Plaxico Burress: You're next....

NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell: we applaud you! Thank you for making sure your players are held responsible for their actions, no matter the number of benjamins they may have in their wallets. Goodell handed out his latest sentence today to the Browns' Donte Stallworth. Stallworth will now sit out the entire 2009 season without pay for driving his car drunk, and killing pedestrian, 59 year old Mario Reyes last March. The courts gave him a slap on the wrist, a 30 day sentence in jail (he was only behind bars for 24 days!!!). Stallworth also paid an undisclosed but surely a handsome settlement to the Reyes family. So Plaxico Burress...if you are reading, listening, watching...you're next! Your acts at the nightclub in November and your past record of insubordination will all be on the table when it's time to decide your football fate. It won't be pretty.

I am not trying to compare both cases. A man is dead because of Donte Stallworth and this tragedy could never be compared to Burress' gun in sweatpants, self inflicted thigh wound in a nightclub. However, Plaxico violated the NFL's personal conduct policy and has a history of doing so. I don't think Goodell will be any less lenient on Plax. That is if Mayor Bloomberg, Manhattan DA Morgenthau and the judge even give Goodell a chance to make a decision on Burress’ football life anytime soon. Goodell is making these players be the men they are supposed to be: responsible, role models, etc… Check out this statement from the Sporting News

"...Already, there is evidence that players are learning that they must comply. Arrests are down sharply in 2009. Since late May, only two players have posed for a picture, and then turned and posed for another: Owen Schmitt of the Seahawks and Juqua Parker of the Eagles..." (Sporting News)

What I really like about Goodell’s decisions in his three year tenure: he has regained the trust of fans. Even in a terrible economy (making because we need sports for a pick me up), fans shell out thousands of dollars in PSLs and pay the hike in ticket prices to see their teams play. The argument on that could be that no one cares what the players do outside of the playing field as long as they catch the touchdowns, tackle opponents and the like. Really though, don’t we like the Mannings and players who not only perform but are also good people (at least as far as we can tell) and try to be outstanding citizens. I want the whole box of chocolates not just the half eaten ones, thank you very much. And thanks again Goodell; maybe Bud Selig could learn a thing or two and make a decision on something! (That’s for you Bobby T.)

Footnote: How grateful is Eric Mangini he won't have to deal with the Stallworth issue this season? He has enough on his plate.