Something From the NFL's New Conduct Policies

[Hostile]

Clubs will be subject to discipline in cases involving violations of the Personal Conduct Policy by club employees. In determining potential club discipline going forward, the commissioner will consider all relevant factors, including the history of conduct-related violations by that club's employees and the extent to which the club's support programs are consistent with best practices as identified and shared with the clubs. Recommended best practices include having a full-time club player development director and a full-time club security director.

First of all I believe that Jerry Jones' hiring of Calvin Hill as the Player Development Director is a landmark step. As far as I know he is the first such hired employee by any NFL team. Now it looks like the NFL expects the rest of the teams to once again follow our lead. I hail that as a great thing for the image of the Dallas Cowboys, though I wonder how many other teams fans will even realize it.

I also think it further amplifies the need to draft carefully and look at character as a strong indicator of who to target in the Draft and Free Agency. This effort of the last few years that was focused on by Bill Parcells is something I hope we never stop paying attention to. I have been a vocal critic of the man at times, but there is no doubt that his focus on Team Captains and guys with good moral fiber and intelligence has been a positive step forward for the Cowboys from the days when Leno and Letterman had jokes about the Cowboys Police Blotter every night. I love that our players are staying out of the bad headlines.

Finally I have to wonder if this will have a trickle down effect. I wonder if college teams and coaches will begin use this as a psychological tool to keep the leash on their players short. As much temptation as the wealth of the NFL offers I actually think college offers as much or more and is the vehicle that gets some of these kids started on wrong paths. By this I mean there is so much access to the college parties where players have access to so much that could derail their dreams. The Festival of Dionysis and its temptations are basically threats to these dreams now more than ever.

 

[theebs]

Didnt san francisco have that psychologist for a long time on their staff?

Cant remember his name. I think he was brought in around 97 or so..

 

[Dayton Cowboy]

IMO, Jerry has been ahead of the curve in a lot of business trends. He doesn't always make the greatest player assesments, but he does what it takes to keep them straight and narrow for the most part. There have been some exceptions of course. But he does everything he can to try to make sure his players are 'good citizens'. He has to be given credit for that. He learned his lessons well.

 

[sjordan6]

Good post Hos! I agree that Jerry Jones is the trailblazer is doing things the right way and not needing map to get to a particular destination. From rewriting revenue accumulation to implementing a player development department. Actually the problem starts in college. College coaches are so pressured by boosters and Alumni to win that they allow these athletes to do and getaway with whatever they want in order to keep them on the team. Of course they cant violate NCAA rules but anything else, like rape,assault, drinking, drugs, well that's ok.

I hope this new player development rule for teams to have will trickle down to the root of the problem in college. If each Div 1 school incorporated a student/athlete development department that made it mandatory to play and reported directly to the NCAA (not the school) of players missing or violating the program then you could shorten the learning curve for some of these athletes. The NFL has the power to force their "minor league" to do this because it will reflects them.

Simply applying these rules now will only damage the psyche of the player but if its a gradual understanding of how this change will benefit (or damage) their careers then I think you will have better player and one who will also behave with more class.

Of course the problem starts at home but thats another problem for the president to tackle. But for the fans, its starts in college.

 

[Hostile]

Hot damn, it looks like I was on the right track.

http://cowboyszone.com/forums/showthread.php?t=85298

The USA Today is reporting this, not the DFW media.

Even a blind chicken finds a piece of corn now and then.

 

[WoodysGirl]

Didnt san francisco have that psychologist for a long time on their staff?

Cant remember his name. I think he was brought in around 97 or so..

I know who you're talking about. Can't think of his name, but he was on NFL Network the other day with Steve Mariucci. Last name started with a T.

 

[Hostile]

Good post Hos! I agree that Jerry Jones is the trailblazer is doing things the right way and not needing map to get to a particular destination. From rewriting revenue accumulation to implementing a player development department. Actually the problem starts in college. College coaches are so pressured by boosters and Alumni to win that they allow these athletes to do and getaway with whatever they want in order to keep them on the team. Of course they cant violate NCAA rules but anything else, like rape,assault, drinking, drugs, well that's ok.

I hope this new player development rule for teams to have will trickle down to the root of the problem in college. If each Div 1 school incorporated a student/athlete development department that made it mandatory to play and reported directly to the NCAA (not the school) of players missing or violating the program then you could shorten the learning curve for some of these athletes. The NFL has the power to force their "minor league" to do this because it will reflects them.

Simply applying these rules now will only damage the psyche of the player but if its a gradual understanding of how this change will benefit (or damage) their careers then I think you will have better player and one who will also behave with more class.

Of course the problem starts at home but thats another problem for the president to tackle. But for the fans, its starts in college.

I will say this for the NFL, because kids can't go directly to the pros like many other sports, I believe that overall they have better citizens among their athletes. NFL players are better educated and more mature as the result of going further in the college system. I think they are more rounded as people and this makes the NFL a better product. IMO.

I look at guys in the NFL as consumate professional athletes. It is one of the reasons why the success of this new policy can have incredible positive effects.

 

[WoodysGirl]

Something from PFT

POSTED 10:26 a.m. EDT; UPDATED 11:05 a.m. EDT, April 11, 2007

LEAGUE SHOULD HELP TEAMS AVOID TURDS

If, as it now appears, the NFL will be holding teams responsible for the presence of players who can't stay out of trouble, we think that the league should give consideration to helping teams make good decisions as to who gets into the NFL, and who doesn't.

Since the CBA doesn't allow teams to cut players due to issues unrelated to performance, the challenge is to spot the problems and keep them out, no matter how talented they are.

As we understand it, the league office gathers information regarding the backgrounds of draft-eligible players. However, the league office does not disseminate this information to the 32 franchises, apparently due to legal considerations.

The league, in our view, should find a way to work through the situation. Though the players affected by the flow of information are not yet members of the union, neither are the kids who are barred from playing in the NFL until they are at least three years out of high school. So, then, there has to be a way to create, via collective bargaining, a reasonably safe procedure for the league to share with the teams any data regarding prior arrests, convictions, investigations, etc.

Would someone challenge it, eventually, in court? Probably. But so what? It's far more important for the league to ensure that bad guys don't get in, and there always will be at least one coach who thinks that he can change a guy who has gone astray in the past.

The other benefit of sharing this information with the teams is that it then puts anyone who might draft or sign him on actual notice of his background. If a player about whom there were red flags later gets in trouble, it is easier to justify taking a draft pick or two from the team that took a chance on him, since it will be obvious that the team has taken a calculated risk -- and that the team has lost.

 

[ZeroClub]

Didnt san francisco have that psychologist for a long time on their staff?

Cant remember his name. I think he was brought in around 97 or so..

He's a sociology professor. Dr. Harry Edwards.

There was a psychologist retained by an NFL club several years ago who, if I recall correctly, ended up writing a book about his season with the club. The club might have been the San Diego Chargers.

 

[joseephuss]

Teams are already indirectly punished. Losing the player to suspension will cost the team. I am not sure if their salary still counts againt the cap. It should. The price for not doing a better job of scouting. No different than drafting a guy that just isn't talented enough to be on the field. I got no problem if teams are directly punished by either fines or losing draft picks, but it isn't as if the Titans aren't being punished. They now have to go find another cornerback and return man and still be prepared if Jones comes back after 10 games or next year or ever. I don't feel sorry for them, but it is a punishment for a bad decision.

 

[Hostile]

Teams are already indirectly punished. Losing the player to suspension will cost the team. I am not sure if their salary still counts againt the cap. It should. The price for not doing a better job of scouting. No different than drafting a guy that just isn't talented enough to be on the field. I got no problem if teams are directly punished by either fines or losing draft picks, but it isn't as if the Titans aren't being punished. They now have to go find another cornerback and return man and still be prepared if Jones comes back after 10 games or next year or ever. I don't feel sorry for them, but it is a punishment for a bad decision.

That is a very interesting question.

 

[joseephuss]

Teams should employ a nerd. A guy whose job is just to scour message boards and blogs to gather information on players. It won't be the primary information a team uses in their player evaluations, but every now and then it can prove to be helpful. Several people on this board familiar with WVU were providing warnings about Henry and Jones prior to the 2005 draft. I know the idea sounds very silly, but we are in a day where information is easily shared on the internet. Even one single nugget can be useful. I would take that job if Dallas created the position.

 

[Hostile]

Teams should employ a nerd. A guy whose job is just to scour message boards and blogs to gather information on players. It won't be the primary information a team uses in their player evaluations, but every now and then it can prove to be helpful. Several people on this board familiar with WVU were providing warnings about Henry and Jones prior to the 2005 draft. I know the idea sounds very silly, but we are in a day where information is easily shared on the internet. Even one single nugget can be useful. I would take that job if Dallas created the position.

We had people warning about Merriman 3 years ago too. Fans are tuned in.

 

[burmafrd]

Problem is, there is always a GM or Coach that thinks he can change the kid. Mostly it does not work- but they still try.
If this really catches on, then the pressure on the colleges to do more will increase. If only to prevent a university from getting a reputation like Miami has now. In the future- I could see that if Miami was to continue to have problems a lot of kids who WOULD go there with eyes on going pro might not want to for worry of being tainted.

 

[theebs]

I know who you're talking about. Can't think of his name, but he was on NFL Network the other day with Steve Mariucci. Last name started with a T.

looks like a cross between jim brown and issac hayes, but I cant remember his name!!

 

[theebs]

He's a sociology professor. Dr. Harry Edwards.

There was a psychologist retained by an NFL club several years ago who, if I recall correctly, ended up writing a book about his season with the club. The club might have been the San Diego Chargers.

yeah thats him!

 

[ZeroClub]

yeah thats him!

Yeah. Edwards has been there a long time. Bill Wash got him involved back in the mid-1980's or so.

 

[sjordan6]

well colleges will soon find out the hard way about these athletes. I think Goodell is going in the right direction and soon the media will follow with coverage of athletes who get in trouble. The only way you can truly punish a player is to take the game and everything that goes along with it.

Consider the fact of veteren players who are now retired. The one thing they miss most about playing is actually playing and the relationship of being on the team. Being one of the guys. Sure the money is great and fame is wonderful, but being kicked off or being suspended kills it all. So if you begin to regulate their behavior in college and teach the concept of accountability then by the time they reach the pros, they understand.

I hope the NCAA follows suit in the near future and implements a similiar plan that makes college athletes understand how they must behave on and off the field. Miami is a prime example of a school who looks the other way when players act up. But a mandatory department that reports directly to the NCAA and not the school will eliminate any problems or get rid of potential ones.