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The Suspension
Today Roger Goodell announced that Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger will be suspended the first 6 games of the 2010-2011 NFL season. Roethlisberger was handed this suspension as a result of the accusations that he sexually assaulted a college student in a nightclub in Georgia in March. Last week, however, prosecutors decided not to press charges on the quarterback. If Ben behaves well, he can shorten the suspension to 4 games, but misbehavior can result in a longer suspension.
The First, But Not Last
Roethlisberger, under Goodell’s conduct policy, is the first player to be suspended who was not arrested or charged with a crime. Even though he no longer faces charges, I believe that Roethlisberger definitely deserved a suspension and the 6 games handed to him was a good amount. Was it harsh? Yes. Was it too harsh? No. It seems that the only way to teach
professional athletes a lesson is by taking their money away, and the roughly $2.8 million Roethlisberger stands to lose from his 6 game absence sends a clear message to the rest of the players in the NFL. I am glad that Goodell has made it clear that he will not be biased towards star players when it comes to handing down these punishments, proven by the lengths of the suspensions of Roethlisberger, a 2-time Super Bowl champion who as of now is suspended 6 games, and his former teammate Santonio Holmes, 2009 Super Bowl MVP and suspended for 4 games (See ‘Jets’ Busy Offseason’). Clearly, the NFL is not just trying to crack down on criminal behavior, but also on immature behavior. Time after time we see athletes, especially football players, put themselves in bad situations: going to nightclubs, staying out late, “making it rain.” It is nice to see that the NFL is trying to crack down on poor morals and attempting to resurrect the role model in the NFL player. As long as these athletes continue to make immature decisions, don’t be surprised if similar suspensions arise where even though a player may not be convicted of anything in the court of law, that doesn’t mean he is off the hook in the court of Goodell.
professional athletes a lesson is by taking their money away, and the roughly $2.8 million Roethlisberger stands to lose from his 6 game absence sends a clear message to the rest of the players in the NFL. I am glad that Goodell has made it clear that he will not be biased towards star players when it comes to handing down these punishments, proven by the lengths of the suspensions of Roethlisberger, a 2-time Super Bowl champion who as of now is suspended 6 games, and his former teammate Santonio Holmes, 2009 Super Bowl MVP and suspended for 4 games (See ‘Jets’ Busy Offseason’). Clearly, the NFL is not just trying to crack down on criminal behavior, but also on immature behavior. Time after time we see athletes, especially football players, put themselves in bad situations: going to nightclubs, staying out late, “making it rain.” It is nice to see that the NFL is trying to crack down on poor morals and attempting to resurrect the role model in the NFL player. As long as these athletes continue to make immature decisions, don’t be surprised if similar suspensions arise where even though a player may not be convicted of anything in the court of law, that doesn’t mean he is off the hook in the court of Goodell.
There is a great article today on Myron Rolle, the Florida State cornerback who left school early to take advantage of his opportunity to be a Rhodes scholar at Oxford University on fanhouse.com(Clay Travis is the author). I don't mean to plug another website, as I do not get any kickbacks, but its an interesting perspective on how the NFL views a player's commitment. Take a look at it....
ReplyDeleteIt's definitely an interesting article and story. It makes me sick to my stomach that NFL teams see Rolle as "deserting" his Florida State football team by accepting the Rhodes scholarship and how teams passed up on him because they feel he might leave them to go to medical school, among other ridiculous reasons, as I have read in other articles on the topic. The NFL certainly needs a character adjustment, and Myron Rolle definitely seems to be the man who can help them out a lot.
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