Submitted by konrad trope, Apr 11, 2007 03:10

Mr. Smith makes two interesting points about the suspension: (a) many will consider the entire season suspension of Pacman Jones as unduly harsh and (b) the NFLPA will be criticized as not standing up for its members. A quick read of announcements by Commissioner Goodell and NFLPA President Upshaw would support that view. A review of American history is needed to dispell both assessments.

First, for the past 30 years, both the NFL and the NFLPA have been lax if not negligent in addressing the "off-field" behavior of players. The league and the union have always taken the position that arrests and other "off-field" incidents were strictly in the domain of the "legal system". By wrapping themselves in constitutional phrases such as "we don't want to prejudice [the player's] right to a fair trial" or "we have to let the legal system run its course", both the NFL and NFLPA forgot or ignored the 'court of public opinion".

Professional athletes and team managment often forget who actually pays their salaries and endorsement contracts: the public. And our "free enterprise" society allows judgements and decisions to be made by cash paying consumers, not just judges or juries. Professional football has patted itself on the back for years because it avoided the "decline in fan attendance" which has periodically over the past 30 years plagued professional baseball and professional basketball. Baseball has never quite recovered from the last players' strike and the NBA can no longer claim that its product is "family oriented" with players brawling with each other or with fans at courtside.

Now pro football can feel the "sting" from fans and corporate executives who believe that their idolization of sport heroes should be rewarded with a higher standard of conduct. When union members (pro football players) are making in excess of $200,000/year, don't expect much sympathy within or outside of the union. The pro athlete unions have accomplished far more in "wage" benefits for their members than the Teamsters or any construction union. So as a union, the NFLPA has done its job.

Nobody expects other unions to protect their members when they get arrested. It's just expected that people will follow the law without their shop steward chewing out the arresting officer. But pro athletes and their union have an extra duty that the public imposes upon them--behave or fans will go elsewhere.

As for Mr. Jones: I doubt if this is the first time in his life that he has tangled with the law. I suspect that his college and high school career is littered with incidents where the "dirt" was swept under the rug, and he never had to take responsibility for his actions. So, now he is paying "with interest accrued".

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