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Roger Goodell took over as NFL commissioner on Sept. 1, 2006. He has guided the NFL through labor strife. He has stewarded the league through what may still become an existential crisis with cerebral trauma. But, for many, his tenure has been defined by his implementation of the league’s personal conduct policy. Goodell told Time Magazine in 2012 he “doesn’t do things for public relations” or “do the popular thing” as Commissioner. But, his stated goal of “protecting the shield” has been doing precisely that.
Goodell has appointed himself the league’s extra-curricular punishment baron, in an amorphous system affording broad personal discretion. His intent has been to send a clear message: “Mess with the shield? Roger Goodell will mess with you, to a disproportionate extent.” But the resulting policies have proved indiscriminate, often inconsequential and sops to public pressure.
Perception, when Goodell took over, was the the NFL had run amok. The Cincinnati Bengals alone had nine players arrested. The media was fixated. The league’s image was being tarnished. Goodell stepped in with a fire extinguisher, the personal conduct policy. Almost immediately, he took his Draconian “bite out of crime.”
Adam “Pacman” Jones received a one-year suspension in 2007 for his involvement with a strip club shooting. Chris Henry was suspended for the first half of the 2007 season after multiple arrests. Tank Johnson was suspended for half of the 2007 season after multiple gun-related incidents. Mike Vick was suspended indefinitely, after reaching a plea deal in the dog fighting case.
This was a show of strength from Goodell. But his “heads on pikes” approach had little deterrent. As Jason Lisk wrote in 2013, increased attention and scrutiny on NFL players from the personal conduct policy may have led to more incidents. NFL off-season documented arrests, as of 2013, had increased 61 percent since it was instituted.
Red the rest: http://thebiglead.com/2014/09/10/th...ll-which-is-the-problem/#sthash.pONJAEAm.uxfs
Goodell has appointed himself the league’s extra-curricular punishment baron, in an amorphous system affording broad personal discretion. His intent has been to send a clear message: “Mess with the shield? Roger Goodell will mess with you, to a disproportionate extent.” But the resulting policies have proved indiscriminate, often inconsequential and sops to public pressure.
Perception, when Goodell took over, was the the NFL had run amok. The Cincinnati Bengals alone had nine players arrested. The media was fixated. The league’s image was being tarnished. Goodell stepped in with a fire extinguisher, the personal conduct policy. Almost immediately, he took his Draconian “bite out of crime.”
Adam “Pacman” Jones received a one-year suspension in 2007 for his involvement with a strip club shooting. Chris Henry was suspended for the first half of the 2007 season after multiple arrests. Tank Johnson was suspended for half of the 2007 season after multiple gun-related incidents. Mike Vick was suspended indefinitely, after reaching a plea deal in the dog fighting case.
This was a show of strength from Goodell. But his “heads on pikes” approach had little deterrent. As Jason Lisk wrote in 2013, increased attention and scrutiny on NFL players from the personal conduct policy may have led to more incidents. NFL off-season documented arrests, as of 2013, had increased 61 percent since it was instituted.
Red the rest: http://thebiglead.com/2014/09/10/th...ll-which-is-the-problem/#sthash.pONJAEAm.uxfs
