NFL "3 Strikes" and you're out?
 

POSTED 4:23 p.m. EST, February 23, 2007

SOME PLAYERS WANT "THREE STRIKES" POLICY

Though we usually hate to see terms from other sports when it comes to talking football, we were happy (for once in our miserable existences) to read that some players are advocating a "three-strikes" approach to off-field misconduct.

In a four-hour meeting between management types and players, the players voiced concerns about the rash of arrests over the past couple of years. The problem has gotten so bad that we launched three weeks ago the "Turd Watch," a system for tracking all player arrests and convictions, and assigning points to the teams for which they play.

"What's amazing about these guys that were here is that they are very, very concerned about all of this," said NFLPA executive director Gene Upshaw. "They talked up, they spoke, they gave us all the information we need and now we just have to take it to the next level.

"What was interesting and I didn't think I would hear this is that the players believe when it comes to the personal conduct area, you can't be in the wrong place at the wrong time three or four times in a row," Upshaw said. "There comes a time when maybe you need to look at saying, 'OK, that's enough, you did it three times, you should be out.' You have to look at each circumstance, but they're saying there has to be some penalties for your actions."

But what would be a "strike"? An arrest? A conviction? Entry into a diversion program?

The one thing that everyone needs to keep in mind is that the concept of innocent until proven guilty and proof beyond a reasonable doubt applies only to whether a guy will go to jail. There are other ways of dealing with the question of whether a player will face discipline from his employer, and we suggest the creation of an arbitration system that kicks in once a player is arrested, and that then looks independently at the question of whether the player did that which he is accused of doing.

As we've explained in the past, the real problem is the arrest and the publicity that results from it. In a criminal justice system designed to let 10 guilty men go free in order to avoid putting an innocent one in jail, the NFL needs another way to make its own determination as to whether the player's conduct merits a "strike" under the policy that some players would like to adopt.

Bravo, NFL. Keep pushing forward on this.

about damn time.

An arrest should count as a strike, I don't give a crap if they're convicted or not. No decent person gets arrested 3 times in their lifetime, much less in the timeframe of an average NFL career.

i don't know about that ..... a celeb could prolly attract some pretty intense attention.

it should take a conviction


but the league should be very aware of plea bargaining. They should look into the charge and make sure the player isn't slipping through by paying a big brib... err fine to get a better deal that won't get them a strike.

like Ray Lewis .... didn't he skip through because he agreed to some lesser charge when really everyone though he killed some dude?

GOOD

Being in the spotlight is no excuse IMO, how many times has Peyton Manning been arrested? Tom Brady?

Will this apply to "tainted supplements" as well?

I would guess so. Also, does this mean they are setting up their own "NFL Court" to decide whether or not a player is guilty of a crime?

true ...... and what about the dumb bitch that threatens domestic violence to get money because she knows that he'll pay to prevent it?

they pass a 3 strikes rule all sorts of vultures will come out to use it as leverage.

Long time coming, hope it holds up.