About one week ago, Jets wide receiver Braylon Edwards was arrested on charges of DUI, stemming from driving with a blood alcohol content of 0.16 which is twice the legal limit. Since then, there has a been a lot of criticism of the Jets as an organization for deciding that Edwards’ punishment was a one quarter suspension during Monday night’s game against the Dolphins.
Let me start out by saying that I in no way, shape or form agree with the decisions of Edwards in driving with intoxicated. It was poor decision and with all the options he had that had that would have prevented this incident, he deserves the slamming he is getting for it. However, I’m not of the opinion that the Jets deserve it. So consider this to be the other side; the explanation to why the Jets made the correct decision in allowing Braylon Edwards to play in Monday night’s game.
There are three main people who are being targeted in this attack of the Jets, those being head coach Rex Ryan, general manager Mike Tannenbaum and owner Woody Johnson. All have their own reasons for why they would make this decision, but I think there is an overriding fact that needs to be addressed first. That fact is that the NFL is a business. I know it sounds obvious, but the purpose of a business is to make a profit. Not to build a better community. Not to improve social habits. Not to improve people. The purpose of a business is to make money. The only reason any business, including the NFL, focuses on the conduct of their personnel is because of the effect of a negative perception on potential profits. If the NFL owners didn’t feel that the conduct of players off the field would affect their potential profits, there would be no conduct policy that went beyond the confines of the law. It’s a simple fact. You may find that reprehensible, but that is the way it is.
That kind of logic is what had to be going through Jet’s Owner Woody Johnson’s head when the decision to let Edwards play was made. There was a very simple comparison to be made; how much potential profit was there to be lost by allowing Edwards to play versus the amount of potential profit lost by not allowing Edwards to play and potentially losing the game. In hindsight it was clearly a good idea from an on-the-field production standpoint; however, Woody Johnson didn’t know he would play that well when the decision was leveled. He needed to consider a number of other things. One was the opponent. I know it seems petty in comparison to the potential loss of life; however it is important those involved. In a game against a division opponent on the road, no matter how early in the season it is, that game is important. No one can predict how these early divisional games will play a role in the playoff race later in the season.
Another important factor that comes to the mind of all those involved is what the Jets have done to prepare for the season. I know it sounds kind of weak, but think about this from the owner’s perspective. He’s been doling out money left and right trying to build a team to make a Super Bowl run. This past offseason more than ever, the Jets signed a good number of high-profile players to one and two year contracts to try and make run for the Super Bowl this season. While it is easy to blame Braylon Edward’s stupidity for this not working out (should this incident have any effect on the Jets performance), I doubt Woody Johnson will see it as simply as that. The man is spending millions of dollars to pay players to perform well on the field and when one of those players is not on the field, he is not going to allow that to be an excuse if the team is doing poorly.
Probably the most underrated aspect of this entire situation is the demographic of the Jets. In smaller cities with closer knit communities, this kind of incident would resonate more with the populous. It’s more likely in those tight knit communities that a random person within the populous has had an experience with a loved one being lost due to drunk driving or that they know someone who has been affected by that kind of incident. However, in massive New York City, it seems that the masses or more desensitized to the criminal actions taking place around them and care less about what may happen to others in the city. It’s not say that no one cares about the incident, but more along the lines that a smaller percentage of New York City’s population is affected by an incident like this than in a city like Green Bay or Pittsburgh. Also, in cities like those, the football team is a bigger draw because there are fewer avenues by which one can entertain one’s self. However, in New York City, football is one of many draws. The Jets not only have to compete with the Giants for the sports entertainment dollar, but they also have to compete with the Knicks, Nets, Yankees, Mets, Islanders and Rangers. That’s also not including having to compete with Broadway, movie theaters and countless other entertainment venues for disposable income. In that competition, providing a quality product, which is mostly measured by winning and losing, is generally more important than maintaining the moral high ground.
That is the kind of logic that an owner must consider when a make a decision like this; however, what must be going through the heads of the head coach and general manager when a decision like this is being made? Well, besides from the first two arguments I discussed, there is the fact that both Rex Ryan and Mike Tannebaum could lose their jobs if the Jets don’t play well enough. I know that an individual game shouldn’t be enough to cost them their jobs; however, no one has a clue about how much this game will affect the race for the division. Given how much money Woody Johnson has invested on this team, it’s doubtful that even an Edwards’ suspension would give Ryan or Tannebaum an excuse for the potential failure of the Jets to perform. In their minds (potentially), their jobs are on the line throughout the season and they need to do all they can to keep the team performing well. I certainly can’t blame them for not wanting to get fired.
Overall, the backlash that the Jets have received for their decision to allow Edwards to play is just another in a long line of criticisms the NFL has received for their handling of personal conduct. The common theme is that, regardless of what the law decides or what would be a reasonable disciplinary action, groups of people want NFL players who are involved in dubious off the field activities to not be given a second chance. Perhaps the best example of this is the situation surrounding Michael Vick. Regardless of what you think of Michael Vick and his actions, the actions of PETA in the weeks leading up to Michael Vick’s trial were beyond reprehensible; they were downright disgusting. The story of Michael Vick’s involvement in a dog fighting ring had barely broken before PETA was demanding the Vick be punished before even knowing if he was actually involved or not. As the situation unfolded, PETA raised their demands to the point of some demanding that Vick be permanently banned from the NFL. They weren’t looking for justice for the animals that Vick had abused and killed, they were simply using his situation as a way to get themselves in the news and to promote themselves cheaply. That’s really my big problem with it. PETA was more interested in promoting themselves than allowing the justice system to take its course, or allowing Vick to be given the fair trial that all American citizens are promised in the Constitution.
Fortunately, the NFL is smarter than to rush into this incident and lay down punishment at this time. I know the common opinion is that the NFL should be getting involved and suspending Edwards for at least a game or two. But, from the NFL’s perspective, it’s too risky to get involved with this right now. The part of that will be quoted most often is the fact that the NFL’s conduct policy allows for the justice system to run its course before a final decision is made. However, I think there is a lot more to this than that. Let’s keep in mind that the NFL and the Player’s Union are in the middle of negotiating an extension to the Collective Bargaining Agreement, a big part of which is the manner in which teams and the NFL can discipline players for poor conduct. Rushing this situation could very well stress the negotiations to a point that could make it almost impossible to avoid a lockout/strike. There are a lot of “ifs” in that statement, but when one is dealing with legal negotiations; every “if” matters.
This is issue is far more complex than I think most fans give it credit for. It’s not so much a matter of if the Jets or the NFL condone what Braylon Edwards did, it’s more a matter of how to deal with it and not adversely affect business too much. It sounds so wrong, but from the perspective of those organizations involved, it’s still very important. Besides, by this time next week, no will care.
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