NFL Commissioner open to independent commission on player’s personal conduct

Roger Goodell

A fair review

NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell is asking for an independent review system for disciplinary actions against players who violate the personal conduct policy. The suggestion was sent to team owners two days prior to a league meeting taking place in New York where questions and policy concerning the current spate of domestic and child abuse allegations will be discussed and a formal policy devised.

The independent review system that Goodell is advocating may end the calls for Goodell to resign and the firestorm of criticism the commissioner has been going through in the last few months. Decisions about whether actions should be taken against players prior to criminal or civil investigation are currently in commissioner’s hands. Goodell said, “Should these decisions be made by a third party, or a panel of outsiders, or should they be made by the commissioner?” There have been numerous accusations since Goodell took the reins as commissioner of the NFL that the current policy has been applied inconsistently and has been used to punish some players while ignoring others.

Other instances

A prime example of this is the Ray Rice incident, when he gambled on his own team to lose. Rice, a Baltimore Ravens running back, was cut from the team and suspended after a video of him abusing his fiancé (currently, wife) surfaced in the media. A much lighter punishment was levied on him after the incident, even though Goodell might have had access to the video. Since Goodell took charge, US players in every state have had disciplinary issues. In addition to the Rice situation, current problems with Minnesota Vikings running back Adrian Peterson and Carolina Panthers defensive end Greg Hardy have also caused criticism of Goodell’s or the NFL’s role in punishing players for personal conduct infractions.

Goodell has shown willingness to cede some of the power for upholding personal standards to an independent commission. "I'm hesitant to speak for all the owners, but I do think that there’s a feeling that he needs to take another look at it, we all need to take another look at how we deal with discipline,’’ Pittsburgh Steelers owner Art Rooney said to Sports Illustrated. “And so I think he’s left the door open for reconsideration of that."