Colts owner Jim Irsay has been allowed to participate in the NFL draft and this week’s owners’ meeting despite his recent arrest for operating a vehicle while intoxicated and felony possession of a controlled substance. NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell says it would be premature to suspend Irsay right now.
Goodell noted at the owners’ meeting that Irsay hasn’t been formally charged yet, and as a result Goodell isn’t ready to hand down any punishment.
“There have been no charges,” he said. “Until we have more information and more facts we will let it play out.”
But Goodell doesn’t always wait for formal charges before disciplining a player. Most notably, Ben Roethlisberger was suspended for four games because he was accused of sexual assault. Roethlisberger was not even arrested, let alone charged.
As Goodell continues to take his time about disciplining Irsay, it’s looking like there’s a double standard applied to owners.