Today's NFL: Corrupt ot Not?

[sweetsurrender]

OK, I just disagree that the scale of public reaction is anything close to appropriate.  'failing miserably on many counts' 'mishanding very serious issues'....... translates to 'he gave the wrong punishment, said he had gotten it wrong, changed the punishment to what the public wanted, a video came out......and the public thinks he saw it and lied about it.  Another athlete charged with abuse, team leaves him active.....and changes that the next day to what the public wanted.......turns out other athletes are guilty of things too (as are a lot of people).......and now the public is furious'

 

None of what the NFL did changes the abuse that occurred and none of it will prevent it from happening again......same thing with the public outrage, it's not going to have an effect on abuse.

 

Anger and outrage are dangerous.  People justify extreme behavior because they are 'outraged'..... I am not a fan of that......ever

 

And I think the outrage in this case is misplaced and extreme.

 

I have been outraged by things before.......just never anything like this.  If you choose to believe that because of these events...the NFL is perilously corrupt, that's your choice.

 

But I think the public wants to keep the 'scandal' going.......they want to see Goodell suffer......they want their anger sated.

 

It's very bizarre to me.  I think we let this play out.  For goodness sake there's an investigation on this so there will be further discussion.  Meanwhile my impression is that people are making Goodell out to be this horribly corrupt sherrif, like this

 

What you are failing to realize here is that it is Goodells OWN policy not something the public is demanding or fabricating because they have some ax to grind against the league. The league has literally been tripping over themselves for three weeks now and of course Goodell has disappeared for the last 10 days. This is not misplaced or faux outrage and this is not about abuse or domestic violence. The public is not making Goodell out to be the fall guy. They are rightfully upset about a ridiculous level of  incompetence and possible dishonesty. 

[sweetsurrender]

You think the NFL should be the moral police?

No. They should not be.

[sweetsurrender]

Why do you use the word "mishandled" as an indictment of ill intent? Even if one could honestly say they feel it was mishandled (and a few things sure could have been handled better), why do you speak of it as if this is egregious, conspiratorial, agenda driven, or nefarious?

 

People make mistakes. Businesses, sports leagues, everybody goofs up, and nothing I'm seeing is so bad, so unforgivably incompetent that we need to start demanding heads roll. Is that what you want? Do you want Goodell fired? Do you think that changes anything going forward? I mean, he is the NFL's $45,000,000 puppet. 

 

 

The only people befitting this level of outrage, are the pond scum that decked his wife and the lazy eyed muscle bound hulk that apparently thought it wise to terrify his baby boy with a branch. 

So you believe people, especially people that preside over a $9 billion organization, should not be held accountable for their actions whether they were intentional or not? If this really is ALL ignorance on Goodell's part which I highly doubt, than my God yes, he should be fired immediately. This has been a three week cascade of whatever word you would like to use - bafoonery, incompetence, falsehoods, butt covering, etc. 

[jvan1973]

Are you serious? The NFL in the past let the legal authorities handle legal issues. Goodell is the one that became the moral police for behavior HE determined to be detrimental outside of the legal process. It is all well and good to want to improve the league but his incompetence as to the handling if his OWN policy is the issue here. Just because his intentions were good does not excuse the results of the last three weeks.

In terms of the investigation, it is being done independently and we will see what they find. Remember Bountygate when he had a Taglibue come aboard who promptly reversed his suspensions? Again, these are things that have only happened on his watch.

Are you not paying attention? The Vikings and niners are taking heat for wanting to let the legal system play out before suspending guys. So again, you prefer the league do nothing as opposed to trying to hand out some punishment. Also keep in mind, the players are part of a union which also ties the hands of the league in terms of punishment. Goodell had been far more heavy handed than any commissioner before him. Now he is taking heat for actually trying to punish guys.

[sweetsurrender]

Are you not paying attention? The Vikings and niners are taking heat for wanting to let the legal system play out before suspending guys. So again, you prefer the league do nothing as opposed to trying to hand out some punishment. Also keep in mind, the players are part of a union which also ties the hands of the league in terms of punishment. Goodell had been far more heavy handed than any commissioner before him. Now he is taking heat for actually trying to punish guys.

Do you know Goodell's policy? Behavior detrimental to the team will result in punishment whether the legal process plays out or not. He has been suspending guys, i.e. Roethlisberger, before the legal system has played out. This has been his MO. And this is the mess that he now finds himself in. The teams SHOULD be able to let the legal process play out but when you have a commish that hands out suspensions without waiting for legal due process, this is the mess that results for the teams and players.

[ruksak]

Do congressmen beat their wives or children???  

 

Not trying to make fun of what you said, I'm just genuinely curious as to how we can say we are holding congress to lower standards?

She was commenting on accountability. Without getting into the realm of politics, let's just say that accountability isn't a politician's best characteristic, nor is accountability a standard method of operation in DC. 

[amfootball]

I think things are coming to a head for Roger. It began with spygate and the burning of the tapes, then Bountygate where his suspensions were overturned by Tagliabue and now this three week fiasco that began with the ridiculous handing of the Rice situation.

[ruksak]

So you believe people, especially people that preside over a $9 billion organization, should not be held accountable for their actions whether they were intentional or not?

That's a bit of a leap. My issue with the outrage aimed at the NFL is; The actions of (or inactions of) the NFL caused no further harm to any person or persons. No man will beat his wife or abuse his child due to the lack of perceivable consequence by his employer. These actions are done in anger and during heated moments, and it is the person's lack of self control which leads to despicable actions. 

 

It is true that severe penalties could help restrain the less severe instances of off the field judgement errors, sure. But the brand of crime we've seen in the last few weeks results from something of a corrupt mind, rather than poor judgement. 

[jvan1973]

Do you know Goodell's policy? Behavior detrimental to the team will result in punishment whether the legal process plays out or not. He has been suspending guys, i.e. Roethlisberger, before the legal system has played out. This has been his MO. And this is the mess that he now finds himself in. The teams SHOULD be able to let the legal process play out but when you have a commish that hands out suspensions without waiting for legal due process, this is the mess that results for the teams and players.

But that isn't what the public is raging about. Again, they are being scrutinized for not being pro active before the legal system has completed it's process. The rothlisberger incident was handed down after his charges were dropped. He suspended vick after he was convicted. Burres was suspended after he was convicted

[sweetsurrender]

That's a bit of a leap. My issue with the outrage aimed at the NFL is; The actions of (or inactions of) the NFL caused no further harm to any person or persons. No man will beat his wife or abuse his child due to the lack of perceivable consequence by his employer. These actions are done in anger and during heated moments, and it is the person's lack of self control which leads to despicable actions. 

 

It is true that severe penalties could help restrain the less severe instances of off the field judgement errors, sure. But the brand of crime we've seen in the last few weeks results from something of a corrupt mind, rather than poor judgement. 

 

That's a bit of a leap. My issue with the outrage aimed at the NFL is; The actions of (or inactions of) the NFL caused no further harm to any person or persons. No man will beat his wife or abuse his child due to the lack of perceivable consequence by his employer. These actions are done in anger and during heated moments, and it is the person's lack of self control which leads to despicable actions. 

 

It is true that severe penalties could help restrain the less severe instances of off the field judgement errors, sure. But the brand of crime we've seen in the last few weeks results from something of a corrupt mind, rather than poor judgement. 

There you go. Trying to be the moral police with the idea of "cleaning up the league" by punishing offenders by your own brand of justice will fail every time. This is why we have a legal system.

[ruksak]

 The teams SHOULD be able to let the legal process play out but when you have a commish that hands out suspensions without waiting for legal due process, this is the mess that results for the teams and players.

But Goodell's first 2 game suspension was, by any reasonable persons opinion, far more severe than what our justice system itself gave out. The damages Rice faced for missing two games was actually quite severe in compare to a pretrial intervention program. 

 

So....you think the NFL should wait until the law speaks (as do I), but then you insist the NFL should hand out penalties far more severe than our courts? Or am I reading this wrong? 

[sweetsurrender]

But that isn't what the public is raging about. Again, they are being scrutinized for not being pro active before the legal system has completed it's process. The rothlisberger incident was handed down after his charges were dropped. He suspended vick after he was convicted. Burres was suspended after he was convicted

No, they are not being scrutinized for not being proactive. You really need to read what being is written. They are being scrutinized for their mishandling of the Rice situation which Roger is now investigating himself over. And then the subsequent Peterson case and their inaction on a player indicted on child abuse. And then Hardy who has been found guilty and was not punished/suspended but on the roster for the Panthers until just recently. Again, gross mishandling, inconsistencies and incompetence.

[ruksak]

There you go. Trying to be the moral police with the idea of "cleaning up the league" by punishing offenders by your own brand of justice will fail every time. This is why we have a legal system.

I'm sorry, read this 3 times and I still can't understand what you meant to convey. I've always maintained that only under severe circumstance should any player EVER witness the NFL punishing them for being accused. 

[sweetsurrender]

But Goodell's first 2 game suspension was, by any reasonable persons opinion, far more severe than what our justice system itself gave out. The damages Rice faced for missing two games was actually quite severe in compare to a pretrial intervention program. 

 

So....you think the NFL should wait until the law speaks (as do I), but then you insist the NFL should hand out penalties far more severe than our courts? Or am I reading this wrong? 

But it was not reasonable when Roethlisberger got SIX games and was never found guilty of anything. That is the point. Goodell has been woefully inconsistent on his punishments which is why there is such outrage. Just now he finally did a domestic abuse policy which should have come back in 2006. If he is going to continue to be the moral police then he needs to sit down which I am presuming he is doing now and write clear, consistent punishment policies for all crimes and then stick to them. 

[jvan1973]

No, they are not being scrutinized for not being proactive. You really need to read what being is written. They are being scrutinized for their mishandling of the Rice situation which Roger is now investigating himself over. And then the subsequent Peterson case and their inaction on a player indicted on child abuse. And then Hardy who has been found guilty and was not punished/suspended but on the roster for the Panthers until just recently. Again, gross mishandling, inconsistencies and incompetence.

Peterson has been found guilty of nothing, yet you say action should have been taken. Do you even understand what you're arguing? You tell me to read what's going on, but you claim Big Ben was punished by the league before due process had run it's coarse. That isn't correct

[sweetsurrender]

I'm sorry, read this 3 times and I still can't understand what you meant to convey. I've always maintained that only under severe circumstance should any player EVER witness the NFL punishing them for being accused. 

I agree.

[sweetsurrender]

Peterson has been found guilty of nothing, yet you say action should have been taken. Do you even understand what you're arguing? You tell me to read what's going on, but you claim Big Ben was punished by the league before due process had run it's coarse. That isn't correct

The league has punished before for less than an arrest or an indictment. That is the issue here. The inconsistencies. Big Ben was punished without being found guilty of anything. And he was punished three times as much as Rice who was found guilty of abusing his partner.

[jvan1973]

The league has punished before for less than an arrest or an indictment. That is the issue here. The inconsistencies. Big Ben was punished without being found guilty of anything. And he was punished three times as much as Rice who was found guilty of abusing his partner.

Who was punished before an arrest?

[sweetsurrender]

Who was punished before an arrest?

Sorry I meant conviction. An arrest or indictment was enough for a player to get suspended. 

[Valpo2004]

You made thought-provoking points in many of your posts on this thread. I appreciate your outside the box thinking in this post. I think this approach to rehabilitating those convicted of wrongdoing would be a lot more effective than the conventional one which looks to punish rather than rehabilitate.

Like many other posters here, I don't see doom and gloom for the NFL. This will eventually blow over. My interest in football and the NFL has not waned one bit despite my disappointment in individual players. I am against domestic violence and child abuse but I don't blame the NFL for the actions of a miniscule percentage of its players.

 

This is part of the reason we have a high crime rate compared to other westernized nations.  Because we are still stuck in this revenge seeking mode instead of thinking about how we should turn these people around.  And turning people around doesn't mean you ignore it or treat them super nice.

 

But we seek revenge from day 1.  Everytime someone goes to prison people are salvating and hoping that person gets beat up or raped in prison.  Because those things are clearly shown to have positive effects on one's mental health.  Then when they get out we demand that no one hire them.  Even the idea that they might collect our garbage or change the oil in our cars is completely unacceptable to most people.  (I mean I'm not suggesting we make them school teachers!)  

 

I work in the office of a glazing subcontractor and a lot of jobs we work on request that we provide full background checks on all of the guys installing glass on a particular jobsite.  And having one guy with any sort of record can jeopardize our bid, so therefore we, like probably everyone else in the industry don't employ people with records to install glass.  So basically someone with a record can't install glass in a building.  

 

And this stuff follows them forever.  So basically if you have a record quite often your best prospect for your entire life, no matter what kind of training you have is McDonalds.  A few guys might manage to find people who give them a chance anyways but this is reality for most people.  So finding no stability and no income enough to feed themselves much less a family they unsurprisingly go back to what they know. . . crime.  

 

I'm not too upset over Ray Rice and Adrian Peterson, they had multi-million dollar contracts and they should hopefully have the money to live on, so even if they never take another snap they should still have stability in their lives when their punishment is through.  But the problem is that the calls to fire them arn't just limited to NFL football players, they go across the board to just about any job you can think of.  

 

And then when they ultimately commit more crimes, we feel self satisfied that these people are just straight up evil and can't be helped.  

 

There are evil people out there who really truely can't be helped or our ability to help them is limited I will admit that.  But not nearly as many people are like that as we tend to think.  

 

And I want to mention that I'm far from being an ultra liberal, I could talk about other issues that would make people think I'm an ultra-conservative.  I just look at how in our society if someone screws up once our society seems to do it's best to make sure that their entire lives are defined by it.  

[jvan1973]

Sorry I meant conviction. An arrest or indictment was enough for a player to get suspended.

Big Ben had a few incidents in his past that contributed to his suspension. Who else was suspended before a conviction or plea agreement

[Nadine]

No. They should not be.

then why are people angry that they see a failing in the moral police department?

[ruksak]

 That is the point. Goodell has been woefully inconsistent on his punishments which is why there is such outrage. 

I think you're going too far in an attempt to fill in blanks. 

 

I believe much of the outrage is coming from people that typically have little to no exposure to football other than casual viewership, and they're hearing people on TV say "2 game suspension for beating your wife? WTH?". 

 

Even worse are NFL fans who think the NFL should be held to a higher standard than the courts. They sentenced Rice to counseling. That's it. The NFL hit Rice with a monetary penalty of (I believe 2 games would be) a few hundred thousand dollars and detriment to accomplishing contract incentives worth potential millions. When you take the NFL's penalty and side it next to our own criminal justice systems penalty, we have a ridiculous disparity in severity. I mean...it's not even remotely close. Yet, I hear literally nobody getting ticked at our courts. Is that because the justice system is a reflection of us, and we only want to blame the rich guy that makes $45 million?

 

I've heard that facetious remark numerous times now ( "2 game suspension for beating your wife? WTH?"), and it's being said without regard to the fact that the justice system didn't seem to care, and moreover, a 2 game suspension is actually above the norm, in terms of an employer penalizing an associate for a misdemeanor crime. 

[Valpo2004]

Well, lets just say  I don't think it's "exclusive" to the NFL.    

And certainly not wanting to get into any political discussions here,  that is against Board Rules.

 

I doubt it's exclusive to any group that's of any considerable size.

[Valpo2004]

I think you're going too far in an attempt to fill in blanks. 

 

I believe much of the outrage is coming from people that typically have little to no exposure to football other than casual viewership, and they're hearing people on TV say "2 game suspension for beating your wife? WTH?". 

 

Even worse are NFL fans who think the NFL should be held to a higher standard than the courts. They sentenced Rice to counseling. That's it. The NFL hit Rice with a monetary penalty of (I believe 2 games would be) a few hundred thousand dollars and detriment to accomplishing contract incentives worth potential millions. When you take the NFL's penalty and side it next to our own criminal justice systems penalty, we have a ridiculous disparity in severity. I mean...it's not even remotely close. Yet, I hear literally nobody getting ticked at our courts. Is that because the justice system is a reflection of us, and we only want to blame the rich guy that makes $45 million?

 

I've heard that facetious remark numerous times now ( "2 game suspension for beating your wife? WTH?"), and it's being said without regard to the fact that the justice system didn't seem to care, and moreover, a 2 game suspension is actually above the norm, in terms of an employer penalizing an associate for a misdemeanor crime. 

 

Yeah I've pointed that out multiple times.  It should also be noted that the first suspension not only suspended him for 2 games but also fined him the game check for week 3.  So that's 3/16th of his salary they are taking minimum.  Much worse then a free class.

 

 I did see one news piece where they went after the prosecutor in the case and started asking him some questions but the only thing he offered was that Rice didn't get any special treatment.

 

I'm all about rehabilitation, but I don't think you fix anger issues that severe with just a class.  There needs to be a follow up of some sort.  And I'm not even saying he has to go to prison either.  But they could have done community service, some form of house arrest, or at the very least probation.  

[King Colt]

There is no such thing as being over paid

You would make a fine politician!!!! :clap:

[jvan1973]

You would make a fine politician!!!! :clap:

Well, at least i would tell the truth. That would be a nice change

[King Colt]

Peterson has been found guilty of nothing, yet you say action should have been taken. Do you even understand what you're arguing? You tell me to read what's going on, but you claim Big Ben was punished by the league before due process had run it's coarse. That isn't correct

You are neglecting the fact the Peterson not only admitted it, there are proof pics and he actually stated why he did it and that has lead to articles of the cultrual differences between discipline ideas of different races. This thing is along way from being gone.

[jvan1973]

You are neglecting the fact the Peterson not only admitted it, there are proof pics and he actually stated why he did it and that has lead to articles of the cultrual differences between discipline ideas of different races. This thing is along way from being gone.

I'm not neglecting anything. He will go to court and be punished. Then the nfl punishment should be handed down. Not before

[Gavin]

I think the money and power plays into this.  Just my impression.  I've seen it brought up......we pay for this so we demand immediate......yada yada

 

I have no idea why people have to have immediate and severe penalties for 'his failing as the moral police' when they seem to also be hostile to his past role as such'

 

It's all circular to me.  Anyway, I get moral outrage at corporations.......like the BP Oil spill and things of that nature.  Gross negligence for profit that ruins businesses, communities, and the environment.

 

the NFL issue here is nowhere near that scale.  I think people caught Goodell in what they perceive as hypocrisy and they like scandal.....and so here we are.

People caught alright......But as usual misguided fans...many of who just want to see some billionaires go down in smoke mind you immediately placed all the blame at Goodells feet because they see him as the figure head...after all he is the commish right? he makes all the decisions (To the casual fans eye that dont follow articles and do there own research  ).....So he should bear the brunt of every negative thing small or large that has to do with the NFL, If anyone needs to be held to higher moral standards its the owners that have there GM's go out and give a press conference explaining why so in so who is under investigation for abuse...(and in Hardys case this is not the first time his name came up with that) is still active....or was. Do I think Goodell should get a free pass? No, Make a decision and stick with it...Is Domestic abuse worth 2 games or 6 or even more...No specifics are given in the NFL Personal Conduct Policy that I see...He cant do anything about the Greg Hardy issue yet because the investigation is ongoing. http://images.nflplayers.com/mediaResources/files/2012%20Personal%20Conduct%20Policy.pdf

 

Here is a link to Personal Conduct Policy

[King Colt]

I'm not neglecting anything. He will go to court and be punished. Then the nfl punishment should be handed down. Not before

When one works for a company one is bonund by their rules that may have nothing to do with the law i.e., dress code  for example. Peterson is under contract and in that contract the team has rights and options to do as they see fit, not how the p[layers see fit. It has been that way since 1776!

[jvan1973]

When one works for a company one is bonund by their rules that may have nothing to do with the law i.e., dress code for example. Peterson is under contract and in that contract the team has rights and options to do as they see fit, not how the p[layers see fit. It has been that way since 1776!

apparently you haven't read thus entire thread

[OffensivelyPC]

The league has punished before for less than an arrest or an indictment. That is the issue here. The inconsistencies. Big Ben was punished without being found guilty of anything. And he was punished three times as much as Rice who was found guilty of abusing his partner.

I don't see why the inconsistency matters.  One case of domestic abuse is going to be different than another, so of course there are going to be inconsistent handlings of cases.  How could anyone expect anythign different?  More importantly, why does it even matter?  If he suspends him now or later, it makes no difference.  If a team decides to basically put him on administrative leave, that's their prerogative.  But the level of criticism the league is getting for how it handles these cases is just madness.  It's to the point where the people have called the NFL's every response to it a PR stunt, as if to do nothing would be better.  This isn't about domestic violence anymore, it's about what should happen to Goodell.  Anyone who sees it that way is entirely missing the important issue.  Whatever happens to Goodell, whether he stays or someone else takes his place, the NFL will be doing the same things.  I can understand criticizing the player discipline procedure in a manner that's appropriate.  But to act like this should somehow result in Goodell's firing is laughable.  Goodell's mistakes are easily correctible, provided he didn't lie about seeing the tape.  He can always reduce Rice's suspension.  The "wait and see" approach is better than making a decision without the facts.  Waiting to suspend Peterson while he's on paid leave is by no means a big deal.  Businesses do that stuff all the time, evne though they could suspend or fire them sooner.  It is simply unimportant, no matter how many people seem to think that it's the biggest and worst thing since bountygate.  What's important is that the NFL does what it can to reduce the instances of domestic violence of its players, and appropriately punish them when they do.  A two strike policy is fine by me.

[OffensivelyPC]

When one works for a company one is bonund by their rules that may have nothing to do with the law i.e., dress code  for example. Peterson is under contract and in that contract the team has rights and options to do as they see fit, not how the p[layers see fit. It has been that way since 1776!

The bolded being the most important words, then it should be of no surprise that the team and the league are waiting, and it really shouldn't surprise or offend anyone.

[Gramz]

I don't see why the inconsistency matters.  One case of domestic abuse is going to be different than another, so of course there are going to be inconsistent handlings of cases.  How could anyone expect anythign different?  More importantly, why does it even matter?  If he suspends him now or later, it makes no difference.  If a team decides to basically put him on administrative leave, that's their prerogative.  But the level of criticism the league is getting for how it handles these cases is just madness.  It's to the point where the people have called the NFL's every response to it a PR stunt, as if to do nothing would be better.  This isn't about domestic violence anymore, it's about what should happen to Goodell.  Anyone who sees it that way is entirely missing the important issue.  Whatever happens to Goodell, whether he stays or someone else takes his place, the NFL will be doing the same things.  I can understand criticizing the player discipline procedure in a manner that's appropriate.  But to act like this should somehow result in Goodell's firing is laughable.  Goodell's mistakes are easily correctible, provided he didn't lie about seeing the tape.  He can always reduce Rice's suspension.  The "wait and see" approach is better than making a decision without the facts.  Waiting to suspend Peterson while he's on paid leave is by no means a big deal.  Businesses do that stuff all the time, evne though they could suspend or fire them sooner.  It is simply unimportant, no matter how many people seem to think that it's the biggest and worst thing since bountygate.  What's important is that the NFL does what it can to reduce the instances of domestic violence of its players, and appropriately punish them when they do.  A two strike policy is fine by me.

I might add...... In the event any of these players are found " not guilty" in the eyes of the Law, then what....  Do they come back and Sue the NFL or their team for wrongful termination and $$ lost for  time lost playing...???   (Not that I think they'll be found "not guilty",  but just saying  "what if".)

 

I think suspending them, with pay, is really the only course of action to take at this time, until things are settled in the eyes of the law.

[NFLfan]

This is part of the reason we have a high crime rate compared to other westernized nations. Because we are still stuck in this revenge seeking mode instead of thinking about how we should turn these people around. And turning people around doesn't mean you ignore it or treat them super nice.

But we seek revenge from day 1. Everytime someone goes to prison people are salvating and hoping that person gets beat up or raped in prison. Because those things are clearly shown to have positive effects on one's mental health. Then when they get out we demand that no one hire them. Even the idea that they might collect our garbage or change the oil in our cars is completely unacceptable to most people. (I mean I'm not suggesting we make them school teachers!)

I work in the office of a glazing subcontractor and a lot of jobs we work on request that we provide full background checks on all of the guys installing glass on a particular jobsite. And having one guy with any sort of record can jeopardize our bid, so therefore we, like probably everyone else in the industry don't employ people with records to install glass. So basically someone with a record can't install glass in a building.

And this stuff follows them forever. So basically if you have a record quite often your best prospect for your entire life, no matter what kind of training you have is McDonalds. A few guys might manage to find people who give them a chance anyways but this is reality for most people. So finding no stability and no income enough to feed themselves much less a family they unsurprisingly go back to what they know. . . crime.

I'm not too upset over Ray Rice and Adrian Peterson, they had multi-million dollar contracts and they should hopefully have the money to live on, so even if they never take another snap they should still have stability in their lives when their punishment is through. But the problem is that the calls to fire them arn't just limited to NFL football players, they go across the board to just about any job you can think of.

And then when they ultimately commit more crimes, we feel self satisfied that these people are just straight up evil and can't be helped.

There are evil people out there who really truely can't be helped or our ability to help them is limited I will admit that. But not nearly as many people are like that as we tend to think.

And I want to mention that I'm far from being an ultra liberal, I could talk about other issues that would make people think I'm an ultra-conservative. I just look at how in our society if someone screws up once our society seems to do it's best to make sure that their entire lives are defined by it.

I agree with you. If people took a moment to think about this objectively, they too would agree.

[OffensivelyPC]

I might add...... In the event any of these players are found " not guilty" in the eyes of the Law, then what....  Do they come back and Sue the NFL or their team for time lost playing...???   (Not that I think they'll be found "not guilty",  but just saying  "what if".)

 

I think suspending them, with pay, is really the only course of action to take at this time, until things are settled in the eyes of the law.

Well Big Ben was suspended after his charges were dropped.  It comes across as unfair, but there's really nothing that can be done, which is why you better be pretty darned sure when you do suspend them.  It's one of the reasons why I am in favor of waiting until the court processes play out.  But sometimes, most notably in the drug offense cases, a guy has weed found on him or he is pulled over while driving and his BAC is over the legal limit.  There's really no further inquiry needed.  But with these domestic violence cases, there are several items of proof needed, and you have to often sort through the he said/she said.  It very well could turn out that he's found not guilty.  In Peterson's case, he most likely is.  I'm not sure what the league is waiting for, but I don't see what the harm is in waiting. 

 

I agree with you that the best course of action to take is to suspend them with pay, but that's only if the allegations are serious enough and hvae at least some merit - which to me is sometime around the time when charges are filed.  As in Ray McDonald's case, there are hardly any facts except the bare allegation that he hit his wife to my knowledge.  I think the 49ers are going about it the right way.  I find it silly that people have an opinion on the "with pay" part of being placed on the exempt list.  It was money that was already pledged to him via contract, so it's money they already budgeted for.  Until the guy is proven guilty, there should be no reason to suspend him without pay. 

[ColtsBlueFL]

I may be wrong but I am under the impression that the NFL is also reviewing their domestic violence policies. Are they not?

(BTW, I was not familiar with this site Metsmerizedonline. I am a lifelong Mets fan. I have to check it out. Thanks.)

 

Indeed, they are.

 

http://www.cbssports.com/nfl/eye-on-football/24710845/nfl-hiring-female-advisors-to-shape-domestic-violence-policies

 

The Mets are a professional baseball team in New York city, step child to the Yankees.

[NFLfan]

Indeed, they are.

http://www.cbssports.com/nfl/eye-on-football/24710845/nfl-hiring-female-advisors-to-shape-domestic-violence-policies

The Mets are a professional baseball team in New York city, step child to the Yankees.

I know. I am a "long-suffering" Mets fan. This is the first year in about 25 years that I did not attend a Mets game.

[sweetsurrender]

then why are people angry that they see a failing in the moral police department?

Because Goodell is the one that set up the moral police department in the first place. He made the rules and has been woefully inconsistent and incompetent in his application. These last 3 weeks are not the first time he has come under scrutiny for mishandling a disciplinary situation. It happened with spygate and bountygate and now of course the events of the past 3 weeks to the point that he is now having himself investigated.