The NFL got it right this time...

The New NFL personal conduct policy and subsequent suspension of players Adam Jones and Chris Henry for violating this policy has created quite a stir. I am generally not a proponent of employer's imposing rules that dictate what employees can do in their own free time. For this case I make an exception to that belief.

When the rule being imposed is targeting conduct that is criminal I have to support the rule. Off the top let's be clear the point of this policy is not to kick players out of the league. This policy is to save the players from themselves. To save them from societal ills that perpetuate this activity. Based on the negative publicity this criminal activity brings to the league the NFL would hope never to have to enforce this policy.

The policy allows for due process so a player gets a chance to get legal representation and a chance to come in and explain why he beat up his girlfriend, or why one of the boys from his crew shot some guy in the head before a punishment is administered. Although I will argue that Jones and Henry were not given due process, but with 10+ criminal charges between them in less than 2 years I think they are actually far beyond what the NFL is trying to control. It has been reported that over 50 players have faced criminal charges in 2006. The NFL has already shown they will allow for some pretty reasonable discretion in administering punushment. Otherwise they would have suspended them all!

This policy has the support of the players themselves so what is left to debate? Let's face it, the guys that get in trouble always want to claim to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. It is said that if you are at some club at 3 a.m. in the morning the likelihood of getting "caught up" is higher. This is true to a point. Think about it though, these clubs are open 365 days/year and even at the worst of clubs i.e. "strip clubs," on most nights nothing happens. Guys go in and out and there are no issues. The difference is the element that decides to show up on a given day and all of a sudden trouble. These NFL players are that element they are not the victims... 95% of the players realize this and that is why they support the policy.

I'll end with a story. When I was in HS we had a guy that was a star football player and the anchor of our track team. About a week before the state championships in track he beat up this girl. He was not defending himself from her, he beat her up like she was a man. The track coach decided to suspend him from the championships. There was an unbeleivable outcry from the community, they felt the punishment didn't fit the crime, suspending him punished the whole team not just him. Even the girls parents supported allowing him to run in the meet. The principal rescinded the suspension, and the coach ended up quitting. This kid graduates, he was one of the top recruits in the nation and he goes to a big-time D-I program. He lasted 2 years! He could not stay out of trouble...

I tell this story to re-affirm that society perpetuates this complex in star athletes that as long as they are big-time they can pretty much do anything and get away with it. Somebody is going to cover for them, someone will look the other way, maybe get a slap on the wrist from time to time. I can't say for sure that serving the suspension would have changed his life, but by not serving I think it crippled him. He missed an important life lesson about being accountable for his actions. The NFL has decided to step in where society has failed!