If your article is pointing out that possession of a drug is a bad thing and should be punished, then I hope that you are also thinking that Marcus Thomas should be in trouble for possession. If we’re back to the Brandon Marshall comparisons, then it’s even worse. On the one hand, some of us complain because we want players held accountable. On the other hand, we complain because one of our players was held accountable. We can’t have it both ways.

Accountability isn’t a game of comparisons. I work every day with criminals who argue vociferously that they shouldn’t be held accountable because someone else either got off scot free or with a lighter sentence. They also blame the judge for what they perceive as the injustice.

The bottom line is that our guy has been in trouble multiple times, and is getting a second chance through a light suspension and a strong incentive to get counseling. Let’s leave off field bad behaviour to other teams and strive to have high quality players on our own team.

We’re no better than the raiders if we cheer for other teams’ players to get busted, while defending our own. If we flock to the defense of players like Thomas, Marshall, or even Hackney for making poor decisions (several times in the case of Marshall) then we sure as heck shouldn’t be pointing our fingers at anyone else.

Frankly, before Goodell came along this kind of behaviour off the field was rampant. It’s just started getting addressed in the last couple of years, and perhaps it will start paying off in the long run. Over time, teams will think long and hard over whether a player is worth the suspension risks and the game will get cleaned up.

As for Matt Jones, I don’t know if he has a history of the behavior or not, but he’s only guilty of what he pleas to. A plea can mean the evidence just isn’t there, or it can mean a lot of things. The bottom line is, how many brushes with the law has he had in the last year, and, should we also be calling for Marcus Thomas’ head?

I think the Marshall episode is over (if Marshall straightens up), and we as a fan base should move forward. If our players don’t put themselves in bad situations, we don’[t have to worry about making comparisons. There’s always someone who gets off easier, and someone who got it worse than our own guys. Let’s let it go and enjoy some football. (Just my opinion).

The most important virtue of any justice system is consistency.

:)

I think amirebram is striking at a point that bothers me as well and that’s perception and inconsistent media coverage. Sadly, I think journalistic integrity (let alone competence) are in decline and we might as well get used to very selective media coverage. With a 24.7 news cycle, analysts, talking heads, etc run with the easiest story line. Homework is optional these days.

I agree with HT, too, that we need to clean up our own house first. If guys are walking the straight and narrow than we’ll have nothing to worry about. Fact is, the Broncos have made a name for themselves over the past few years for drafting/signing suspect character guys (Maurice Clarett, Travis Henry, Marcus Thomas). I think it then becomes easy for commentators to focus more attention on the Broncos when another one of their players gets in trouble. Another reason for the disparity or lack of coverage may be that Matt Jones sucks and Jacksonville is almost a non-media market. Who cares what happens in Jacksonville????

For giggles just think of how this would play out if Goodell was commish of the NBA; he would suspend the entire league! :)

1. Marshall needs to grow up and clean up his act no matter what anyone else on the Broncos or in the NFL is doing. He’s been in trouble almost as many times as Chris Henry and Adam Jones (though not as severe, but the #’s I’m talking about). Marshall didn’t get near what those 2 got for punishments. He’s the one who put himself in this situation, he’s the only one responsible for not being in it again. His punishment is appropriate for his offenses.

2. Matt Jones and M. Lynch, to my knowledge, are first time offenders. I believe what Goodell is trying to stop is the repeated acts of criminal behavior, meaning that subsequent problems increase in greater proportion punishment. So players won’t get the death penalty for a one-time screw up, but be blasted for repeated problems. In the case of M. Jones, is his punishment any greater than someone who popped positive for coke on a pee test? If I’m not mistake, he’s put into the NFL drug program, but not suspended for a first offense.

So I guess I’m saying that Marshall needs to man up and fly straight and not worry about anything else.

Goodell is gonna run his ship the way he sees fit, Now I disagree with the way he is running it, I think he is inconsistent but it wont change anyhting. I do think Jones should be suspended for at least 2 games same as Marshall. But really is that gonna happen? I doubt it. I am tired of complaining about it. The only thing I want is #15 to stay clean. Screw the rest of the league as far as I am concerned. As long as the Broncos stay clean and win thats all that really should matter now

“But this [...] should have spotlighted something entirely different – and would have if the receiver was black.”

I can’t believe you got away with injecting racism into the fray without so much as a question about it! You may not have written this article, but the fact that you brought it to our attention and defended it in the comments leads me to believe that you support its ideas. Do you really believe that Marshall was suspended and Jones was not because of the color of their skin? Do you even think that the media attention was different because of that??? Perhaps you should consider that the former is a budding star in the league, while the later is a bust, which usually matters as far as the MSM is concerned. And I believe that Goodell is much more concerned with “paterns of behavior” than single events because he, much like our society at large, can forgive almost anything once (we’re all human) so long as you accept the consequences and change your behavior. Goddell’s no racist and neither is the media in this case; trying to assert that only weakens any other points made.

P.S.: Isn’t Marshawn Lynch black and wasn’t his the worst crime of all, or does this racism only apply to the WR position??? By the way, I consider physical violence against women to be at least as bad as possession of narcotics; maybe that’s just me, but it’s how I feel about that.

I don’t have any problem with keeping the league clean. But I did (and do) have a problem with Goodell, shortly after taking office, disciplining players for things that had happened in the past. He should have taken office, and made a clear declaration of what would not be tolerated in the future, but we still are not clear on what he’s thinking. Brandon Marshall gets suspended for multiple incidents, where not much happened, while Marshawn Lynch and Matt Jones walk after very serious incidents (felonies), but their first.
Also, it now seems that Adam Schefter was correct when he reported, on a Sunday, I think, that Marshall would get a 3 game suspension (2 with counseling) but then on Monday Goodell said no decision had been made. On Tuesday, Goodell announced a 3 game suspension, 2 with counseling.
Is Goodell an honest person? I miss Paul Tagliabue.

for all his heavy handedness I dont see anything really changing? The NFL is a microcosm of society. Pure and simple

Its just ooooozing into the NFL.

that doesn’t make sense.