The offseason always breeds trouble for professional players but 2014 seemed to bring some new players to the forefront of the law, league owners. Jim Irsay, Indianapolis Colts Owner, who was arrested for driving under the influence with prescription pills and $30k in his Highlander, who soon entered rehab after his arrest but has yet to be punished by the commissioner Roger Goodell. To add fuel to the fire, a few NFL players aren’t happy that Goodell has handed Irsay an appropriate punishment.
Bleacher Report released an article that got the quote of an anonymous NFL player, who felt that if Irsay was black he would have been punished.
Via what was told to Mike Freeman:
“Here’s how it looks to most of the players: Players in a mostly black league get punished quickly and harshly. But with the owners, who are mostly white, they get protected by Goodell.”
“Of course there’s a double standard,” one veteran player told me. “He’s punished many players before the court system was finished (with) the case. The owners are his bosses.”
Yet, Irsay attended the owners only meeting in Atlanta. Goodell has spoken at the owners meeting regarding the incident:
“There have been no charges,” Goodell said at the conclusion of a one-day owners’ meeting. “So the answer to that is until we get more information, some more facts, we will let it play out a little longer.”
As reported, Irsay isn’t the only the has yet to see punishment (Ray Rice and Aldon Smith) and while players feelings are valid, I think its more important that Irsay obviously gets the help he needs. The NFL will make sure Irsay is handled in an appropriate manner, even though it may not be in the timely manner people want it, Irsay isn’t out the clear yet.