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http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.co...-case-features-stunning-lack-of-transparency/
Josh Brown case features stunning lack of transparency
Posted by Mike Florio
AP
For certain league policies (like the substance-abuse and PED policies), confidentiality is — or at least should be — maintained until a player’s punishment becomes final. For other policies (like the Personal Conduct Policy), transparency trumps confidentiality, especially since most investigations arise from incidents that become a matter of public record.
As to Giants kicker Josh Brown, the lack of transparency has been stunning.
Apart from the announcement of a one-game suspension, which was unavoidable given the looming disappearance of Brown from the team’s facility for a week, the league had said nothing at all about Brown, either before of after the suspension was imposed. It wasn’t announced or leaked, to the reporters on the league’s payroll or anyone else, that Brown had been arrested for domestic violence. It wasn’t announced or leaked, to the reporters on the league’s payroll or anyone else, that Brown’s wife told police that Brown had become physically violent on 20 prior occasions.
It hasn’t been explained why Brown wasn’t placed on paid leave pending the completion of the league’s investigation and disciplinary process. And it hasn’t been explained why Brown received a suspension of only one game when the Personal Conduct Policy, as revised in December 2014, calls for a six-game suspension for a first-time domestic violence offender, with consideration given to aggravating and mitigating factors.
For Brown, the league found sufficient mitigating factors to drop the baseline banishment from six games to one. So what were the factors that justified the reduction?
In fairness to the league, it could have imposed no suspension at all on Brown, which would have potentially kept anyone from ever knowing about any of this. Still, the decision to impose such a short suspension in the post-Ray Rice NFL cries out for the kind of explanation that hasn’t been, and may never be, provided.
Meanwhile, the Giants shouldn’t be immune from scrutiny. They are curiously circling the wagons around an easily-replaceable player to whom they signed a two-year, $4 million contract after becoming aware of the May 2015 incident. Why did they keep Brown? It’s a fair question to ask given the facts that are finally coming to light.
And it’s not a fair answer to cite privacy interests or similar concerns. The NFL has made its efforts to eradicate domestic violence a very public aspect of its business. The league and its teams (no matter how influential Giants co-owner John Mara may be) should not be allowed to hide behind confidentiality in matters of this nature, especially since the league and its teams routinely fail to preserve confidentiality under policies that clearly and plainly demand it.
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https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Josh_Brown_(American_football)#St._Louis_Rams
St. Louis Rams
Brown kicks a field goal during a game against the San Francisco 49ers on November 16, 2008.
On February 29, 2008, Brown signed with the St. Louis Rams who made him the NFL's highest paid kicker at the time. The Seahawks had offered comparable money, but with an extra year and back loaded the whole deal. This would have made Brown the highest paid kicker, but he took offense to the fact that the Seahawks' contract was something Brown got offered after visiting the Rams. In an interview on Seattle sports radio station KJR 950 Brown stated that he had not wanted to be a "slave to the businessman," a statement that was ridiculed by Seattle media and fans.
On October 12, 2008, Brown kicked 4 field goals, including the game-winning 49-yarder as time expired against Washington Redskins. On November 1, 2009, Brown threw a 36-yard touchdown pass to tight end Daniel Fells with 54 seconds remaining in the 1st half against the Detroit Lions.
On August 13, 2011, Brown made a 60-yard field goal in a preseason game against the Indianapolis Colts. Had it been a regular season game, it would have recorded as a career long, but in preseason games stats are not recorded. The Rams cut him in April 2012 in preparation for drafting Greg Zuerlein in the 2012 NFL Draft. He was in the final year of his $14.2 million 5-year deal with the Rams.
Josh Brown case features stunning lack of transparency
Posted by Mike Florio
AP
For certain league policies (like the substance-abuse and PED policies), confidentiality is — or at least should be — maintained until a player’s punishment becomes final. For other policies (like the Personal Conduct Policy), transparency trumps confidentiality, especially since most investigations arise from incidents that become a matter of public record.
As to Giants kicker Josh Brown, the lack of transparency has been stunning.
Apart from the announcement of a one-game suspension, which was unavoidable given the looming disappearance of Brown from the team’s facility for a week, the league had said nothing at all about Brown, either before of after the suspension was imposed. It wasn’t announced or leaked, to the reporters on the league’s payroll or anyone else, that Brown had been arrested for domestic violence. It wasn’t announced or leaked, to the reporters on the league’s payroll or anyone else, that Brown’s wife told police that Brown had become physically violent on 20 prior occasions.
It hasn’t been explained why Brown wasn’t placed on paid leave pending the completion of the league’s investigation and disciplinary process. And it hasn’t been explained why Brown received a suspension of only one game when the Personal Conduct Policy, as revised in December 2014, calls for a six-game suspension for a first-time domestic violence offender, with consideration given to aggravating and mitigating factors.
For Brown, the league found sufficient mitigating factors to drop the baseline banishment from six games to one. So what were the factors that justified the reduction?
In fairness to the league, it could have imposed no suspension at all on Brown, which would have potentially kept anyone from ever knowing about any of this. Still, the decision to impose such a short suspension in the post-Ray Rice NFL cries out for the kind of explanation that hasn’t been, and may never be, provided.
Meanwhile, the Giants shouldn’t be immune from scrutiny. They are curiously circling the wagons around an easily-replaceable player to whom they signed a two-year, $4 million contract after becoming aware of the May 2015 incident. Why did they keep Brown? It’s a fair question to ask given the facts that are finally coming to light.
And it’s not a fair answer to cite privacy interests or similar concerns. The NFL has made its efforts to eradicate domestic violence a very public aspect of its business. The league and its teams (no matter how influential Giants co-owner John Mara may be) should not be allowed to hide behind confidentiality in matters of this nature, especially since the league and its teams routinely fail to preserve confidentiality under policies that clearly and plainly demand it.
---------------
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Josh_Brown_(American_football)#St._Louis_Rams
St. Louis Rams
Brown kicks a field goal during a game against the San Francisco 49ers on November 16, 2008.
On February 29, 2008, Brown signed with the St. Louis Rams who made him the NFL's highest paid kicker at the time. The Seahawks had offered comparable money, but with an extra year and back loaded the whole deal. This would have made Brown the highest paid kicker, but he took offense to the fact that the Seahawks' contract was something Brown got offered after visiting the Rams. In an interview on Seattle sports radio station KJR 950 Brown stated that he had not wanted to be a "slave to the businessman," a statement that was ridiculed by Seattle media and fans.
On October 12, 2008, Brown kicked 4 field goals, including the game-winning 49-yarder as time expired against Washington Redskins. On November 1, 2009, Brown threw a 36-yard touchdown pass to tight end Daniel Fells with 54 seconds remaining in the 1st half against the Detroit Lions.
On August 13, 2011, Brown made a 60-yard field goal in a preseason game against the Indianapolis Colts. Had it been a regular season game, it would have recorded as a career long, but in preseason games stats are not recorded. The Rams cut him in April 2012 in preparation for drafting Greg Zuerlein in the 2012 NFL Draft. He was in the final year of his $14.2 million 5-year deal with the Rams.
