As much as NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell would like us to believe that his primary goal has been to protect the shield during his tenure, the executive hasn’t necessarily taken many necessary steps to protect that shield.
The latest suspension of Washington Redskins safety Brandon Meriweather for just two games following his most recent incident is a prime example of this. The dirty defensive back was suspended following his sixth on-field safety violation in a game against the Baltimore Ravens this past weekend (via ESPN.com).
Meriweather had previously been suspended two games last year for multiple illegal hits on Chicago Bears players. This came on the heels of him being fined over $40,000 for an illegal hit on Green Bay Packers running back Eddie Lacy just a couple weeks prior. In a sign that the NFL doesn’t really take these hits too seriously, Meriweather saw his suspension reduced to one game.
While that’s unlikely to happen following his hit against Baltimore Ravens wide receiver Torrey Smith this past weekend, Meriweather has proven to be nothing more than a menace on the football field. He compensates for disastrous coverage ability by playing a dirty game when it comes to hitting opponents. And the league seems relatively okay with taking it in stride.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mIRvothxQT8
Honestly, it’s absolutely ridiculous that the league views the smoking of marijuana or drinking of alcohol as more detrimental to the image and safety of the league than someone that seems hell-bent on injuring opposing players on the football field.
It is yet another double standard from an NFL that plays once side privately while preaching something completely different publicly.
Meriweather simply doesn’t belong in the NFL. And the league should have made a statement here by suspending him for a substantial amount of time. It’s a message that the coats in New York City are indeed worried about concussions and serious injuries on the field. It’s a message that they take the current lawsuits that are being thrown their way seriously. And more than that, it’s a message that what they preach publicly is the exact same thing they practice privately.
Unfortunately, Goodell and Co. seem too busy reviewing appeals on issues that should have been settled a long time ago and have no long-term ramifications on the league as a whole.
Photo: Huffington Post