PFT
HAIR-RAISING RULE WOULD GO FLAT
Posted by Mike Florio on March 23, 2008, 11:09 a.m.
Sunday mornings in the NFL offseason are a time for relaxation and reflection. At PFT, it’s an opportunity for us to catch up on some of the stuff we missed during the week that was.
One item that caught our eye comes courtesy of Adam Schefter of NFL Network, via others like our own MDS of AOL’s FanHouse.
Per Schefter, the Kansas City Chiefs have proposed a rule that would prevent players from wearing hair so long that it covers the name on the top of their jerseys. The rule would apply to guys like Steelers safety Troy Polamalu, Jags cornerback Rashean Mathis, Packers cornerback Al Harris, Saints cornerback Mike McKenzie, and any other guy who aspires to grow their locks long enough to be utilized as an alternative to Charmin in the event the person in the next stall can’t spare a square.
But here’s the problem. The Collective Bargaining Agreement between the NFL and the NFL Players Association essneially prevents the passage of such a rule without the consent of the union.
Article VII, Section 2 states: “Clubs may make and enforce reasonable rules governing players’ appearance on the field and in public places while representing the Clubs; provided, however, that no player will be disciplined because of hair length or facial hair.”
Though the CBA doesn’t specifically prevent the teams from passing a rule regarding hair length, the rule would have no teeth because the teams could do nothing to enforce it.
And good luck getting this portion of the CBA changed. In the currently expanding climate of non-cooperation between the league and the union, the NFL would have to give something up in order to get the ability to implement a rule regarding hair length. Our guess is that the union would want more than what the league would be willing to give.
Besides, we envision no agreements of any kind being reached between the NFL and the NFLPA unless and until there’s a new CBA, which addresses the far more pressing issue of the split of the pot of billions of dollars between the players and the owners.
