Teams to be penalized when players get in trouble

[stomperrob]

Large fines may be levied:

NFL teams will be held accountable for draft-day gambles
05:38 PM CDT on Monday, April 28, 2008
Dallas Morning News


NEW YORK – Wide receiver Mario Manningham admitted to NFL teams during the 2008 draft process that he failed drug tests at the University of Michigan.

Manningham projected as a first-round pick when he decided to skip his senior year at Michigan – but his admitted marijuana use raised a character flag that triggered his draft-day slide over the weekend. The New York Giants finally selected him late in the third round.

Draft prospects with suspensions, arrests and failed drug tests have tumbled down the board the last two drafts following NFL commissioner Roger Goodell's crackdown on player misconduct in 2007. They may tumble farther and faster in 2009.

con't...

rest of article: http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent ... e179d.html

[dream_017]

Large fines may be levied:

NFL teams will be held accountable for draft-day gambles
05:38 PM CDT on Monday, April 28, 2008
Dallas Morning News


NEW YORK – Wide receiver Mario Manningham admitted to NFL teams during the 2008 draft process that he failed drug tests at the University of Michigan.

Manningham projected as a first-round pick when he decided to skip his senior year at Michigan – but his admitted marijuana use raised a character flag that triggered his draft-day slide over the weekend. The New York Giants finally selected him late in the third round.

Draft prospects with suspensions, arrests and failed drug tests have tumbled down the board the last two drafts following NFL commissioner Roger Goodell's crackdown on player misconduct in 2007. They may tumble farther and faster in 2009.

con't...

rest of article: http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent ... e179d.html

Wow, will the Bengals be able to field a team

"If you have an individual player that has discipline from the personal conduct policy, a portion of that salary is going to be withheld as a fine," Goodell said Monday. "And that's going to escalate."

In the past, if a player was earning $500,000 and was suspended by the league, he would not be paid his salary and his team could just pocket that money.

"Now I may say pay $250,000 of that to us – 50 percent of it," Goodell said. "If it's his second incident, it might be $300,000. If it's his fourth incident, it might be $500,000."

That's how you get the attention of teams – hit them where they feel it most. In the pocketbook.

[SLAMLLC]

I don't know what to say about this. Seems like there is going to be a whole new career field that is going to be sprouting up. Full time babysitters. Teams are going to have to have people assigned to these players full time to make sure they stay out of trouble. I can see the need though. It seems as if these "adults" cannot and will not act responsibly. I myself am tired of reading all of these arrest stories. It's crazy. These guys are making millions of dollars and involved in shootings, fights, public intoxication, DWI, reckless driving, spouce abuse, everything under the sun. Why? If I am making millions the last thing I want to do is be around or involved with people like that. This seems like it might have an impact we'll see.

[knapplc]

What's to stop those teams from passing those fines on to the players? Seems pretty simple to me. Player gets in trouble, league fines team, team fines player, player ends up paying for his mistake, not team. I wouldn't doubt that this is the goal of this from the get-go, and that the teams are fully in favor of this.

[aaawall91]

Well there is already a full-time baby sitting career, nannys and mannys, and they make cash loads of money and its a constantly expanding field (someone talked to my English class about it the other day).

As much as I don't like Goodell I think this is a good step. First target individuals, then make teams more accountable.

[Munboy]

I dont agree with this at all. A team can preach and preach displine, but a player is going to go out and do whatever he wants anyways. Teams can't stop player behavior. The league has taken it upon themselves to punish players, taking that out of the teams hands (which i agree with because there were teams who ignored player behavior) so why punish teams? It doesn't make sense to me.

[bagobonez]

I don't like it. A team shouldn't be held responsible for what an individual player does. I understand it's a device to prod teams into shunning shady players and drafting high character guys, but still it doesn't seem fair. If anything there should be stiffer penalties on the players if they screw up, including suspensions. That will also hurt the team if your first round pick isn't playing because he's suspended. But to fine them? I don't like it.

[moochman]

When are people going to wake up and realize that we don't want to watch choir boys try to play football, we want our best players. I really fear the league is moving so much toward pompous self-rightousness and image conciousness that it will lose it's appeal with young athletes and then it's fanbase. I want to watch the best play the best, not the most well-behaved and mannered gentlemen play.
While the moral gestopo are at it, why don't they be more honest and just bannish every and all players who run afoul of the law. No exceptions, no fines, no forgiveness. Just kick their butts out of the league. Hey, it the players know the penalty then it is a fair rule, no? Manningham smoked some dope? No draft for you.
But we would have to kick out Blue Moon Moss too.
Tank has a gun, no more football son.
But we would have to kick out Harrison too.
DUI, say goodbye.
But we couldn't field a team.

Goodell can bite me, ya hypocrit.

[aaawall91]

I think this is getting too much of a bad rap. Should teams have to baby their players so they don't screw up? no. But holding teams more accountable makes sense. Look at the Bengals, is it just a bunch of bad individuals, or a bunch of bad individuals who aren't being influenced by the right things or people. Yes players can be dumb, but its hard to say the Bengals aren't at least SOME bit responsible for all the arrests lately. After all it is just fines, the team may or may not receive. Its not against the cap. I can;t imagine too many teams actually get this used against them throughout the year.

[Cowboys 4 life]

I don't like it. A team shouldn't be held responsible for what an individual player does. I understand it's a device to prod teams into shunning shady players and drafting high character guys, but still it doesn't seem fair. If anything there should be stiffer penalties on the players if they screw up, including suspensions. That will also hurt the team if your first round pick isn't playing because he's suspended. But to fine them? I don't like it.

I agree. I don't like the fine part. A team suffers enough when a player gets suspended.