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Ask Brett Tessler

Current research on NFL player arrests verses the general population:
Take away 50 repeat offenders in the NFL since 2000, and you eliminate almost 40 percent of the incidents. It's the same phenomenon that led 67.5 percent of prisoners released in 1994 to be rearrested within three years, according to a study cited by the U.S. Department of Justice. (The Goodall plan)
  • The San Diego Union-Tribune reviewed hundreds of news reports and public records since January 2000 and found that the league's biggest problems with the law are in many ways just as ordinary: drunken driving, traffic stops and repeat offenders.
  • Contrary to public perception, the arrest rate among NFL players is less than that of the general population.
  • The arrest rate for the general population (about one per 21 people) is higher than the NFL's, which has averaged about one incident per 45 players per year since 2000
  • There have been 308 arrests or citations for NFL players, not including minor traffic infractions (04/06/07).
  • The most prevalent charge was driving under the influence, which accounted for almost a third of the arrests. Over half of all incidents came after traffic stops or were vehicle-related, including DUIs and searches that turned up drugs or guns.
  • Almost 40 percent (122) were committed by 50 players with multiple arrests, including DUI and other offenses.
  • The most troublesome positions were defensive back and wide receiver, which accounted for 130 incidents. By contrast, offensive linemen and quarterbacks combined for 41.
  • To analysts and those who study crime and race in society, this all adds up to one thing. They say it's a media-amplified microcosm of America, where rich young men like to party and, because of complex environmental factors, where the rate of incarceration for blacks in the United States is five times that of whites.
  • “You can say for sure the athletes have a problem, but athletes are not the problem,†said Richard Lapchick, director of the Institute for Diversity and Ethics in Sport at the University of Central Florida. “They are representative of society where many of these issues are epidemic.â€Â
  • While drunken driving arrests were the most common arrest among NFL players, the arrest rate was below that for males under 30 in the United States, which is roughly 2 percent, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. In the NFL, it's about one DUI arrest per 144 players (less than 1 percent), based on the review.
  • Of the 308 incidents, unofficially only 29 were involving whites, including three with kicker Sebastian Janikowski. That means about 90 percent of the incidents involved black players, who make up about 70 percent of the league.
  • Blacks compose about 13 percent of the U.S. population but comprise 30 percent of those arrested and more than 40 percent of those in prison, according to recent studies.
  • “The disproportionate numbers of African-Americans (on the list of incidents) is largely representative of what happens to them in the general population,†said Alejandro del Carmen, chair of the Department of Criminology and Criminal Justice at The University of Texas at Arlington.
  • Racial profiling in law enforcement enters the equation, too, and has been documented in studies pertaining to traffic stops. “The whole issue of driving while black is not a figment of somebody's imagination,†said Peter Roby, director for The Center for Study of Sport in Society at Northeastern University.
  • How the media reports the arrests can complicate the problem and feed stereotypes. USA Today recently showed photos of 41 arrested players on its sports cover; two were white.(Evans still on the SS page)
I hope this serves to educate and inform....
 
Current research on NFL player arrests verses the general population:
Take away 50 repeat offenders in the NFL since 2000, and you eliminate almost 40 percent of the incidents. It's the same phenomenon that led 67.5 percent of prisoners released in 1994 to be rearrested within three years, according to a study cited by the U.S. Department of Justice.
  • The San Diego Union-Tribune reviewed hundreds of news reports and public records since January 2000 and found that the league's biggest problems with the law are in many ways just as ordinary: drunken driving, traffic stops and repeat offenders.
  • Contrary to public perception, the arrest rate among NFL players is less than that of the general population.
  • The arrest rate for the general population (about one per 21 people) is higher than the NFL's, which has averaged about one incident per 45 players per year since 2000
  • There have been 308 arrests or citations for NFL players, not including minor traffic infractions (o4/06/07).
  • The most prevalent charge was driving under the influence, which accounted for almost a third of the arrests. Over half of all incidents came after traffic stops or were vehicle-related, including DUIs and searches that turned up drugs or guns.
  • Almost 40 percent (122) were committed by 50 players with multiple arrests, including DUI and other offenses.
  • The most troublesome positions were defensive back and wide receiver, which accounted for 130 incidents. By contrast, offensive linemen and quarterbacks combined for 41.
  • To analysts and those who study crime and race in society, this all adds up to one thing. They say it's a media-amplified microcosm of America, where rich young men like to party and, because of complex environmental factors, where the rate of incarceration for blacks in the United States is five times that of whites.
  • “You can say for sure the athletes have a problem, but athletes are not the problem,†said Richard Lapchick, director of the Institute for Diversity and Ethics in Sport at the University of Central Florida. “They are representative of society where many of these issues are epidemic.â€Â
  • While drunken driving arrests were the most common arrest among NFL players, the arrest rate was below that for males under 30 in the United States, which is roughly 2 percent, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. In the NFL, it's about one DUI arrest per 144 players (less than 1 percent), based on the review.
  • Of the 308 incidents, unofficially only 29 were involving whites, including three with kicker Sebastian Janikowski. That means about 90 percent of the incidents involved black players, who make up about 70 percent of the league.
  • Blacks compose about 13 percent of the U.S. population but comprise 30 percent of those arrested and more than 40 percent of those in prison, according to recent studies.
  • “The disproportionate numbers of African-Americans (on the list of incidents) is largely representative of what happens to them in the general population,†said Alejandro del Carmen, chair of the Department of Criminology and Criminal Justice at The University of Texas at Arlington.
  • Racial profiling in law enforcement enters the equation, too, and has been documented in studies pertaining to traffic stops. “The whole issue of driving while black is not a figment of somebody's imagination,†said Peter Roby, director for The Center for Study of Sport in Society at Northeastern University.
  • How the media reports the arrests can complicate the problem and feed stereotypes. USA Today recently showed photos of 41 arrested players on its sports cover; two were white.(Evans still on the SS page)
  • Take away 50 repeat offenders in the NFL since 2000, and you eliminate almost 40 percent of the incidents. It's the same phenomenon that led 67.5 percent of prisoners released in 1994 to be rearrested within three years, according to a study cited by the U.S. Department of Justice. (The Goodall Plan)
I hope this serves to educate and inform....

It's very informative. Thank you.
 
It's very informative. Thank you.

No worries... I'm available for consultations...haha

I was wondering if you would comment on the following in your experience:
  • 90% of players on a given roster are stand up guys for the most part... 5% of players are for lack of a better term, "bad guys".... and 5% of players can go either way....
  • Teams cope with some "bad guys" because of their skill sets and their ability to deal with the violent nature of the NFL game.
  • The media exploits the "bad guy" minority because being bad "sells".
  • Being stopped DWB (Driving While Black) is a reality.
  • The media dictates perceptions... and that's a problem.
Thanks
 
Hey Brett, with all the legal issues players have been having, what are the agents' take on this? Granted, they'll issue a formal statement for their players, but what do they really do besides that? (i.e. stern lecturing, legal advice, consultation, bewilderment, etc?)
 
I agree that it's a disturbing trend. Most of the players in our League are great people. It's just that the few bad apples (like Pacman Jones or Chris Henry) get covered closely by the media and are the first stories you see on Sportscenter every night. Back in the day, guys like Mickey Mantle probably could have been arrested for drunk driving a hundred times, but in those days the police and the media just looked the other way. I don't know the statistics on whether or not professional athletes get arrested at a higher rate than the average American, but I do know that these guys always need to be mindful of who they are and accept the responsibilities that come with being in the spotlight.

The standard NFL Player Contract DOES include a conduct policy, and most signing bonus addendums contain additional language as well. Really, it's up to the teams and the Commissioner to decide who to punish and how. It seems like Commissioner Goodell has made it clear that this type of behavior will no longer be tolerated.

Brett:

Thanks for the reply. Can you help us understand what the "Language" & "Addendums" in the contracts are referring to exactly? Does it give the team the right to ask for SB money back if the player gets into trouble?

I'm sure a team would be very reluctant to suspend a star player or fine them with more than a slap on the wrist (Can you see the Pats suspending Brady?)

So, are the teams looking to Godell to be the "Bad Guy" and do their dirty work in order to maintain positive public perception?

I believe if some of the SB money was recouped as well as suspension it would get the players' attention. Do you believe that would be fair? Is that part of NFL contracts now?

How do you see this playing out league-wide over time?
 
No worries... I'm available for consultations...haha

I was wondering if you would comment on the following in your experience:
  • 90% of players on a given roster are stand up guys for the most part... 5% of players are for lack of a better term, "bad guys".... and 5% of players can go either way....
  • Teams cope with some "bad guys" because of their skill sets and their ability to deal with the violent nature of the NFL game.
  • The media exploits the "bad guy" minority because being bad "sells".
  • Being stopped DWB (Driving While Black) is a reality.
  • The media dictates perceptions... and that's a problem.
Thanks

I think there's truth to every point you make.
 
Hey Brett, with all the legal issues players have been having, what are the agents' take on this? Granted, they'll issue a formal statement for their players, but what do they really do besides that? (i.e. stern lecturing, legal advice, consultation, bewilderment, etc?)

All of the above.
 
Brett...with the game, dollars and risks in the NFL and sports in general growing by leaps and bounds... in your opinion.... break out your crystal ball and think outside the box and please respond to the following:
  • What service do you see emerging over the next 5 years for agents?
  • Same question for players?
  • Same question for owners/teams?
  • Knowing what you know now, what would you have done differently (if anything) in preparation to become an agent?
Many thanks...
 
Brett:

Thanks for the reply. Can you help us understand what the "Language" & "Addendums" in the contracts are referring to exactly? Does it give the team the right to ask for SB money back if the player gets into trouble?

I'm sure a team would be very reluctant to suspend a star player or fine them with more than a slap on the wrist (Can you see the Pats suspending Brady?)

So, are the teams looking to Godell to be the "Bad Guy" and do their dirty work in order to maintain positive public perception?

I believe if some of the SB money was recouped as well as suspension it would get the players' attention. Do you believe that would be fair? Is that part of NFL contracts now?

How do you see this playing out league-wide over time?

Most contracts with big bonuses state that the team can recoup signing bonus money if a player misses time due to violation of the conduct policy. Of course teams will always treat star players differently than the 53rd man on the roster... that's just the way it is in any line of work. In regards to Goodell, he's going to do what he's going to do and certain players better shape up fast.
 
Brett...with the game, dollars and risks in the NFL and sports in general growing by leaps and bounds... in your opinion.... break out your crystal ball and think outside the box and please respond to the following:
  • What service do you see emerging over the next 5 years for agents?
  • Same question for players?
  • Same question for owners/teams?
  • Knowing what you know now, what would you have done differently (if anything) in preparation to become an agent?
Many thanks...

I don't really see what services could change for agents, players, or owners at this time, and I wouldn't do ANYTHING differently than I did. Why change a winning formula?
 
Brett... I see that Beck signed a four year deal with the Dolphins... is there a restriction for signing second round players to deals that exceed 4 years as a rookie....
 
Brett... I see that Beck signed a four year deal with the Dolphins... is there a restriction for signing second round players to deals that exceed 4 years as a rookie....

I'm not Brett, but I can help with this. Players drafted after the first round cannot sign for more than 4 years. First round picks can sign for 5 years. Players drafted in the top half of the first round can sign for 6 years.
 
I'm not Brett, but I can help with this. Players drafted after the first round cannot sign for more than 4 years. First round picks can sign for 5 years. Players drafted in the top half of the first round can sign for 6 years.

I am Brett, and you are correct.
 
I see that Becks deal is really a 3 year deal with an option for a 4th.... on the surface this seems unusual to me for the guy Cam and Mueller hand selected as the "next"... any thoughts Brett?
 
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