Pacman Jones: Worthy of a Year-Long Ban

In recent weeks newly-appointed NFL commissioner Roger Goodell instituted a tough conduct policy. Using a year-long suspension as his weapon, Goodell struck down the poster child for the league's bad media image, Adam "Pacman" Jones, for his multiple repeat offenses. Jones, drafted out of West Virginia by the Tennessee Titans, had been arrested five times since entering the league.

Most sports commentators and media channels agreed that this suspension not only served as a fair punishment, but also a good message to the NFL community. Still, Jones chose to appeal his year-long ban, as expected, by citing precedent. It is expected that the appeal will end fruitless for Pacman.

But is this young cornerback being treated unfairly? Does he deserve a shorter sentence?

To answer these questions, one only has to look at the laundry list of offenses Jones has committed. On July 13^th, 2005, before Jones had even played a down for the Titans, he had already been arrested for the first time in a nightclub. It wouldn't be the last time he found himself in trouble in a nightclub. During the All-Star weekend for the NBA, Jones once again found himself in a strip club in trouble. After allegedly dumping a bag of thousands of dollars onto a stage, Jones became enraged when the dancers tried to pick up the money he offered. Later that night, a member of Jones' party showed up later with a gun and permanently paralyzed an innocent bystander.

Whether or not Pacman ordered the gunfire is a moot point; the fact is that Jones' initial tirade at the strip club led to the unnecessary violence.

What Adam Jones, and many other NFL players, don't realize is that it is a privilege to play in the NFL. To be paid millions of dollars a year for athletic ability is the dream of almost every working person in the country. It is a gift. And no one player should be allowed to disrespect his peers, his community and the game as a whole and still be a part of the NFL. Period. End of story.

Roger Goodell took a hard stance of a pressing issue in the NFL and should be applauded for it. The NFL will be better without all the off-the-field issues in the upcoming seasons. As for Adam Jones, his career is not over yet. He still has time to turn his life around and come back a new person in 2008. But he needs to take the right attitude for once. As a young cornerback who has yet to prove his worthiness in the league, Pacman should concentrate less on nightclubs and more on the weight room.

And above all else he needs to stay out of trouble. Or he may feel the wrath of Goodell's conduct lasso once again. As he should.