Is it right for the NFL to punish players for actions outside the game?

Question

Do you think it's right that if a football player gets arrested to be also punished by their place of work? How would you feel if they started doing that to ordinary people? You go out drinking and get DUI and then go to work to find out they are decreasing your salary.

Answer 1

are you kidding! of course its right! lets say you're the manager of a Target or something. would you want your employees to be criminals? of course not! if they dont get punished in the NFL then they'll just keep gettin in trouble with hardly any consequences

Answer 2

Many corperations do that.
They feel that if you are employed by them, you are representing them 24 hours a day, and should act in a dignified and respectful way that won't reflect on them as a business.
Granted, the people they say are representing them in public are usually managment and upper managment people, not usually the lower level blue collar people.
But when these players get into the kind of trouble they do, it makes the NFL look like they have nothing but a bunch of "gangstas" and "hoods" playing for them. And that is not the image they want to have portrayed to the public.
The media will do back flips to make every incident look 10 times worse than it actually is.
These players are getting paid alot of money, and their contracts all say that when not playing football they will act in a law abiding, respectful way and do nothing to embarrass themselves, the team or the league.
They sign the contracts, therefore agreeing to these terms.
And most get paid more than any exectutives.
For example, even though I am about "Michael Vick"ed out, if Vick played for the Falcons this year.
Do you think the Falcon organization wants a mob of PETA and other protesters following them around the country to their away games and camped out in front of the stadium for their home games waving signs and pictures of tortured animals?
So yes, what Vick did was in his private life, but it will effect the Falcons and the NFL in a very negative way if he is allowed to play.
That goes for all the companies that used him for endorsments. His actions reflect on them as well, because he had agreed to represent them by wearing their clothes, shoes, .. etc.

Answer 3

It is absolutely the right thing to do. I am not puting you down, but I would guess that you are fairly young because what they do to the NFL players is actually less than what they do to "ordinary people". If I were to go to a strip club and start firing a gun, and slapping women, and biting bouncers, I would not be suspended for a year, I would be FIRED. If I got a DUI I would be suspended, two of them and I would be FIRED. These guys are catered to.

I am a big time football guy, but these guys need to learn to respect the oportunities they have been given and act like real adults.

Answer 4

Well would you get in trouble at your job if you got a DUI. I'm not even a driver or anything and I would lose my job for any of these felony acts. So why should NFL players be treated different then regular people by there employers. I would most likely lose my job for these same offenses, the NFL players have it easy they just lose two weeks salary.

Answer 5

This is an NFL conduct issues that the players have to abide by, it's a work place rule that the commissioner set up this year, they didn't have it in the year pass but they have the conduct issue now. I guess you can called a work place rule for all players in the league. So some work places have this rule like drug test for illegal substance stuff like that, or like gambling Casino, you can't have a criminal record at all in order to work their, even a tax lien won't get you that job. So i say yeah the NFL is a company they can set the rules and regulation how they want to operates, if you want to work for them abide by the rules. Just simples as that, plus this is a million dollars job, the NFL that's is.

Answer 6

Ordinary people have consequences for their actions outside of the workplace also. A cab driver gets a DUI away from work, you think his job is unaffected? A school teacher gets caught downloading kiddie porn, you think his job is unaffected? Anyone gets arrested and missed 2 months of work, you think their job is unaffected? The only difference between NFL players and ordinary people is that they have the financial resources to stay out of prison.

Answer 7

Of course it's right. Weather you believe in the player conduct code or not, the simple fact is that all players sign contracts that detail what their behavior must be to represent the team and the NFL. Just as I have had to sign a contract or agreement for employment with my employer, I know what is expected of me and the consequences of those actions. I love the NFL but I cant stand the fact that pro athletes expect special treatment for breaking the law. I know if I'm caught doing drugs I lose my job. period. no 1 day suspension for violating my company's substance abuse policy etc. Let's not feel too sorry for these people. They make millions of dollars playing a game I would give my left arm to still play and know exactly what is expected of them. If they screw that up it's their own damn fault.

Answer 8

It's called the real world. The NFL is a business with a reputation and marketable image to protect in the name of that business. A player, any player, is a representative of the NFL and as such is responsible to the NFL for their off field actions, The NFL has every right to protect themselves, their market image, their endorsements, and suspend any player for behavior that is detrimental to the league. It is no different in the real world. Say I get a DUI off the job, could that effect my employment? Sure it could, I am in sales so a DUI means no drivers license which means no way to work. Could my employer fire me for engaging in illegal activities (gambling, drugs, etc.)? You bet they can, and do everyday.

Answer 9

No ordinary worker has millions of little kids looking to them as a hero either.

If you go to jail, you lose your job. I don't know of too many ordinary employers who would hold your job for you while you do time. Employers have every right to not want a worker with a criminal record.

I think that pro sports does have a responsibility to screen who they hire because of the kids. Kids are impressionable, they don't have the thinking skills yet to determine right and wrong and consider the risks and consequences of their actions. If their heroes are criminals, that could spread some bad influence over the kids. And don't give me that "I don't want to be an influence" It doesn't matter what these stars want, it's a fact that kids look up to them.

Answer 10

Trust me, if you were an employee of a Fortune 500 company and were as visible to the world as these morons are, the company would definately have something to say about your stupid actions outside the company.
That is what the NFL is. They are a huge company with highly visible employees. To keep themselves employed, they need to represent the company. That means, simply, play and stay out of trouble!

Answer 11

It does happen outside of the NFL. The majority of high profile positions require their people to sign personal activity policies saying they can get fired for embarrasing the company. The thing is that you get more hooligans in the sports world than the business world, hence you see it there much more.