DeMaurice Smith says lack of discipline for Irsay creates ‘credibility gap’
By Mike Dyce
The NFL faced a tough situation when Indianapolis Colts owner Jim Irsay was arrested in March and currently faces charges of operating a vehicle while intoxicated and operating a vehicle with a controlled substance in his body. Normally the NFL has only had to deal with players, and occasionally some front office personnel, but never an owner.
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NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell still has yet to punish the Colts owner, and NFLPA Executive Director DeMaurice Smith told ESPN’s Sal Paolantonio that he thinks the way the NFL is handling Irsay’s situation is causing issues and rubbing the players the wrong way.
“The commissioner understands that there is a significant credibility gap that exists in the National Football League now,” Smith said. “I think what troubles our players is the speed and the deliberateness of punishment that they have seen in the past when it comes to a player, there isn’t the same speed or deliberate action when it comes to an owner, and that’s a problem.”
It certainly makes sense when it gets down to it. The NFL has acted quickly with players before, but at the same time the NFL has waited to see what happens in player’s cases before taking action. Look no further than the incident with Baltimore Ravens running back Ray Rice. He had an incident where he allegedly put his hands on his fiancee wand was caught on camera dragging her, while seemingly unconscious, out of an elevator.
That happened roughly a month before Irsay’s arrest and Rice still hasn’t been punished. It almost looks like the NFLPA is just ready to claim they are being treated unfairly in comparison whenever they can.
Watch the interview between NFLPA executive director DeMaurice Smith and Sal Paolantonio below: