Indianapolis Colts owner Jim Irsay was formally charged last week with two misdemeanors resulting from his March intoxicated driving arrest.
Irsay was charged with one count of operating a vehicle while intoxicated and one count of operating a vehicle with a schedule I or II controlled substance. No other charges were filed despite the fact Irsay was carrying numerous pill bottles and $29,000 in cash on him at the time he was arrested.
Despite the fact that it took the Hamilton County prosecutors office two months to formally file charges against Irsay, the burden now falls on Roger Goodell and the league to merit out some form of punishment.
Reality is that if this were a player, league official or front office personnel, the punishment for such actions would have been harsh and swift. The fact that Irsay is an owner should not change the time it takes to dole out punishment nor the severity of that punishment.
Just like the NBA, the NFL is a private league. It must hold all of its members to a higher standard than the average person. When the audio tapes of LA Clippers owner Donald Sterling reached the media, the punishment for his words was both swift and severe, despite the fact that Sterling's words, while inflammatory, were not illegal. Irsay's actions were illegal both by the letter of the law, and to the code of conduct that each person in the NFL is held to.
Delaying punishment for Irsay sends a bad message to the fans, the media and other personnel around the league. If the NBA can be swift in handing down punishment, so should the NFL. If players can be punished even before receiving judgment on charges, so should the owners.
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