tonytalkssports My Take on Sports, particularly the Yankees, Maple Leafs and Browns

Pryor Suspension – Right Move

In reading stories from various outlets, there is a considerable amount of condemnation over Roger Goodell's decision to allow Terrell Pryor to enter the NFL supplemental draft but he will have to serve a 5 game suspension. It is the suspension that has some people in an uproar. I think I am in the minority but I don't have a problem with the suspension.

There are some who say that the Pryor suspension sets a dangerous precedent and they paint a scenario where a player gets into a fight while in college, gets disciplined at school and possibly charged criminally. Why wouldn't that player be given a suspension?? Typically, in cases like the one posed, the player does suffer a penalty: they get drafted lower. How many times do we hear about so-called character issues.

While I don't condone such actions and quite frankly if there is a pattern of behavior I would not want my team to draft such a player, the Pryor situation is different in my mind because Pryor's acts strike right at the core of college football. College football is the NFL's minor league system. If the NCAA is ultimately damaged by the creation of a new oragnization comprised of the BCS conferences, it is unclear what the relationship will be with this new organization and the NFL.

It is in the NFL's best interest to ensure that NCAA College Football cleans up its act. The NFL can send a strong message to college football. In fact, I would like to see players not be allowed to enter the draft unless they graduate. I'll even propose something more drastic: if a program is found in violation of NCAA rules, players from that university would not be eligible for the NFL draft for the length of the penalties.

Will any of this happen??? Absolutely not!!! But drastic times requires drastic measures. Kudos to Roger Goodell.