OK, Let's See How Much Wool Goodell and the Owners Are Pulling Over Our Eyes THIS TIME...

Well, at least they delivered on a new Personal Conduct Policy.

Now, let's see how many "Yeah, right!"s I can throw into it.

Here it is from the league, in .PDF form.

"This policy applies to the Commissioner; all owners; all employees of the NFL, NFL clubs,and all NFL-related entities, including players under contract, coaches, game officials; all rookie players selected in the NFL college draft and all undrafted rookie players, unsigned veterans who were under contract in the prior League Year; and other prospective employees once they commence negotiations with a club concerning employment."
And there's problem #1...

They really need to have a policy in place to deal with situations like the current situation surrounding Jameis Winston. I doubt, quite highly, that Winston would be allowed to play under this Policy.

"Prohibited conduct includes but is not limited to the following:

• Actual or threatened physical violence against another person, including dating violence, domestic violence, child abuse, and other forms of family violence;
•  Assault and/or battery, including sexual assault or other sex offenses;
• Violent or threatening behavior toward another employee or a third party in any workplace setting;
• Stalking, harassment, or similar forms of intimidation;
•  Illegal possession of a gun or other weapon (such as explosives, toxic substances, and the like), or possession of a gun or other weapon in any workplace setting;
•  Illegal possession, use, or distribution of alcohol or drugs;
• Possession, use, or distribution of steroids or other performance enhancing substances;
• Crimes involving cruelty to animals as defined by state or federal law;
• Crimes of dishonesty such as blackmail, extortion, fraud, money laundering, or racketeering; Theft-related crimes such as burglary, robbery, or larceny;
• Disorderly conduct;
• Crimes against law enforcement, such as obstruction, resisting arrest, or harming a police officer or other law enforcement officer;
• Conduct that poses a genuine danger to the safety and well-being of another person; and
• Conduct that undermines or puts at risk the integrity of the NFL, NFL clubs, or NFL personnel.

OK, Mr. Goodell, one question:

This is the problem with your league: Enforce this list of conduct, and I don't think you can find 1,696 professional-level football players to play your games. So how you going to snow us under to ensure the show goes on?

So here's what happens:

1) Upon arrest, the league offers counseling and other related services, paid for by the league. In the case of domestic violence and child abuse and the like, urgent family services of similar types are provided. The player's amenability to such action will be a factor in eventual discipline. OK, makes sense.

2) An investigation is started. A more formal listing of putting players on the Commissioner/Exempt List is formed:

"First, you are formally charged with a crime of violence, meaning that you are accused of having used physical force or a weapon to injure or threaten another person, of having engaged in a sexual assault by force or a sexual assault of a person who was incapable of giving consent, of having engaged in other conduct that poses a genuine danger to the safety or well-being of another person, or of having engaged in animal abuse. The formal charges may be in the form of an indictment by a grand jury, the filing of charges by a prosecutor, or an arraignment in a criminal court."

Which means that the fixers are now going to have to start to work in ways similar to the Santa Clara County Sheriff for the likes of Ray McDonald, are we right, Mr. Commissioner?

At least the one thing which is the case: Now, you're off the field upon any such charge. You're going to be paid, but...

3) The Commissioner CAN come to their own findings on violations of the Policy, irrespective of the guilt or innocence of a player, and does NOT have to conform to the standards of a criminal trial, nor does it mean they are guilty in one, necessarily. Grounds for throwing this out, on Constitutional/Too Big To Fail grounds?

To wit:

You have violated this policy if you have a disposition of a criminal proceeding (as defined), or if the evidence gathered by the league’s investigation demonstrates that you engaged in conduct prohibited by the Personal Conduct Policy. In cases where you are not charged with a crime, or are charged but not convicted, you may still be found to have violated the Policy if the credible evidence establishes that you engaged in conduct prohibited by this Personal Conduct Policy.

4) Initial decisions will be made by someone in the league office, a new discipline head (doesn't sound like this will extend to on-the-field, since the new Policy makes the point that he or she will be "a highly-qualified individual with a criminal justice background."

5) You can be fined, suspended, or thrown out of the league. The new domestic-violence policy has been graduated into this (six games minimum on first offense, thrown out of the league on #2).

TROJAN HORSE.

Bottom line is what I said and bolded above: You actually enforce this, and I can GUARANTEE you that you won't find 1,696 professional-level football players who can or will abide by this.

PERIOD.