The NFL season can’t start soon enough for some players. A rash of off-field issues puts the NFL’s popularity at risk at a time when the players themselves are complaining about the rules and iron fist governing of Commissioner Roger Goodell.
Take for example the arrest of Seattle Seahawks RB Marshawn Lynch who was charged with DUI. Lynch is a repeat offender who was charged previously with a hit and run incident while with the Buffalo Bills. Lynch will almost assuredly face a league imposed suspension.
Fans are growing tired of the off-field issues of players and their patience is beginning to grow thin. Today, I will be attending the funeral of a family member who was killed by a drunk driver last Thursday. I’m not the only one who will be reminded of the events that took a life every time an athlete draws a charge of driving under the influence. While it’s not an NFL only issue, those of us who cover the NFL are seeing an increase it seems in the off-season problems that players are getting themselves into.
Another example, Dez Bryant has been arrested on domestic violence charges after pushing his mother. Fans are outraged and one local Cowboy beat writer is calling for a team imposes suspension of four games, the maximum allowed by a team under the current CBA.
Of course Dez Bryant and Marshawn Lynch are only the latest. Last week it was Minnesota Vikings All-Pro running back Adrianne Peterson on DUI charges, Denver Bronco DE Elvis Dumerville was arrested on an aggravated assault charge in Florida for brandishing a firearm in what is being called a “road rage incident”.
The list of arrests goes on and on from DUI arrests to marijuana possession charges, assault, and even a forced sex charge on an intoxicated person. Most charges seem to be alcohol related.
Most NFL teams offer a taxi service for their players who drink to much while out on the town. While it’s rarely if ever reported when a player uses the service, it’s always reported when they don’t. The more terrifying factor is if the DUI count is growing how many players are doing the same but not getting caught in the process?
The onus to fix this issue falls squarely on the shoulders of the one man that NFL players wish were not involved at all. Roger Goodell. Goodell has had a no-tolerance style since taking over for former commissioner Paul Tagliabue. Tagliabue was far more “forgiving” in player 0ff-field matters. At least compared to Goodell.
Goodell himself is at the center of legal issues stemming from his one year suspension of New Orleans Saints LB Jonathan Vilma as well as the other suspensions from the “bounty-gate” issue. Still, as I have said in prior articles, the NFLPA agreed to the contents of the CBA ratified last year by the players that gave that sole power to the Commissioner.
While the NFL tries to defend it’s actions and the players continue to get into more trouble, it’s the fans who are beginning to get angry. Consider that none of these players mentioned in this article, and most of the players listed on the UT San Dieg0 arrest data base will ever see the inside of a prison let alone and extended stay in the county jail. That same privilege is not extended to most of the general population.
With the start of NFL training camps set to being in a matter of weeks, teams are looking to get players back into football thinking. The worst part of these off-field issues is that they only represent a small portion of the total number of NFL active players in the league. That however is no longer something that most fans care about. The reality is that there simply is no excuse for any of it.
The NFL had, at one point, threatened to hold teams accountable for the actions of their players VIA fines for off-field actions of the players. While I can’t be for certain, it appears that initiative never took hold.
The problem really comes down to the overwhelming need to succeed as a team. GMs and coaches as well as owners are willing to overlook a players prior problems when that player possesses a great athletic upside. It’s only when that player continues to show their inability to stay trouble free that a team parts ways with them and that is normally only short lived as another team will likely take a shot at the player becoming a model citizen.
Today more then ever, players are needing to be more cognizant of their actions. Unlike the players that played in the early 90’s and before, the media coverage of an athlete is a year long event. Websites such as ProFootballTalk.com keep a “days without arrest” running reminder to the very issues of off-field issues and there are even sites dedicated to the arrests of athletes.
In September the 2012 regular season will kick-off and fans will once again be screaming in support of their teams and quietly chastising the players that are not their to help because they are sitting at home because of their own inability to police themselves. The NFL can only do so much and the Commissioner will only be chastised further for his punishments. This problem will not go away with excessive fines and suspensions.
The only way this problem is resolved across the sports landscape is when the legal system stops giving preferential treatment to athletes and begin holding them to the same legal processes and punishments that the rest of us d0 and their employer does the same.
Ask yourself one question. If you were arrested for DUI, possession, aggravated assault, or rape, would you be able to return to your job? Would you even have a job to return to? The NFL’s Commissioner is catching a lot of hell over the way he handles punishments for off-field issues, but it obviously isn’t deterring players from committing more crimes.
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