after playing a game of Edward 40-Hands, taking a Sex Cruise, Making it Rain, or having sex in a club stairwell -- I'm looking at you Dwight Smith.
Sure, there will still be some off-field crimes. After all, the Vikings do still exist. However, Roger Goodell has shown everyone that he doesn't feel like taking shit. It's about time that the league focuses on a real problem instead of what dance Chad Johnson is doing.
Comments
I'm glad that the league is cracking down on this, but I question the way it's doing it. They're not just setting a new disciplinary system for the future, they went back and retroactively suspended two players for breaking that code. To be fair, now they have to go back and suspend Tank Johnson, Jerramy Stevens, Dominic Rhodes, and every other player who's broken the league's new policy in the past. Yes, Jones and Henry are the most serious offendors, but if you're going to discipline them you have to discipline everybody. I just don't think Goodell's going to do that.
Posted by: Tom4 | April 11, 2007 9:35 AM
I see where you're coming from when it comes to Henry, but PacMan's crime came after the season was over so dealing with him wouldn't be dealing retroactively.
I agree with Tank Johnson -- he shouldn't have played in the Superbowl. But someone like Rhodes, who was .01 over the legal limit? Yes, that's a DUI, and no it's not right, but I'm sure a lot of people out there have driven after a few. Goodell used those guys as a statement. Hopefully, though, he will keep to the league policy and suspend whoever commits the crime, whether it be Peyton Manning or Mike Furrey.
Posted by: Kyle | April 11, 2007 6:56 PM