Given the whole Penn State disaster, the phrase "lack of institutional control" has certainly been prominent in the news lately. It's hardly the first time, though. A few decades ago Southern Methodist University's football program got slapped with the "death penalty" after repeated infractions, which the NCAA deemed to be a total LOIC. USC got hammered in the wake of the Reggie Bush affair, the U of Mich got zapped for some shady dealings when the Fab 5 was there, and Miami ran amok not long ago. There's other examples in the past, and there will no doubt be more examples in the future. It's like whack-a mole. No many how many you clobber, another one's bound to pop up.
But LOIC has always been associated with college sports, not the pros. Perhaps it's time to apply the same standards to them as well.
Certainly there have been some teams in the past whose players weren't exactly model citizens. How about the Portland "Jail Blazers" a while back in the NBA? The Cincinnati Bengals of the NFL went through a period where nobody seemed to know what a player was going to get arrested for next, but it was going to be something. The late Al Davis even took pride in assembling a team of mavericks, renegades, and wildmen when he owned the Oakland Raiders. However, there was no LOIC in that situation. Davis WAS the institution and ran it with an iron fist -- so that technically doesn't count.
And now we have the Detroit Lions. They've featured a stomper in a nationally televised Thanksgiving game. The same man would go on to trash his automobile with a couple of mysterious ladies aboard that seem to have magically vanished, and subsequently have a not so good episode with the cops. Cheap shot personal fouls by his teammates had the refs running out of flags to throw.
They have others that can't seem to stop driving while drunk, and/or getting busted with weed. Recently, there were allegations of an assault that involved a player brandishing a weapon, as in pointing a gun at somebody. Good grief, even head coach Jim Schwartz himself went berserk on the field last year after the opposing coach had merely clapped him on the back following the game. So what if the Lions lost at home? It happens to the best of teams once in a while, but that's no excuse for the guy in charge of the players to wig-out and embarrass not only himself, but his team and his city -- again on national TV. Don't think the players didn't notice this. Of course they did. Head coaches are supposed to show leadership in the right way, so the team will hopefully follow their example. So what message was sent to the players with his outburst? If it's OK for him to throw any matter of professionalism out the window -- then it must be OK for us as well. It should be no great surprise that carried over into some of their personal lives.
The Detroit Lions are currently the poster children of the professional version of "lack of institutional control".
The NCAA recently slapped Penn State with an arbitrary fine of $60 million for LOIC. PSU lost scholarships, had wins vacated, are not eligible to play in the post-season for 4 years, and even the "death penalty" for a year or two was considered, but ultimately not imposed.
So why shouldn't the pros be held to the same standard? What if commissioners in pro leagues had the same power as the NCAA has over universities?
If Roger Goodell levied a $60 million fine against the Lions, that wouldn't be such a big deal in the world of the Ford family, the multi-billionaires that own them. But if that was, say, $600 million, it might prompt even old William Clay Ford himself to snap out of his reverie and pay attention.
Take away a few high draft picks and the front office would certainly sit up and take notice. Vacating wins wouldn't matter, because up until last year they didn't have very many to speak of anyway. Maybe while they're at it, they could expunge the entire Matt Millen era and that 0-16 season, but I digress.
If the Lions, as an NFL franchise, can't get their players under control, both on and off the field, perhaps more drastic measures are called for. Consider the post-season ban on Penn State. What if the same penalty was handed down to the Lions? It doesn't matter what their regular-season record is -- even if it's 16-0 -- no playoff games for the next 4 years. Imagine.
If THAT happened, I flat-out guarantee, one way or the other, all this amoral behavior both on and off the field would STOP. They would find a way. And isn't that the point?
As for the death penalty? No need. The Green Bay Packers will likely see to that in the foreseeable future.
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