Kendricks to Return in a Few Weeks

[JMR]

Seahawks' Mychal Kendricks suspended eight games

Suspension changed from indefinite to 8 games, with credit for time served. He'll be eligible to play Week 14. Without getting into the debate of whether it's fair or just for him to get 8 games vs what other players got for other things, I'm glad he'll be back on the field with the team this season. Great news.

 

[seattlefan75]

Domestic Violence gets you 6 games insider trading gets you 8 seems like the league has 0 tolerance for white collar crime after all they are all rich so it hits home with them

 

[JMR]

Domestic Violence gets you 6 games insider trading gets you 8 seems like the league has 0 tolerance for white collar crime after all they are all rich so it hits home with them

Well, it's not really that simple. Kendricks is actually a convicted felon and will face sentencing in Jan. On not much more than accusations or allegations, you can only push things so far.

 

[chf]

Assuming KJ stays healthy, that's going to be a nice group moving forward.

 

[Screamin12th]

Domestic violence needs to be more than 8+ games if you ask me. Kendricks will see Jail time and 8+ lost games, i find that a little strange. We got Players beating the living crap out of their Girlfriend/Wife and getting no Jail time and a guy that hurt no one returned all the money he made from inside trading and will serve jail time and a 8 game suspension.

Should he be suspended? yes Should it be MORE than someone who has beat the shit out of a female? No To be honest he shouldn't be allowed to play this season till he has served his time but they also need to suspend anyone that is out there beating on a Female for their Lives. Just my two cents.

 

[JMR]

Domestic violence needs to be more than 8+ games if you ask me. Kendricks will see Jail time and 8+ lost games, i find that a little strange. We got Players beating the living crap out of their Girlfriend/Wife and getting no Jail time and a guy that hurt no one returned all the money he made from inside trading and will serve jail time and a 8 game suspension.

Should he be suspended? yes Should it be MORE than someone who has beat the shit out of a female? No To be honest he shouldn't be allowed to play this season till he has served his time but they also need to suspend anyone that is out there beating on a Female for their Lives. Just my two cents.

Again, accused or convicted? It makes a difference. Accusations don't cost a thing.

 

[Screamin12th]

well innocent till proven guilty right, so yeah that question answers it's self.

 

[JMR]

well innocent till proven guilty right, so yeah that question answers it's self.

Ok, agreed. So give me an example of a player convicted of a domestic violence crime that you think didn't get a stiff enough suspension/consequence from the NFL.

 

[Screamin12th]

Peterson should have been GONE, sorry those marks on his kids legs were pretty damn bad. I got hit with a switch and never ended up with marks like that.

Roger Goodell has upped it a little but that was because of outside pressure. To many times we saw these guys walking scott free when everyone and their mother KNOW they were guilty. Oh Like Brown, Josh brown was suspended 1 game HA.

here read up on some history. Yes things have gotten better but still NFL players seem to be put on a higher plain of existence than us "average" folk.

from 2016, i mean i found like 20 of them but i chose this one because well it's Josh Brown and we ALL know him.
N.F.L. Shows It Doesn’t Really Care About Domestic Violence

anyone that is out there beating their wife/girlfriend/child/etc should be GONE!

 

[JMR]

Peterson should have been GONE, sorry those marks on his kids legs were pretty damn bad. I got hit with a switch and never ended up with marks like that.

Roger Goodell has upped it a little but that was because of outside pressure. To many times we saw these guys walking scott free when everyone and their mother KNOW they were guilty. Oh Like Brown, Josh brown was suspended 1 game HA.

here read up on some history. Yes things have gotten better but still NFL players seem to be put on a higher plain of existence than us "average" folk.

from 2016, i mean i found like 20 of them but i chose this one because well it's Josh Brown and we ALL know him.
N.F.L. Shows It Doesn’t Really Care About Domestic Violence

anyone that is out there beating their wife/girlfriend/child/etc should be GONE!

Couldn't open your link. Anyone actually convicted of something? Just a name is all I'm asking for.

 

[blstoker]

Couldn't open your link. Anyone actually convicted of something? Just a name is all I'm asking for.

Domestic violence is a rarely convicted offense. Hell, Ray Rice has a video of him knocking his girlfriend out and he got 2 games - no conviction.

Hell, Michael Vick was suspended for the duration of his incarceration (including house arrest) plus 2 games. One of the worst crimes under Goddell and Vick spent not much more time away from football that his prison sentence would've made him miss anyway.

 

[JMR]

Domestic violence is a rarely convicted offense. Hell, Ray Rice has a video of him knocking his girlfriend out and he got 2 games - no conviction.

Hell, Michael Vick was suspended for the duration of his incarceration (including house arrest) plus 2 games. One of the worst crimes under Goddell and Vick spent not much more time away from football that his prison sentence would've made him miss anyway.

And Ray Rice has never played in the NFL again. He also got his suspension increased after the video came out, right? (not that it really matters in the grand scheme when he was de facto banned for life from the league)

But anyway, the overall point I'm making is the league can only take a suspension so far on just accusations and "yeah, he probably did it but he isn't actually convicted or even charged with anything" until the NFLPA's lawyers would take them to the mat. It's enough of a kangaroo court as it is without including accusation as a subset of guilt. In the case of Kendricks, he's a convicted felon regardless of how we may feel about his offense as compared to other crimes, and that sets him apart from anyone else who's only been accused and not convicted of anything.

 

[seattlefan75]

I actually am not a fan of suspending a player based on accusations. Until charges have been officially been filed and a court date is set I think the player shouldn't be suspended.

 

[JMR]

I actually am not a fan of suspending a player based on accusations. Until charges have been officially been filed and a court date is set I think the player shouldn't be suspended.

The league is in a tough spot with all this. They must protect their brand and police things up to keep a modicum of respect and decorum, but they also must be fair when wielding the hammer of justice. It is not a court of law, but our society's definition of justice includes due process. Meanwhile, players are being found guilty instantly in the court of public opinion, and people want their pound of flesh. It's an unenviable position that isn't quite as simple or plain as some critics make it out to be.

 

[blstoker]

And Ray Rice has never played in the NFL again. He also got his suspension increased after the video came out, right? (not that it really matters in the grand scheme when he was de facto banned for life from the league)

But anyway, the overall point I'm making is the league can only take a suspension so far on just accusations and "yeah, he probably did it but he isn't actually convicted or even charged with anything" until the NFLPA's lawyers would take them to the mat. It's enough of a kangaroo court as it is without including accusation as a subset of guilt. In the case of Kendricks, he's a convicted felon regardless of how we may feel about his offense as compared to other crimes, and that sets him apart from anyone else who's only been accused and not convicted of anything.

Rice got blackballed from the league by the teams themselves, not the commissioner's office - not to mention he was coming off a horrendous season. Video or not, if he could prove the owners were colluding against him, he could've pressed a lawsuit - but his previous season was so horrible that whether colluding or not, no one wanted him.

He appealed his increased penalty and won - so no, it was not increased it stood at 2 games.

Well, I'm not talking about unconvicted players. My two examples were players who were convicted. Here, let's look at some more from the last 12 months (did not include anything like DUIs if that was the only, or main, charge):

Sean Smith - Suspended 3 games. Plead guilty to felony assault - sentenced 1 year in prison, 5 years probation
Darryl Worley - Suspended 4 games. Plead guilty DUI, resisting arrest and gun charges - Sentenced to 3 days in jail.
Reuben Foster - Suspended 2 games. Plead no contest to gun charges as part of plea deal to drop domestic abuse charges - 232 hours of community service.
Dante Fowler - Suspended 1 game. Plead no contest to battery. Sentenced 75 hours community service, 1 year probation and $925 fine.

Personally, I don't have any real loyalty to Kendricks, but the suspension seems a little harsh for what's going on. One theory I've heard thrown around is that the suspension is so harsh (back when it was still indefinite) is because the crime he committed in one way or another affects the owners themselves, being a financial sector crime. True or not, it seems to be a little harsh for a guy who has been fully cooperative with the investigation, seemingly sincerely penitent and willing to amend the situation. In the end, I hope he gets a lighter sentence because of the steps he's taken to rectify the situation - whether he ever plays past 2018 or not.

 

[JMR]

Rice got blackballed from the league by the teams themselves, not the commissioner's office - not to mention he was coming off a horrendous season. Video or not, if he could prove the owners were colluding against him, he could've pressed a lawsuit - but his previous season was so horrible that whether colluding or not, no one wanted him.

He appealed his increased penalty and won - so no, it was not increased it stood at 2 games.

Well, I'm not talking about unconvicted players. My two examples were players who were convicted. Here, let's look at some more from the last 12 months (did not include anything like DUIs if that was the only, or main, charge):

Sean Smith - Suspended 3 games. Plead guilty to felony assault - sentenced 1 year in prison, 5 years probation
Darryl Worley - Suspended 4 games. Plead guilty DUI, resisting arrest and gun charges - Sentenced to 3 days in jail.
Reuben Foster - Suspended 2 games. Plead no contest to gun charges as part of plea deal to drop domestic abuse charges - 232 hours of community service.
Dante Fowler - Suspended 1 game. Plead no contest to battery. Sentenced 75 hours community service, 1 year probation and $925 fine.

Personally, I don't have any real loyalty to Kendricks, but the suspension seems a little harsh for what's going on. One theory I've heard thrown around is that the suspension is so harsh (back when it was still indefinite) is because the crime he committed in one way or another affects the owners themselves, being a financial sector crime. True or not, it seems to be a little harsh for a guy who has been fully cooperative with the investigation, seemingly sincerely penitent and willing to amend the situation. In the end, I hope he gets a lighter sentence because of the steps he's taken to rectify the situation - whether he ever plays past 2018 or not.

I wouldn't disagree the 8 games for Kendricks seems a bit much for a non-violent crime, but maybe the league is just tripping over the fact that he is a convicted felon who may face prison time. Just a guess.

As for your examples, the context of the previous discussion was specifically about domestic violence....."beating on a woman" not being punished the same way that Kendricks has been and the general sentiment that the NFL doesn't care about it. I am not saying they couldn't do a better job, but I still contend they can only do so much with an accusation or dropped charges. And even though 8 games may be stiff for Kendricks, I still don't think it makes sense to compare suspension lengths of players who are actually convicted of a crime to those who are not (which is what happened here when someone said you get 8 games for white collar stuff but only X for beating a woman).

 

[blstoker]

I wouldn't disagree the 8 games for Kendricks seems a bit much for a non-violent crime, but maybe the league is just tripping over the fact that he is a convicted felon who may face prison time. Just a guess.

As for your examples, the context of the previous discussion was specifically about domestic violence....."beating on a woman" not being punished the same way that Kendricks has been and the general sentiment that the NFL doesn't care about it. I am not saying they couldn't do a better job, but I still contend they can only do so much with an accusation or dropped charges. And even though 8 games may be stiff for Kendricks, I still don't think it makes sense to compare suspension lengths of players who are actually convicted of a crime to those who are not (which is what happened here when someone said you get 8 games for white collar stuff but only X for beating a woman).

My issue with the NFL on discipline is more about their inconsistency than it is about anything else. You never know if you'll be suspended and if so, how long. Zeke got 6 games for domestic violence that was never proven, Sean Smith got 3 for basically curb stomping his girlfriend's brother and Dante Fowler got 1 game for decking a guy during a road rage incident. Maybe the next CBA will have more specific punishments for specific issues (like 2 games for DV charges, 2 games for DV indictment, 2 games for convincing evident, a la Rice video, and 8 games for conviction - adding up to one full year - all to be served separate to any incarceration). Take as much of the guess work and inconsistency out of it as possible.

 

[blstoker]

My issue with the NFL on discipline is more about their inconsistency than it is about anything else. You never know if you'll be suspended and if so, how long. Zeke got 6 games for domestic violence that was never proven, Sean Smith got 3 for basically curb stomping his girlfriend's brother and Dante Fowler got 1 game for decking a guy during a road rage incident. Maybe the next CBA will have more specific punishments for specific issues (like 2 games for DV charges, 2 games for DV indictment, 2 games for convincing evident, a la Rice video, and 8 games for conviction - adding up to one full year - all to be served separate to any incarceration). Take as much of the guess work and inconsistency out of it as possible.

I guess my math doesn't add up - but you get the gist of it.

 

[JMR]

My issue with the NFL on discipline is more about their inconsistency than it is about anything else. You never know if you'll be suspended and if so, how long. Zeke got 6 games for domestic violence that was never proven, Sean Smith got 3 for basically curb stomping his girlfriend's brother and Dante Fowler got 1 game for decking a guy during a road rage incident. Maybe the next CBA will have more specific punishments for specific issues (like 2 games for DV charges, 2 games for DV indictment, 2 games for convincing evident, a la Rice video, and 8 games for conviction - adding up to one full year - all to be served separate to any incarceration). Take as much of the guess work and inconsistency out of it as possible.

I can see the disconnect on the Ezekiel Elliott thing, and to me that one looked like an overcorrection after all the grief the league took for the Rice deal and maybe a couple others. The system absolutely needs some revision, but even then I wouldn't call 2 players who commit seemingly similar offenses getting different punishments inconsistent. You have to consider the totality of the circumstances and act based on the merits of each individual case. Maybe the answer is an automatic appeal to a 3rd party type arbiter for offenses of a certain variety and/or punishments beyond a certain threshold.

 

[seattlefan75]

Yeah people did forget that Ray Rice had a bad season the year prior to what happened it was in the stars that he was going to be asked to take a pay cut or be released and probably at most be a back up rental before being done in the league.

Another thing going back to kendricks it seems like this case received no attraction ESPN or any news channel doesnt really care about the insider trading Kendricks pled guilty to. If it was a more hideous crime such as drugs, domestic violence, DUI etc. I think they could have given kendricks a lighter sentence