NFL commissioner Roger Goodell is reportedly weighing whether to punish Browns WR Braylon Edwards for his alleged altercation (read: punching Lebron’s friend in the face) the other night, according to the Cleveland Plain-Dealer.
At issue is the fact that the NFL’s personal conduct guidelines not only lay out punishments for breaking the law, but also prescribe players to essentially act in a manner that reflects well on the league; think of it as a “no bad headlines clause”.
While Goodell has been lenient with most first-time offenders, Edwards has a more complicated past. In the past year he was fined for driving 120 mph, and was drinking with teammate Donte Stallworth the night Stallworth struck and killed a pedestrian with his car. It’s not clear whether Goodell will consider those incidents previous offenses or not.
Meanwhile, Mark McManamon of the Akron Beacon Journal has a different punishment in mind for Edwards: go sign with the Lions if he can’t handle playing in Lebron’s shadow. Ouch.