NFL Announces Severe New Penalties For Domestic Violence

[vader29]

In a memo sent to the owners today, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell announced massive new punishments for all NFL personnel—not just players—who commit domestic violence offenses. Offenders will be suspended six games for a first offense, and receive an indefinite ban for a second, with the ability to apply for reinstatement after one year.

In the letter, Goodell specifically cited the league's actions regarding Ray Rice as the motivation behind these new rules.

Read more: http://deadspin.com/nfl-announces-severe-new-penalties-for-domestic-violenc-1628071427

[ALLD]

How many games would you get for punching Goodell in the face?

[fansince'76]

Is that for cases with clearly documented and irrefutable video/physical evidence such as Rice's? Or does it also pertain to he-said/she-said cases when the wife/GF is pissed off/on the rag and who law enforcement usually automatically sides with?

Anyone else see the problem with these knee-jerk, one-size-fits-all "solutions" this dude routinely comes up with (http://www.dallasnews.com/sports/dallas-cowboys/headlines/20140828-roger-goodell-nfl-to-change-domestic-violence-policy-ray-rice-suspension-length-was-mistake.ece) to simply try and get the media heat off of himself?


The memo says that violations of the league’s personal conduct policy “regarding assault, battery, domestic violence and sexual assault that involve physical force will be subject to enhanced discipline.”

The personal conduct policy is not subject to collective bargaining with the players’ union, and the commissioner has leeway to impose punishments for such off-field violations.

An initial offense of this sort will draw a six-week ban without pay, although the memo says “more severe discipline will be imposed if there are aggravating circumstances such as the presence or use of a weapon, choking, repeated striking, or when the act is committed against a pregnant woman or in the presence of a child.”

This is going to eventually blow up in his face too, and I'm going to laugh when it happens.

[muncher]

http://www.nj.com/giants/index.ssf/2014/08/roger_goodell_admits_i_didnt_get_it_right_on_ray_r ice_as_nfl_changes_domestic_violence_policy.html

he just happened to see the light after letting his team off easy.

[Vis]

How many games would you get for punching Goodell in the face?

first one is free

[steelreserve]

I didn't know the Ravens were his team.

I'm just amazed that he actually admitted he fucked up, even if it was his same M.O. of button-mashing in an attempt to appease the media. Now if only he'd realize that all this make-it-up-as-you-go meddling isn't helpful for ON-field stuff either, we'd be good.

Who am I kidding, this just shows he'll do it even more.

[steelreserve]

Is that for cases with clearly documented and irrefutable video/physical evidence such as Rice's? Or does it also pertain to he-said/she-said cases when the wife/GF is pissed off/on the rag and who law enforcement usually automatically sides with?


Yup, that's a side of it I bet most of the people railing about this haven't considered. If they implement that rule in the typical "act first, find out the facts later" fashion (that is to say, Goodell's usual disciplinary procedure), it gives a HUGE amount of leverage to essentially blackmail a player, which is bound to happen one day. No, most women aren't like that, but there are enough of them out there, and pro athletes seem to attract them like flies on shit.

It's definitely going to blow up in his face. All he's done is put even more pressure on the league to play judge-and-jury in all of these cases and get every single one right, which they obviously won't be able to because even the REAL police and courts have a hard enough time with this genre. The first time the league decides to pursue this case but not that one, because they didn't think there was enough to go by, all the activists will be out there twice as hard, plus every fan with a rooting interest and a two-digit IQ will be screaming about favoritism and how they bet he wouldn't have gone so easy on _____ if he was on THEIR team. That's a nice can of worms you've opened up for yourself there, Roj, good luck with it.


Edit: Man, look at that post. And this is supposed to be a site about football. Talk about changing the game into Lawyerball. I swear, these "casual fans" must get half their enjoyment of the game from complaining about the rules and watching penalty flags be thrown.

[X-Terminator]

I always thought the Patriots* were his team, but I digress. All this proves is what many of us have said for a long time - that Goodell has no balls, and is a media-driven Commissioner. Because there is no way in hell he makes this "admission" or changes in disciplinary action if there wasn't an immediate backlash against the suspension. He's not fooling anybody.

My only question is that if Rice does it again, does he get a lifetime ban?

[fansince'76]

It's definitely going to blow up in his face. All he's done is put even more pressure on the league to play judge-and-jury in all of these cases and get every single one right, which they obviously won't be able to because even the REAL police and courts have a hard enough time with this genre. The first time the league decides to pursue this case but not that one, because they didn't think there was enough to go by, all the activists will be out there twice as hard, plus every fan with a rooting interest and a two-digit IQ will be screaming about favoritism and how they bet he wouldn't have gone so easy on _____ if he was on THEIR team. That's a nice can of worms you've opened up for yourself there, Roj, good luck with it.


Exactly. Not to mention following my hypothetical scenario out to its logical conclusion and he comes down hard on a player who was really innocent all along and he, as the judge, jury and executioner, and the league itself (rightly) get SUED THROUGH THE NOSE for it afterward.

[steelreserve]

My only question is that if Rice does it again, does he get a lifetime ban?

Only if he's averaging under 4.0 yards per carry again. 4.1 and up, he gets grandfathered in.

[Godfather]

How many games would you get for punching Goodell in the face?

Tom Brady would get 6 games, since that would qualify as domestic violence.

[Godfather]

In other late-breaking news, Apollo 11 lands on the moon, Brutus assassinates Caesar, and the Germans bomb Pearl Harbor.

[86WARD]

Better penalties than what was out there...which was nothing.

[X-Terminator]

Yup, that's a side of it I bet most of the people railing about this haven't considered. If they implement that rule in the typical "act first, find out the facts later" fashion (that is to say, Goodell's usual disciplinary procedure), it gives a HUGE amount of leverage to essentially blackmail a player, which is bound to happen one day. No, most women aren't like that, but there are enough of them out there, and pro athletes seem to attract them like flies on shit.

It's definitely going to blow up in his face. All he's done is put even more pressure on the league to play judge-and-jury in all of these cases and get every single one right, which they obviously won't be able to because even the REAL police and courts have a hard enough time with this genre. The first time the league decides to pursue this case but not that one, because they didn't think there was enough to go by, all the activists will be out there twice as hard, plus every fan with a rooting interest and a two-digit IQ will be screaming about favoritism and how they bet he wouldn't have gone so easy on _____ if he was on THEIR team. That's a nice can of worms you've opened up for yourself there, Roj, good luck with it.


Edit: Man, look at that post. And this is supposed to be a site about football. Talk about changing the game into Lawyerball. I swear, these "casual fans" must get half their enjoyment of the game from complaining about the rules and watching penalty flags be thrown.

Welcome to the 21st century.

But yeah, I can definitely see this being exploited and eventually revised, because as I said, this is your typical media-hand-holding that Goodell usually does before he makes a decision. However, as 86WARD said, it's better than having virtually no precedent or penalties at all. I can also see this being extended to all forms of violence against women, which would have put Ben in the crosshairs if there was a similar penalty when he was chasing college girls in bathrooms.

[fansince'76]

But yeah, I can definitely see this being exploited and eventually revised, because as I said, this is your typical media-hand-holding that Goodell usually does before he makes a decision. However, as 86WARD said, it's better than having virtually no precedent or penalties at all. I can also see this being extended to all forms of violence against women, which would have put Ben in the crosshairs if there was a similar penalty when he was chasing college girls in bathrooms.

That's just it...the Personal Conduct Policy was put in place for situations just like this. The bottom line is that Goodell's punishment of Rice was woefully inadequate, he was called on the carpet for it in the media, and these new "guidelines" are simply the result of another CYA move by Goodell to try and get them off his back. Same old shit, different day.

Like it or not, the precedent for this sort of thing (violence against women) was pretty much established back in 2010. Roethlisberger got 4 games (reduced from 6) for ACCUSATIONS. No charges, no arrest, ACCUSATIONS. Common sense, not to mention common decency, kind of dictates that Rice should have gotten at LEAST that many games considering that his channeling of the spirit of Evander Holyfield was CAUGHT ON CAMERA.

I can't wait until one of Goodell's rushes to (bad) judgment gets him and the league sued. Because it seems like 8 times out of 10 when the cops show up somewhere to answer a domestic violence call, they DO wind up arresting someone, and that someone is the man in the vast majority of those cases. And all it will take is for Goodell to prematurely drop the bomb on some player for six games because the player got arrested on a domestic violence charge only to have the charge dropped later.

[HollywoodSteel]

Well, since the Ravens are the model franchise they will obviously suspend rice for an additional four game since it's the right thing to do. For him to be allowed to slip through the loophole would be unfair and not the Raven way. What? No one is calling for that? Yet people expect us to suspend Bell and Blount voluntarily, regardless of the rules set by the NFL and NFLPA? Yeah, that seems right. I hate hypocritical fans, I hate the media, and I hate Goodell.

It's probably Bruce Arians's fault too, but I can't quite make the connection yet.

[X-Terminator]

That's just it...the Personal Conduct Policy was put in place for situations just like this. The bottom line is that Goodell's punishment of Rice was woefully inadequate, he was called on the carpet for it in the media, and these new "guidelines" are simply the result of another CYA move by Goodell to try and get them off his back. Same old shit, different day.

Like it or not, the precedent for this sort of thing (violence against women) was pretty much established back in 2010. Roethlisberger got 4 games (reduced from 6) for ACCUSATIONS. No charges, no arrest, ACCUSATIONS. Common sense, not to mention common decency, kind of dictates that Rice should have gotten at LEAST that many games considering that his channeling of the spirit of Evander Holyfield was CAUGHT ON CAMERA.

I can't wait until one of Goodell's rushes to (bad) judgment gets him and the league sued. Because it seems like 8 times out of 10 when the cops show up somewhere to answer a domestic violence call, they DO wind up arresting someone, and that someone is the man in the vast majority of those cases. And all it will take is for Goodell to prematurely drop the bomb on some player for six games because the player got arrested on a domestic violence charge only to have the charge dropped later.

I wasn't even thinking about it with respect to the PCP, but you're absolutely correct. I don't really need to add anything else.

[fansince'76]

I wasn't even thinking about it with respect to the PCP, but you're absolutely correct. I don't really need to add anything else.

I'm surprised that Goodell owned up and admitted he screwed up when he gave Rice only two games. But he should have left it at that. Misapplication of a rule/law doesn't necessarily call for a new, tougher rule/law that's even more rigid and more "one size fits all."

If he really wants to effect positive change in this area, he needs to reach out to others in the league office in determining punishments under the PCP going forward. This is a couple of years old, but underscores what's really needed (http://www.cbssports.com/mcc/blogs/entry/26561368/31733666).

[Edman]

The Ray Rice decision was crappy. This is even worse.

Now, if an athlete even has the slightest run-in with a manipulative gold-digger, she can just say "he beat me" and he's fucked. Ben got 4 games just for being ACCUSED with no proof.

Considering how DV laws make it a rule to arrest the bigger and stronger of the two parties (The Man) in this case, this is yet another disaster waiting to happen.

[Count Steeler]

Goodell continues to display an attitude that is going to destroy the NFL. Sure he is making 20mil now, but I can see a day when the owners regret giving this guy so much power and not reigning him in sooner.

Steelers are the smartest players, with balls, in the NFL. By not agreeing to the CBA, they saw through the smoke and mirrors and the damage that was going to be caused by giving Goodell carte blanche.

So, how many bands have lined up to volunteer to play the half time show?

[ALLD]

The talking heads on Sirius NFL Network are even saying that the players got screwed in the CBA. I wonder how long until those guys are fired for not complying with corporate propaganda?

[st33lersguy]

Way to wait until everyone showed their displeasure to try and save face and take NFL domestic abuse seriously because you were too stupid to think that people would be upset over a lesser suspension for domestic abuse than banned drugs. This is all reactive

[Count Steeler]

Does the NFL have a sex abuse policy, a la the Sandusky affair at Penn State? Or are they going to wait on that as well.

[Godfather]

The Ray Rice decision was crappy. This is even worse.

Now, if an athlete even has the slightest run-in with a manipulative gold-digger, she can just say "he beat me" and he's fucked. Ben got 4 games just for being ACCUSED with no proof.

Considering how DV laws make it a rule to arrest the bigger and stronger of the two parties (The Man) in this case, this is yet another disaster waiting to happen.

Another problem: In some states the cops have to arrest someone if there's a domestic violence call. What if a fan of a rival team calls the cops before a big game and says "I heard a real nasty fight downstairs. You better go check it out."?

[steelerdude15]

Well, since the Ravens are the model franchise they will obviously suspend rice for an additional four game since it's the right thing to do. For him to be allowed to slip through the loophole would be unfair and not the Raven way. What? No one is calling for that? Yet people expect us to suspend Bell and Blount voluntarily, regardless of the rules set by the NFL and NFLPA? Yeah, that seems right. I hate hypocritical fans, I hate the media, and I hate Goodell.

It's probably Bruce Arians's fault too, but I can't quite make the connection yet.

I don't think the NFL could punish a player and then the player's team punishes them on top of it for the same incident. I think the NFLPA would file a grievance.