Guilty Or Innocent? Perception Is All That Matters In The NFL
By Randy Gurzi
Feb 2, 2015; Phoenix, AZ, USA; New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady (left) and NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell pose with the Pete Rozelle trophy during the Super Bowl XLIX-Winning Head Coach and MVP Press Conference at Media Center-Press Conference Room B. Mandatory Credit: Joe Camporeale-USA TODAY Sports
Again Goodell showed his cowardice and inability to make a decision when his way too close of a friend Kraft and his band of righteous men were again accused of cheating. The whole deflate gate issue took an eternity for the league to say “maybe something happened.” Then Goodell floated out there that Patriots quarterback Tom Brady would be suspended, and he waited.
Roger waited to hear what the popular opinion was. Two games? Four? Six?? He waited until the masses spoke, let out their anger about something that affects them in no way, shape or form, and then he made “his” decision.
The NFL needs to re-examine how they handle any player incidents. I do believe playing in the NFL is a right, but I also believe the players have a finite number of years to be able to play the game they worked so hard for. To have Goodell and the owners take that away without any actual admission of guilt or conviction goes against what we as a free nation should stand for.
They have opened a door that will be hard to close. Imagine for a minute that the recently cut Texans player, Brandon Ivory truly is innocent. What if the information that led to his arrest was false and he winds up being falsely accused. What happens to the young man’s career then? As an undrafted free agent he would most likely not receive a second shot simply because the league believes all parties are guilty until proven innocent beyond the shadow of a doubt.
In the legal system it is guilty until proven innocent where the burden of proof lies on the accuser. In the NFL, the accused has the burden of proof and even if he is admonished, the journey back to the league becomes nearly impossible when self-righteous people like Goodell, Richardson and Kraft sit upon their high-horses and let the angry social media world decide each players fate.