New England Patriots president, Jonathan Kraft, gave media a little more than what they bargained for when he spoke candidly about the NFL’s personal conduct policy and disciplinary measures. While some may have thought he was referring directly to the Tom Brady’s deflategate scandal, it was clear that Kraft was addressing the personal conduct policy as a whole. Before the Patriots took on the Saints Saturday, Kraft gave a pregame interview with 98.5 The Sports Hub. Noting that the PCP and disciplinary measures by the commissioner started under former commissioner Paul Tagliabue, Kraft pointed out that it was “strengthened under Roger”. In order to understand the “real premise of how it’s done was created”, Kraft explains that we must examine the middle part of the last decade.
“There probably needs to be a rethinking so that the league office and the commissioner aren’t put in a spotlight in a way that detracts from the league’s image and the game — even if the league office is doing the right thing, or the wrong thing, or whatever you think,” Kraft said. “It probably needs to be rethought for the modern era that we’re in and the different things that are coming up that I don’t think people anticipated and how the public wants to see them treated.
“At the end of the day, our league consumes the country’s consciousness for big periods of the year and what we’re doing at the league level, and what the players are doing and coaches are doing should be the focus of how the public views us that vast majority of the time. I’m talking about all the things that have been talked about over the last year. I think it’s a general big-picture issue that needs to be addressed, but I don’t have any answers for you today.”
Kraft was then asked who would be involved in making such a change, and answered that it “definitely involves all parties” — a reference to owners and players.
“I think the league office, with the business of football, there is so much to handle day to day, and so much to do,” he said. “I think there needs to be a prescribed process for how certain parts of the discipline process are going to work, especially probably the appeals, so that the spotlight and the attention doesn’t all have to fall on Park Avenue. I’m not saying Park Avenue is capable or not capable. I’m not making a value judgment with what I’m saying. I think I’m just making a big-picture macro observation.”
The policy definitely needs to be re-evaluated. Things that directly affect the game, in my opinion, should be handled in a more severe manner than things that are off the field. I’m not saying domestic violence should be swept under the rug because it is an issue that is plaguing not only the league and the professional sports arena, but the general population as well. I’m also concerned with public opinion and in the past how it appeared to have direct affects on disciplinary measures.
I’m waiting to see where this goes.
-Niko Rose
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