The National Felony League

Lets face it, the NFL has a serious problem with its players and it’s only going to get worse.  Players  just can’t seem to stay out of trouble these days. Whether it be the usual D.U.I., assualt charges, or dog fighting allegations, the NFL  finds itself handing out more fines and suspensions than ever before.

Lately, NFL players are in the news for all the wrong reasons.  Obviously, players such as Michael Vick and Pacman Jones are the two most talked about players dealing with legal troubles.  However, there are countless others that have been fined or handed suspensions. Chris Henry, Tank Johnson, Chris Chambers, and Joey Porter are just a few of the other names.  And lets not forget that nearly half of the Cincinnati Bengals team have had their issues as well.

Many blame the NFL for their players misconduct, but the NFL is not the sole cause of why so many players get into trouble.  It’s not as if once the players get drafted, they run wild and think they are above the law.  They’ve been running wild and thinking they’re above the law since college, and for some since high school.

It’s no secret that star players for universities are sometimes favored.  They may not get the punishment they deserve when they get into serious trouble. Some coaches are strict disciplinarians, but others favor the team record, while their players are building records of their own.

By the time NFL scouts are thinking about drafting a player, it may be hard for a scout to judge if the player is a headcase or if he just made a few mistakes in the past.  It makes the decision even more difficult when meeting with the player, because the player is on his best behavior, and the coach has nothing but great things to say about him.  It’s a hard decision for a scout to make, and sometimes they make the wrong call.  Players are then drafted, and it may only get worse from there.

The saying more money,  more problems best describes the current situation in the NFL. Money doesn’t make problems go away, and it certainly doesn’t make an athlete change his behavior.  Having more money only supports a players’ bad habits.  If they were using drugs before, then they are only going to use more drugs once they get more money.  If they were headcases before, then they are only going to be bigger headcases once they get more money. The large salaries of the NFL only adds fuel to the fire.

Now the NFL is forced to correct the problem, with their only answer being heavy fines and suspensions.  The problem with the fines is that it really doesn’t put a dent in the athletes bank account. A ten thousand dollar fine is nothing when you’re making millions.  The suspension is the best possible method when trying to get through to a player. By taking away what they love, and showing how they let their team down, it forces an athlete to change his behavior.  However, players such as Pacman Jones, may not quite get the message and continue to make bad decisions.

Beside better judgement, the only other thing the NFL can do to correct this growing problem is increase the fines and lengthen the suspensions.  Becoming more strict with players is a must and is the best solution.  It is up to the NFL to show players that they will no longer tolerate bad behavior off the field.  Otherwise, we might very well be seeing a new logo in the future.