NFL Personal Conduct Policy Announced, Pacman Jones and Chris Henry Suspended
I’ve been writing a lot about the proposed “Player Conduct Policy” and the formation of the Player Advisory Council lately. The two are, of course, linked in the pursuit of admirable behavior among all NFL players. Two of the few who have had frequent run-ins with the law — and you know the names very well by now (Tennessee Titans DB/KR Pacman Jones and Cincinnati Bengals WR Chris Henry) — received stiff penalties today as the National Football League Personal Conduct Policy was formally announced and released.
Pacman Jones got a full season off for bad behavior. And Chris Henry received suspension for the first eight games of the upcoming 2007 season. These are harsh punishments to key players on their respective teams and it sends a very strong message to the rest of the league that delinquent off-field behavior will result in potentially career-threatening consequences. I was not surprised by either punishment. This new Personal Conduct Policy is a serious one and it shows the world that Commissioner Goodell means business when it comes to protecting the image of the league. In a letter to each player today, Commissioner Goodell stated:
“Your conduct has brought embarrassment and ridicule upon yourself, your club, and the NFL, and has damaged the reputation of players throughout the league. You have put in jeopardy an otherwise promising NFL career, and have risked both your own safety and the safety of others through your off-field actions. In each of these respects, you have engaged in conduct detrimental to the NFL and failed to live up to the standards expected of NFL players. Taken as a whole, this conduct warrants significant sanction.”
Significant sanction indeed. But, Pacman Jones can make the best of a bad situation and return to the playing field in 2007 if he keeps himself in-line. He will be strictly monitored by the Titans and the NFL during the suspension as part of his opportunity to earn reinstatement through adherence to a set of conditions. His status will be reviewed after the Titans’ 10th regular-season game to determine the extent to which he has complied with the conditions and whether the suspension should be affected by the disposition of any pending or prospective charges. The specific conditions that apply to Jones’ suspension include the following:
- He must have no further adverse involvement with law enforcement.
- He must fully cooperate with all required counseling, education, and treatment assigned under league or court-ordered programs.
- He must adhere to the restrictions on his activities that have been agreed to by he and the Titans.
- He may not be at the Titans’ facility through May 31 and may not participate in any practices or organized workouts during the term of the suspension. Beginning June 1, he must visit the team facility once each week to meet with the team’s player development director. Also, beginning June 1, he is permitted to spend one day a week at the team facility for conditioning, film study, and other similar activities.
- In conjunction with the team’s player development director and other professionals working with him, Jones must develop with the Titans a structured program of community service or other activity. This program must be submitted to the league office for review and approval.
In Chris Henry’s case, he must serve the complete eight-game suspension and can only return if he meets certain conditions during his suspension that will be monitored closely by the Bengals and the NFL. Those conditions are:
- He must have no further adverse involvement with law enforcement.
- He must fully cooperate with all required counseling, education, and treatment assigned to him under league programs.
- He is eligible to be at the Bengals’ facilities during the rest of the offseason for customary activities and he must meet weekly with the team’s player development director.
- If he fully complies with all other conditions, he may participate in the Bengals’ training camp and preseason games.
- During the regular season, he is permitted to be at the Bengals’ facility for team meetings and must meet weekly with the team’s player development director, but he may not attend or participate in practice.
- He must fully comply with all conditions imposed on him by any court, including requirements of community service.
Jones and Henry were told that any failure to comply with these conditions will result in additional discipline, including possible banishment from the league. It’s very clear-cut for Pacman Jones and Chris Henry. They’re getting a second chance and I hope they look at it that way. They’re both very young players and can still salvage long and prosperous careers by staying out of trouble.
I have a copy of the Personal Conduct Policy in my hands, provided to me by the league office today. It’s a four-page document that can be summed up in the opening paragraph:
“All persons associated with the NFL are required to avoid ‘conduct detrimental to the integrity of and public confidence in the National Football League.’ This requirement applies to players, coaches, other team employees, owners, game officials, and all others privileged to work in the National Football League.”
It goes on to discuss, in detail, a Standard of Conduct; Evaluation, Counseling and Treatment; Discipline; Hearing Rights; Reinstatement; and Other Provisions. Nothing really surprised me about the Policy. But one part that really stood out to me was the following statement:
“It is not enough simply to avoid being found guilty of a crime. 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.”
It’s very clear what message is being sent here and it will be interesting to see how many times the League needs to refer to this policy in the future. I know it’s wishful thinking, but hopefully not very often. In the case of Pacman Jones and Chris Henry, hopefully never again. It will take some time to properly measure, but we’ll find out how effective the existence of this document and the subsequent suspensions that resulted from it are.
Tags: chris-henry, NFL, NFL-Personal-Conduct-Policy, NFL-Player-Advisory-Council, Pacman JonesRelated Stories
POSTED IN: Pacman Jones
0 opinions for NFL Personal Conduct Policy Announced, Pacman Jones and Chris Henry Suspended
No one has left a comment yet. You know what this means, right? You could be first!
Have an opinion? Leave a comment: