The Verdict Is In But Does the Punishment Fit The Crime?

By now you all have probably heard that Braylon Edwards will not be suspended for the game against Miami. He will dress but not start. When or if he plays will be Rex Ryan's call. This decision by the Jets has been met by many in the NY press with disgust and disappointment. I am in agreement with the majority but not for the reason that you might think.

While I still believe that Edwards should sit the entire game on Sunday, my previous blog on this issue was very knee jerk. After having some time to really digest the facts of the incident and the potential discipline that is involved with such a case, I started to see things in a different light. In fact, I heard an opinion yesterday on the Michael Kay Show yesterday which was not only contradictory to almost everyone else, it actually made some sense.

He basically said that both the Jets and the fans knew exactly what they were getting into when they made the trade for Edwards. The fact that it took until now for him to screw up should not come as a surprise to anyone and that we all should stop being hypocritical and holier than thou. The handwriting was on the wall and we as fans and media alike chose not to see it. So just because we were proven wrong and Edwards showed us his inability to make smart decisions, we are not allowed to dump on him for this.

I found this view rather interesting and to be quite honest, with some merit. Speaking only for myself here, I chose to go through last season and this upcoming season with very small but visible blinders on regarding the "character" issue guys the Jets acquired. My feeling like most fans is as long as you give us a championship, everything is peachy. That frame of thinking though comes with a price. If you choose not to care about the potential bad stuff a player does off the field, then you can't go nuts when the player actually does something bad off the field.

I know I kind of went off track but I thought that was an important aspect to throw out there. Now let's get back to the reason why I'm disappointed with the Jets decision to play Edwards. According to reports, the Jets made their decision based on the fact that they would have violated a rule in the current collective bargaining agreement if they had simply decided to deactivate or bench Edwards on Sunday night. The clause was instituted after the Eagles deactivated T.O. who was unhappy about his contract, for the final nine games of the 2005 season.

This is what disappoints me. The Jets had a chance to show the team in the wake of ALL the negative press that has been surrounding them before Edwards arrest that there will be a zero tolerance policy against this kind of behavior. They chose to hide behind the CBA in an attempt to avoid any further backlash from the union. Instead of setting a strong example of discipline they basically told the team that getting arrested for drunk driving will only be met with a slap on the wrist.

Here's another way to look at it. As reported, Edwards participation in the game will be determined by Ryan. That could mean anything. They never said exactly how much time he will miss. Will it be 1 quarter, 2 quarters, 3 quarters or 2 plays? For all we know, if the Dolphins score early and the Jets go 3 and out with their 1st possession, Ryan could put him in the game to try and get the offense going. What kind of message does that send? This is not a good sign for a team that has already made the front page for all the wrong reasons.


I now pose these questions to all of you. Do you think that Edwards should play the entire game? Should the Jets have deactivated him entirely? Should Ryan just sit him out anyway? Are the Jets cowards for hiding behind the league and not taking charge of their own house.


That's all I got......Now Let's Go Eat A God Damn Snack!