NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell says he doesn’t know exactly what happened between Cowboys cornerback Adam “Pacman” Jones and his team-appointed bodyguard, but he does know he’s not happy to be talking about Pacman.
Asked about the reports that Pacman got in a fight with his bodyguard in a Dallas hotel, Goodell told Mike Tirico on
ESPN Radio today that it’s clear that some type of incident did occur, that he won’t tolerate behavior that reflects poorly on the league, and that he’s disappointed that he’s even being asked about Pacman.
“We’re trying to determine all the facts,” Goodell said. “It’s clear there was some type of an incident. We want to understand all the facts and once we do understand the facts then we can make a judgment from that point. But at this point right now it’s just making sure we understand exactly what did happen.”
With some players, the mere fact that “there was some type of an incident” wouldn’t be enough to talk about fines or suspensions, but if there’s one player in the league who hasn’t earned the benefit of the doubt, it’s Jones.
“I don’t think there’s any misunderstanding about the position that Adam has put himself in with respect to all of the behavior,” Goodell said. “And I’ve been very clear with him about the fact that it cannot reflect poorly on himself, the team or the NFL, and that there were certain things that I expected of him. And I think he clearly understands that. I guess I would tell you that I’m disappointed that we’re even discussing this at this point in time. But we’ll have to wait for the facts and understand exactly what happened before we make any determinations.”
Now that the Cowboys have reportedly
decided not to discipline Jones, it will be solely up to Goodell to determine whether Jones is subject to league discipline.
