NEW YORK -- NFL teams will be disciplined when their
employees, including players, violate the league's personal conduct
policy.
Moments after announcing the one-year suspension of Tennessee
Titans cornerback Adam "Pacman" Jones, and an eight-game ban for
Cincinnati Bengals receiver Chris Henry, NFL commissioner Roger
Goodell released his strengthened conduct policy Tuesday. Along
with longer suspensions and larger fines for individuals who
violate the policy, Goodell will hold teams responsible, as well.
He did not say how he would punish those teams, although
stripping them of draft choices is considered one of the most
effective ways to do so.
"It is important that the NFL be represented consistently by
outstanding people as well as great football players, coaches, and
staff," Goodell said. "We hold ourselves to higher standards of
responsible conduct because of what it means to be part of the
National Football League. We have long had policies and programs
designed to encourage responsible behavior, and this policy is a
further step in ensuring that everyone who is part of the NFL meets
that standard. We will continue to review the policy and modify it
as warranted."
The strengthened standards apply to all NFL employees: players,
coaches, officials, owners, front-office and league personnel. And
Goodell emphasized in the new policy that those standards will be
considerably tighter than outside the league.
"It is not enough to simply avoid being found guilty of a
crime," the new policy says. "Instead, as an employee of the NFL
or a member club, you are held to a higher standard and expected to
conduct yourself in a way that is responsible, promotes the values
upon which the league is based, and is lawful.
"Persons who fail to live up to this standard of conduct are
guilty of conduct detrimental and subject to discipline, even where
the conduct itself does not result in conviction of a crime."
The new policy comes in the wake of a series of off-field issues
involving several players, notably Jones, Henry and Chicago Bears
defensive tackle Tank Johnson.
There were 10 occasions in which Jones was interviewed by
police, the most recent during the NBA All-Star weekend in Las
Vegas. Police there recommended felony and misdemeanor charges
against Jones after a fight and shooting at a strip club left one
man paralyzed.
Henry was arrested four times in a 14-month span, and received a
two-game league suspension last year. He was one of nine Bengals
arrested in nine months. Johnson currently is in jail, serving four
months for violating probation in a 2005 gun case.
Two of Henry's teammates, along with NFL Players Association
executive director Gene Upshaw, recognized the need for stronger
league guidelines for player conduct.
"You would think it's necessary just because of the negative
publicity the NFL is beginning to receive because of what's
happening," Bengals receiver T.J. Houshmandzadeh said. "It was
going on for an extended period of time. Each day, each week,
something was happening."
Bengals quarterback Carson Palmer suspects the new policy will
help.
"With all of the things that have been happening recently, I
think it will be good and hopefully give the league a little better
image. I hope that it works and that guys abide by the rules and do
what's right."
So does Upshaw, of course. He consulted with Goodell before the
commissioner, now in his seventh month on the job, revised the
conduct policy. Goodell also established a panel of players to
offer advice on such matters.
"The NFL Players Association and the Player Advisory Council
have been discussing this issue for several months," Upshaw said.
"We believe that these are steps that the commissioner needs to
take and we support the policy. It is important that players in
violation of the policy will have the opportunity and the support
to change their conduct and earn their way back."
Tony Dungy said placing responsibility on the teams for their
players and employees makes sense, even if it results in penalties
that affect more than the wallet.
"That seems to be the thing that gets everyone's attention,"
the coach of the Super Bowl champion Indianapolis Colts said of
potentially lost draft picks and player availability. "We talked
about fines at the league meetings, and that may not do the trick.
But when you start talking about playing time and draft picks, that
seems to get your attention."