13 comments:

J Dub said...

1. I think that the league minimum suspension is bull shit, I feel that he has violated the trust of the commissioner and the NFL by engaging in a fight with one of his own body guards! How the hell can you let this man play after all the stipulation that you have already put on him? I hope that there if further action taken. If I were the commissioner, life time ban.

2. On the Vick reinstatement, I don't think that any other suspension is needed, as long as he does not violate any league or team policies, oh yeah and of course his probation.

October 15, 2008 at 12:11 PM  

Koko said...

Damn JDub said it perfectly. I have nothing to add.

October 15, 2008 at 5:01 PM  

Rich said...

1. I think a person that cannot complete a sentence should not get more than one chance, they should go to grade school.

2. The problem with this country is that we love our animals more than we love people. Too many tree hugging fags with feelings live among us. Vick should have never gone to jail. Look at OJ, he is finally going to jail for killing two people the last decade.

October 15, 2008 at 8:43 PM  

Keith G. said...

1) I think the indefinite suspension is an appropriate suspension. PacMan needed to realize that playing in the NFL is a privelege not a right. However, I'm sure there will be some labor appeal that will force the NFL and the Cowboys to reconsider barring him from finishing the season.

However, PacMan's biggest offense is that he embarrassed not only himself, the NFL, and the Cowboys, but more importantly he disrespected Commissioner Goodell and Jerry Jones Trust. This was the last straw and Goodell is pissed we are discussing this in the 6th week of the season and Jerry Jones is pissed he was made to look like a fool.

The reason for the indefinite suspension and minimum 4 weeks is because the league deems Pacmans "Alcohol related" Problems on a Drinking Problem and thus he is required to go to a month long substance abuse house like the Betty Ford Clinic. If he does not comply with this satisfactorily then I'm sure his career is in jeopardy. Kudos to Commish Goodell for finally laying down the law.

Also, It is crazy how there are people playing in the NFL that have actually been involved in Murders and the deaths of actual human beings yet Vick killed dogs and is serving real prison time. While his crimes were heinous and he deserved what he got, what about the Ray Lewis's and Leonard Little's of the world. Leonard Little killed an elderly women driving drunk while driving on a suspended license from a previous DUI. Yet, he still gets paid several million dollars a year to play Sundays in the NFL.......Go Figure.

October 15, 2008 at 9:25 PM  

Regs said...

Just like I don't like the idea of big government, I also don't like the idea of a "big" commissioner.

I think Goodell abuses his power and reminds me of Cheese from the movie old school.

Look, I think guys like Adam Jones, Chris Henry and Vick are street thugs, who would be either dead or in Jail if they couldnt run fast. But at the same time, like other jobs in America, the employment of employees is at the discretion of that company. NFL teams have owners and they should be able to set their own policies of employment.

Now, if a player is convicted of a crime, that is a little different, because they had a trial and were found guilty. In such cases, I would support guidelines that would not allow players convicted of certain crimes into the league.

But for Goddell to not have any set guidelines and 100% power and discetion is totally wrong. Let the US Judicial system decide what crimes players are guilty of and set guidelines accordingly.

October 15, 2008 at 10:58 PM  

Koko said...

Goodell is a good commissioner. I think he's doing the right thing here. How many chances does Pac Man deserve. He's already been given special treatment becasue of his "star" status. If this were some no-name lineman he'd would have already been banned for life.

Goodell has every right to suspend players that are a detriment to the league. A big part of Goodell's job is to protect the image of the NFL. The teams are franchises of the NFL. Yes they are independently operated but they are all representatives of the league. Just like if you owned a McDonald's you are still responsible for representing the company properly. If you are not doing so, the company has a right to step in becasue you are using their name, image and reputation to make your money.

As for Vick, he didn't go to jail for cruelty to animals. He went to jail becasue there was money involved. Illegal gambling and tax evasion are the main reasons the FBI got involved and why he is now doing jail time.

If he was just an asshole that treated animals badly, he'd still be playing, but he did the worst thing possible. He lied about money.

October 16, 2008 at 9:41 AM  

J Dub said...

Rob you do have a valid point about the street thugs that can run comment, but I think that in such a powerful company you need a strong leader to keep all the owners and there employees in line. I am personally tired of hearing about how these "stars" can get away with anything, if I killed somebody in a DUI car wreck, I would be in jail and probably be sentenced to life or the death penalty. If I got into a fight with one of my bodyguards in a hotel, I would have gone to jail. These guys need to realize they are not above the law, and if that takes Goodell taking their income away and putting them back on the street so be it.

October 16, 2008 at 10:54 AM  

Regs said...

I think Goodall is an ok commish.

j dub made the point that if he did something, he would get put in jail. That is true, but if you were ever let out of jail, you would then have the right to pursue a job or go back to the career you had, if a company was willing to hire you. Right?

My problem is that Goodall is not a judge and in this case with Jones, no arrest was made. Our judicial system has checks and balances. It has appeals (and not just to the same person who found them guilty to begin with). What standard is he using. Is it guilt beyond a resonable doubt? or just whatever he feels that day.

In the meantime, there is a very real potential for the first work stoppage in over 25 years. At a time when the league is the most competitive and profitable that it has ever been. He needs to focus on this problem.

October 16, 2008 at 3:22 PM  

Koko said...

Good point about the work stoppage Rob, and I'm sure it's at the top of his list. It's not like he's pressing about Pac-Man for hours on end. It probably took a phone call over his breakfast for the whole thing. He picks up the phone and says suspended indefinitely. End of phone call. Then the media keeps it alive for days.

And even though you do not break any laws, there are plenty of situations where people are let go because they have embarrassed the company or are not representing themselves in a professional manner. People are let go from jobs due to hygiene, lateness, disrubtive behavior, etc. There's a long list. As commissioner the league's reputation lies on his shoulders. His job definitely includes judgement calls. Otherwise you wouldn't even need a commissioner.

David Stern had this problem in the NBA for years, until he finally started to get tough and the league looks a lot better now. But he was being blammed for all the "Spreewell" type players and not cracking down on them. Goodell wants to show that stuff doesn't fly in the NFL, and since the blame would be on his head, he has every right to suspend detrimental players to the league.

October 16, 2008 at 3:43 PM  

Keith G. said...

David Stern is a perfect example....Contrary to your statement that the NBA is much better off than the days of Sprewell I would say they are way worse.

The NBA hit is's peak in the late 80's and 90's and has been steadily declining ever since. If you think of a league of thugs and losers that is the NBA right now. They are trying to clean up their image by bringing in respectable foreign players that were not bred with this "Me" first mentality.

Stern has no power and that's why the NBA sucks. Teams give losers $110 million dollar "Guaranteed" Salaries and then these guys get fat, unmotivated, and are more interested in partying every night and not playing hard until the 4th quarter. I am a huge Basketball fan but my interest in the NBA declines almost every year.....well maybe that has something to do with the atrocious team I follow....Koko you can relate.

Not to mention the NBA's players are arrested on a regular basis and they don't care cause they really don't get suspended. Look at those rookies from Kansas that got kicked out of the "Rookie" symposiom for smoking weed in their hotel room.....Michal Beasly (The league's Next Superstar) was with them. I mean come on.....

That is exactly what the NBA needs a commissioner that reminds these guys it is a privelege to be employed by the National Basketball association not a "Right".

Let's Remember Folks we are talking about a right to employ these guys not their right to exercise their free speech to play basketball. If they get kicked out of the NBA they can always work somewhere else......If a Lawyer screws up and gets "DisBarred" it's not the States responsibility to allow him to find him another job. He can get another job in another profession.

October 16, 2008 at 6:29 PM  

Rich said...

They can go where the rest go that don't make the cut, McDonalds. I'm loving it.

October 16, 2008 at 7:14 PM  

Koko said...

Yeah the NBA still has a ways to go to get back to the glory days of the 80's and early 90's. But they are definitely improving from early in this decade. There was a real dark time for the NBA and think they've started to come out of it now. Last season was there best in a long time, and the Olympics helped a lot too.

October 17, 2008 at 9:31 AM  

J Dub said...

http://chriscooley47.blogspot.com/2008/10/tc-10-things-i-love-about-adam-jones.html

got to read this article of the Chris Cooley blog. It deals with the Pacman thing.

October 17, 2008 at 10:09 AM  

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