Pro Football: Dropping the Ball on Responsibility?
Should an employer try to control employees’ after-hours lives to make them act more responsibly?
The image-conscious National Football League is cracking down on players’ off-field behavior with a new “personal conduct” policy, which, according to The Wall Street Journal, has NFL teams hiring former FBI agents and police officers to spy on players.
Video surveillance cameras in locker rooms. Guards posted in hotel hallways to ensure players don’t sneak out. Bed checks.
The current efforts to manage the morals of pro-football stars include the Seattle Seahawks declaring an entire downtown entertainment district off-limits to team members, and the Denver Broncos’ security chief wrangling a network of dozens of bartenders and bouncers who call him when players show up, divulging details of the women they’re with and how much they’ve had to drink.
With at least 57 NFL players arrested this year alone, the NFL is determined to protect its image by fining and suspending players not just for committing crimes, but for any act that’s deemed harmful to the NFL’s “integrity and reputation.”
Critics of the crackdown say fines and suspensions are excessive and unfair, particularly in cases where a player has been accused of but not found guilty of a violation of law.
Dallas Cowboy cornerback Pacman Jones was suspended indefinitely by the NFL after an alleged tussle with a bodyguard, even though no arrest or charge was made. He missed six games before recently being allowed back on the playing field. And when someone intentionally spilled a drink on Buffalo Bills offensive lineman Langston Walker at a bar recently, he worried how the NFL would have reacted if the situation had escalated. “When you start not to trust your own organization or governing body,” he said, “who can you trust?”
Tell us what you think: Can personal responsibility be forced or enforced in pro football? Are NFL players being held to an unfair standard of off-field responsibility?
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DEREK ARNOLD
DEREK ARNOLD TESTED POSITITVE FOR STEROIDS. COACH BOSTON PUT HIM UP TO IT. THIS IS TRUE. NELSONVILLE NEEDS TO FORFIT THEIR GAMES. AND THE OTHER HALF OF THE TVC TITLE THEY R CHEATERS!!!
bill joe bob | 4 months, 3 weeks ago
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sports
If A player is Making more money than me he has to prefom t
phillip lasater | 4 months, 1 week ago
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canam400
football is fun.
evanwittry | 4 months, 1 week ago
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Responsibility, integrity, and clean living
What we are talking about is basically living a moral and responsible life. If immoral, bizarre, and unlawful acts would reflect negatively on the organization, why should they not do what they can to help given individuals live a good life and stay out of truble. Sounds like someone is looking for an issue. Wehn I go looking for trouble I usually find it. When I look for something wrong I usually find it. Let the NFL take care of their own issues and let’s keep the media and Obama out of this one….
Bob41M | 4 months ago
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what do i have to do to play arena fooball
i like the sound of all that but i want to play football
william loyd | 4 months ago
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excited
this game looks fun
daniel gonzalez | 3 months, 4 weeks ago
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Mrs.
The NFL players should definetly be held accountable for as long as they are on any team. The odds of winning the lotter or getting struck by lightning are better than actually being able to make an NFL team. With the great reward comes a great responsability. With so many oter sports and entertainment in general being integrety challenged, I applaud the NFL for enforcing the morality codes.
Karen Owen | 3 months, 3 weeks ago
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Im awesome
I didnt rread it but it seems fun
Daniel Choe | 3 months, 2 weeks ago
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cool
kool
nicholas | 3 months, 1 week ago
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America is no the same as before
I can not believe what is then big fuzz about going out and have some fun in this beautiful land. If becoming a sport star means I can not have a life, I rather to be someone else, for sure. Everybody is enjoying it. So cut the crap and let people live. Merry christmas for all of you. Go Oakland raiders. That was a sweet victory
alberto | 3 months, 1 week ago
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