NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell is still silent over Ray Rice and Jim Irsay. Both men are awaiting Goodell's decision whether to punish them for their extra-curricular sins. Rice, who was charged with assault on his then fiancée, Janay Palmer, will face no criminal action for the alleged assault. Irsay, on the other hand, is still on the hook for a March DWI and four felony possession charges. Sports writers think Rice, a running back for the Baltimore Ravens, is certain to face suspension and fines for violation of the Personal Conduct Policy that the league has, while the jury's still out (no pun intended) over Indianapolis Colts owner Jim Irsay's fate. Could this perception itself prove that there is a double standard of behavior in the NFL?
Pro sports have long been under the microscope for being a plantation industry: rich white men getting richer off of the physical attributes of young black men. Sure, at least pro athletes are compensated handsomely, but their spoils are nothing compared to the team owners' profits.
And what's worse, players are treated like children- they seem be told often "do as I say, and not as I do".
The fact that experts speak with so much certainty about Rice's imminent suspension with so much uncertainty about Irsay's speaks volumes in and of itself. Even the perception of a double standard in the NFL could be damning.
Although the Ravens' coaching staff and QB Joe Flacco seem confident that Rice will see no punitive action from the league, many outsiders looking in see suspension as inevitable (via NJ.com):
"Pro Football Talk's Mike Florio wrote in May that 'it's only a question of when and how much, not if, Rice receives a suspension under the league's personal-conduct policy.'"
While Goodell is diplomatically weighing his options with Irsay, there is definitely a clear guideline in the league which would put Irsay in the hot seat for his legal troubles (via Bleacher Report):
"The NFL's Personal Conduct Policy says that league representatives are held to a 'higher standard' and 'it is not enough simply to avoid being found guilty of a crime' in a legal situation to escape discipline.
"'The NFL's Personal Conduct Policy applies to all league personnel and holds all of us accountable,' Greg Aiello, the NFL's senior vice president of communications, said in an email. 'We are reviewing the matter and will take appropriate action in accordance with the policy.'"
Speaking of double standards, can you believe Irsay fired wide receiver LaVon Brazill for drug and alcohol problems? What a hypocrite!
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