The National Football (Felony) League

Once thought of as a league without any problems, the image of the National Football League has taken a hit the last two years as players from several teams have become weekly blotters on sports shows, getting arrested for a variety of crimes. When Roger Goodell took over as commissioner of the National Football League last summer, dealing with out of control players was supposed to be an important matter. What he did not expect was for it to be the single, most important issue on his desk every day.

Since the summer of 2005, NFL players getting arrested have appeared almost daily on shows like ESPN's SportsCenter. The premiere sports show on the planet, SportsCenter has had a daily dose of information on players like Adam 'Pacman' Jones and Terry 'Tank' Johnson. Since their respective arrivals in the league both of these gentlemen, along with Chris Henry and most recently Michael Vick, have soured the world's view of professional football players with their seemingly inability to follow the laws of the land.

Three years ago, Pacman Jones was a first round draft pick of the Tennessee Titans. Since that time, he has been arrested eight times that have been reported including most recently in Las Vegas stemming from an altercation between Jones and members of his entourage that left one man permanently paralyzed after a fight at a strip club during the National Basketball Association's All Star Weekend. Earlier this year, Commissioner Goodell suspended Pacman Jones for the entire season because of his indiscretions and how does Jones respond, by being questioned by Atlanta police for an altercation again involving members of his entourage.

While Jones has been the thorn in Goodell's side, Tank Johnson has been the poster child for disappointment. Having been charged with violating his probation and serving four months in prison earlier this year, Tank Johnson was cited two weeks ago with slight intoxication in Arizona. The strange thing about this arrest is that after his release from prison, Tank Johnson gloated about recasting himself as a responsible, dedicated professional worthy of one day being the NFL's Man of the Year for his contributions to the Chicago community. We now know that day will never happen. Two days after his citation, Tank Johnson was released by the Chicago Bears having had their image tarnished one too many times and feeling embarrassed and ashamed to have Tank Johnson a part of their team.

The most perplexing player has to be Michael Vick. Arguably, the most gifted athlete in the league, Vick has been at the center of an illegal dogfighting ring run out of a home he owns in Virginia. While it was debatable early on whether Vick knew about the dogfighting, the evidence continues to mount that not only did he know about but participated in the illegal activities. With Vick, the NFL has the most potential to suffer. Unlike Tank Johnson and Pacman Jones, Michael Vick is a heavily marketed player whose prowess earns him weekly clips on SportsCenter and other highlight shows. In Vick, the league could potentially lose the most with him being the heartbeat of the Atlanta Falcons as their starting quarterback since he arrived in the league six years ago.

Who is to know how the Pacman Jones saga will ultimately shakeout? To what extent he had anything to do with the melee in Las Vegas is debatable given that no video evidence is available and the claims of the stripclub owner have yet to be substantiated to a major degree. What is known is that this young man is not doing himself any favors by continually getting himself into more, deeper problems with the law. At some point the Tennessee Titans will have to make a decision just like the quarterback, Vince Young recently did. In an interview recently that aired on SportsCenter, Young conveyed a wavering devotion to Pacman Jones, a sign that while the team has its back; their loyalty can only go so far. And that leash, may be getting shorter by the day.

At some point after his eight game suspension ends, Tank Johnson will sign with a new team. This will lack surprise or intrigue as second chances run rampant in the league like placekickers. What will be interesting is how Commissioner Goodell responds to the recent transgression of Johnson if in fact his blood alcohol content is measured above the legal limit and his is indicted for driving under the influence. When that happens look for Johnson to sit for the remainder of the year.

While Johnson and Jones are significant what the NFL dreads more than anything else is Michael Vick being indicted in federal court for dogfighting. It will be a black mark on the league and the Atlanta Falcons and will force the league to swiftly deal with one of the most marketable players in the league. Until then, the league will wait and see and hope no further damage to its image will be done by its own players. If more players are arrested like the world is betting will surely happen, watch for advertisers to begin to pull out in favor of other sports franchises other than one that seems unable to keep its players out of jail and trouble.