by Denver Washington

Created on: January 08, 2009

Dealing with its players criminal behavior has been a thorn in the NFL's side for years. The most recent include Michael Vick from the Atlanta Falcons and Plaxico Burress of the New York Giants. In the past, the players have been given a slap on the hand or the most lenient punishment by law. This injustice changed when Roger Goodell became the NFL commissioner. Ever since he implemented the Player Conduct Policy, we have seen NFL players conduct themselves in a more professional fashion.

Football is one of the most popular sports in the world, and I believe that the NFL should protect their international image. Many retired players applauded the policy instituted by Roger Goodell. They argued that players who were in trouble with the law gave the NFL and its players a bad reputation. Also, how does this look to the general public that a NFL player can get a punishment of community service and yet a person committing the same crime will spend time in prison? Playing professional football is a privilege, not a right. Athletically talented players should not be placed above the law that was made to include everyone. Playing in the NFL is also a job and should be treated as such. If you were to get arrested on a drug charge late at night, would you be at work the next morning? Probably not. Yet, NFL players in the past have been arrested on drug charges, posted bail, and have attended practice the next day. Most notably, Matt Jones the wide receiver for the Jacksonville Jaguars got caught with cocaine and is now in a drug rehabilitation program and is performing community service. I highly doubt that this light punishment would be granted to me or you.

Goodell's policy also makes the teams accountable for the players' actions by also fining a team if the player does not adhere to the policy. The Player Conduct Policy places the responsibility of the player to the team as well as himself. Goodell's reasoning was that if a player is that detrimental to the league, the team has a last chance ditch effort to counsel the player before the league executes its own punishment. Sadly, this not the case with Adam "Pacman" Jones. Suspended for a year with the Tennessee Titans with a string of arrests, he was traded to the Dallas Cowboys for the 2008 NFL season. "Pacman" Jones misfortunes continued and was suspended for four games. The commissioner has warned that Jones could be facing a lifetime ban for his latest antics with the law.

With Roger Goodell in the driver's seat of the NFL, the league is cleaning up its image and its players. The 2008 and 2009 seasons proved to be trying seasons for Goodell establishing his policy and acting upon his words. The Player Conduct Policy has been an instrumental course of action in response to the injustice of NFL players and their behavior with the law.

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