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There’s an interesting item on SportingNews.com, written by someone whose name you might recognize, regarding the ongoing problem of player misconduct in the NFL. Since a beefed-up Personal Conduct Policy isn’t stopping players from getting arrested on a somewhat regular basis, the league needs to be prepared to impose real penalties on the teams that continue to provide these players an endless supply of second chances.
The only way to get the attention of the teams is to take away draft picks, and the best way to do that is to create a formula that applies equally to each and every team.
The article sets forth the proposed approach, and you can read it right here.
May 10th, 2008 at 10:13 am
I’m a Bengals fan and just can’t figure out the stupidity of these players. I’m talking NFL wide, not just the Bengals. Here’s a chance of a lifetime that many would give anything to do and get paid the way they do and your telling me all they can do is get into trouble ?? Pathetic nothing more.
That being said, the mass punishment thing will never work. If they say they can take draft picks from a team, then the team should have the ability to reinstate the “loyalty clause”… You can say all you want that a team should stay away from these types, but we all know that is not the case. If someone has talent, some team will be there to take a chance on them.
PUNISH THE PLAYER and then allow the team to go back after the player legally after they have screwed themselves and the organization up. Amazing how even with all the outrage over this problem, we don’t want to address that the player is RESPONSIBLE FOR THEIR OWN ACTIONS.
This is like a woman who gets raped and then society blames it on her and the fact she wore a short skirt instead of the rapist. The woman represents the football organization and the rapist represents the player with issues. So lets punish the organization instead of the player. Ridiculous…
Not quite the line of thought I would expect someone to come up with. That also being said, it will probably be implemented next season. Sad state we are living in…
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May 10th, 2008 at 10:23 am
I think there’s a whole lot of people here missing the point.
This is about punishing teams that continue to draft and/or sign “turds” year after year. If a team is going to continue to bring thugs into the league there needs to be some type of consequence.
While suspending a player is a consequence, it usually hurts the individual more than the team in most cases. The team does not have to pay the player and can sign a different player to take his place.
Only when the player is a superstar (ala Vick or Pacman) does it truly hurt the team also.
While I’m not sure that Florio’s proposal is the right way to do accomplish it. I do agree that the teams need to start being held accountable for the players they bring into the league.
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May 10th, 2008 at 10:32 am
It is absolutely unbelievable that most of the posters here don’t get the premise of this proposal. Bengals fans must have a collective IQ of 80 to whine about the Bengals being used as an example. Use the Chargers or the Colts; who cares? The premise is the same.
If a team decides to employ someone who has already shown that he has a high degree of certainty to get into trouble, trouble that would embarass both the league and the team, there should be consequences to the team if they can’t reasonably control said previous offender. Why should Dallas be allowed to beat up on the Titans with a player, that was rightfully released from the Titans for bad behavior, especially without standing some team risk if said offender commits another crime?
It’s certainly true that no team can foretell if a player will get into the type of trouble that embarasses the NFL, but if a player has a troubled history and the team hires the player while electing to ignore the player’s past, they should do so at some risk to the team. It’s really simple stuff. No team should be able to gain a competitive advantage by hiring a problem child without some degree of risk to the team…Bengals, Chargers, Patriots or whoever!
If you’re worried about where the lost picks go, distribute them to the teams that don’t hire thugletes to win. Really simple; really on point!
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May 10th, 2008 at 10:47 am
I’m not sure why the team needs punishing? How have the Titans benefited from wasting a first-rounder on Pacman, losing him for a conditional pick, and paying him millions of dollars? Surely that in itself is a ‘punishment’?
‘The Bengals’ only true penalties so far have been the constant public ridicule’ - Mike Florio
How have the Bengals benefited from signing players who have continually let them down? They haven’t, in fact they are now arguably the worst team in their division. I’m pretty sure that it’s no coincidence. The Bengals have played badly since they started drafting with this attitude, and there is a direct correllation between the amount of players with character issues and their demise. If they can’t learn, then I think you’ll find 31 other teams that are ok with that.
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May 10th, 2008 at 11:08 am
I agree! This is ridiculous. As long as you have money, no fine will be large enough to dissuade your behavior. Maybe Mike Vick gets it now? But, how often does that happen? Rarely! Strip the team, keep the turds out of the league. Now, guys in college will know that they may not even be drafted if they screw up.
I think this will help on many levels!
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May 10th, 2008 at 11:57 am
You know what, I’m not surprised by the article that Florio wrote. It just goes to show how in this country nobody is willing to take responsibility for their own actions: there always has to be someone else to blame.
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May 10th, 2008 at 3:01 pm
the players should be fined and donate their salary to their victims and local charities, pacman needs to hookup tommy urbanski, tommy urbanski didnt deserve any of this mess, help mr.urbanski and other victims, innocent citizens do not deserve the wrath and evil of spoiled nfl players, i really feel bad for people that have to endure the violence and recklessness of spoiled nfl players.
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