But then again, can he really suspend someone for allegedly supplying some recreational drugs in the privacy of his home and NOT come down ona pampered legacy Billionaire owner for driving around town intoxicated with $29K to purchase drugs.? IMO the Rice disgrace was calculated with an eye towards giving Irsay a comparable (aka "free ride"). Pretty difficult to come down on Pouncey for the drug supplier allegations (and do we know that Martin or Incog didn't also provide them when hosts at their places?) and not come down even harder on Irsay based on the scope of the offense :idk:
Should Goodell suspend a player for allegedly selling drugs while looking the other way when an owner essentially does the same thing? Absolutely not.
Could Goodell suspend a player for allegedly selling drugs while looking the other way when an owner essentially does the same thing? Um....
In previous incidents Goodell has shown he has the owners back. Sure, the 500k fine towards the Saints during Bountygate wasnt pleasant, but it didnt come close to the money the players would have lost had they not successfully appealed(to Tagliabue incidentally) their year long suspensions, to say nothing of the nasty public campaign Goodell put them through. The owners wanted to hire a yes man, they succeeded.
As well, beating Irsay over the head with penalties would create a precedent Goodell just doesnt want to deal with. Policing the owners private lives? Too much of a hassle, especially since it would bite the hands that feeds. Now policing the players private lives? Well, Goodell created a catchphrase just for that: Protecting the Shield.
So im not going to be surprised in the least when Irsay gets a slap on the wrist(say, as you suggested, the 2 games Rice got?) while players are handed 8 game to year long suspensions.
That being said, i doubt the drug allegations are held against Pouncey at all. I have no doubt they hear drug rumors all the time. Heck, seeing as how the league hires former Federal agents for their investigation branch, i have no doubt they have some solid evidence against players. But until they get stone cold busted(either by a drug test or an arrest) the league seems willing to look the other way. In fact, if i recall correctly, according to the CBA the league cant order random drug testing until either of those things happen. In that regard, Goodell's hands are tied.
This situation is dependent on Pouncey being "a good soldier". Goodell is offering him an out. If Pouncey plays ball and goes to a few sessions, he can go about his business. In Goodell's defense, hes kind of stuck. Since the Wells report showed a whole lot of stupidity but little maliciousness, im sure Goodell doesnt really give a **** about this anymore. But bullying is a national topic at the moment and he
has to appear sensitive to that. Sending Pouncey to a doctor allows him to sidestep this entire drama. Now if Pouncey drags him back into it by refusing...well, i dont think hes going to be quite so easy going.