Step 1- Suspend Roger Goodell without pay for the entirety of the 2014-2015 season, up to and including the NFL Draft in May. I give to you the NFL Personal Conduct Policy, Section 2-
Standard of Conduct:
While criminal activity is clearly outside the scope of permissible conduct, and persons who
engage in criminal activity will be subject to discipline, the standard of conduct for persons
employed in the NFL is considerably higher. 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.
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.
Discipline may be imposed in any of the following circumstances:
• Criminal offenses including, but not limited to, those involving: the use or threat of violence;
domestic violence and other forms of partner abuse; theft and other property crimes; sex
offenses; obstruction or resisting arrest; disorderly conduct; fraud; racketeering; and money
laundering;
• Criminal offenses relating to steroids and prohibited substances, or substances of abuse;
• Violent or threatening behavior among employees, whether in or outside the workplace;
• Possession of a gun or other weapon in any workplace setting, including but not limited to
stadiums, team facilities, training camp, locker rooms, team planes, buses, parking lots, etc., or
unlawful possession of a weapon outside of the workplace;
• Conduct that imposes inherent danger to the safety and well being of another person; and
• Conduct that undermines or puts at risk the integrity and reputation of the NFL, NFL clubs, or
NFL players.
That last bullet point. "Conduct that undermines or puts at risk the integrity and reputation of the NFL, NFL clubs, or NFL players." I'd say the commish has broken that one a bit. There are perfectly reasonably grounds for his suspension without pay. His pay for the last fiscal year was around $40 million, which is simply bonkers. So, losing out on a massive chunk of that cash, along with removing him from the public eye, as well as showing that even the commissioner is governed by these collectively bargained rules is a very smart decision.
While this is not as final as his dismissal from the position, suspending Goodell with that sizable of a financial loss speaks volumes. That money could even be used to start a fund to help the victims of domestic abuse, and just like that, the NFL is getting good publicity.
Step 2- Have the interim commissioner (whoever that may be) establish an executive committee to review all domestic violence issues within the league. I would say make it all high ranking people from inside football, and maybe one or two from outside. Make it a seven-member committee, consisting of a majority women. Now, that is not to say that all domestic violence occurs as with men as the aggressor. I need only point out the transgressions of US Women's Soccer Team goalie Hope Solo, who allegedly abused her sister and nephew. But when dealing with the NFL, I imagine that a majority of the issues will be driven by male violence. This committee can give a fair, balanced and in depth look into each incident, and adjudicate accordingly. With this, there would be an impartial body that to which even the officer of the commissioner would have to answer.
Step 3- The 3 E's-
- Educate the players about why domestic violence is wrong (should be obvious). These steps are pretty straight forward. It goes without saying that domestic violence is wrong. Pretty much all violence is wrong. But in the NFL we are dealing with some muscled up alpha males that get their brains knocked around for a living. Sometimes they may need a refresher course on acceptable behavior (then again, a good deal of society need those courses too).
- Enforce the stricter rules which are now in place. One thing I can give a bit of credit to Goodell for is putting into place the new rules, stating that those guilty of domestic violence will be suspended 6 games without pay for a first offense, and face a lifetime ban for a second. Those are appropriately tough rules. Make sure that those are enforced, even if that means that some who have yet to be suspended committed their crime under the old rules, like Panthers defensive end Greg Hardy. His issue is currently being played out in court, so the NFL is waiting to see what will come of that. If he is found guilty, he should immediately be suspended for the next six games, even if it includes playoffs or spans two seasons. Make an emphatic correct statement instead of flubbing clueless wrong ones.
- Establish a culture in which this is no longer an issue. I read recently that, at his Elite 11 Camp, (a training camp for the top 11 high school QBs going into college), former NFL QB and current ESPN analyst Trent Dilfer holds a seminar about the proper ways to treat women, i.e. with respect and not hitting them. This should be expanded throughout youth football. It isn't that difficult of a message to grasp. Furthermore, at the rookie intro meetings to the NFL, where they teach players how to manage money and conduct themselves in public, there should be a class teaching about the evils of domestic violence. If you ingrain the message so strongly into the youngsters entering the league, then the number of domestic violence incidents will hopefully drop.
If these relatively easy steps are followed, not only will the fervor for Goodell's head subside, but the league as a whole will be stronger due to the character of its players, coaches and executives rising. This is not a difficult issue. It is almost always wrong to hit your spouse, girl or boyfriend, relative, child, stranger on the street. Just don't do it. I leave you with the wise words of CBS's James Brown (DC's own) from the pregame show of tonight's Ravens/Steelers game:
"Two years ago I challenged the NFL community and all men to seriously confront the problems of domestic violence especially coming on the heels of the suicide of Jovan Belcher, and girlfriend Kasandra Perkins, yet here we are again confronting the same issue of violence against women. Now, lets be clear, this problem is bigger than football. There has been, appropriately so, intense and widespread outrage following the release of the video showing what happened in the elevator at the casino. Now wouldn't it be productive if this collective outrage could be channeled to truly hear and address the long-suffering cries for help from so many women and, as they said, do something about it? An ongoing, comprehensive education of men about what healthy, respectful manhood is all about. And it starts with how we view women. Our language is important, for example: When a guy says "You throw a ball like a girl" or "You're a sissy," it reflects an attitude that devalues women, and attitudes will eventually manifest in some fashion. Women have been at the forefront in the domestic violence awareness and prevention arena, and whether Janay Rice considers herself a victim or not, millions of women in this country are. Consider this- According to domestic violence experts, more than three women a day lose their lives at the hands of their partners. That means that since the night of February 15th in Atlantic City, more than 600 women have died, so this is yet another call to men to stand up and take responsibility for their thoughts, their words, their deeds, and to get help. Because our silence is deafening and deadly."
