Does the NFL Personal Conduct Policy apply to all?

Roger Goodell is fond of saying that the NFL Personal Conduct Policy applies to all, players, coaches and management equally. However I really got to ask, is that rally true? Oakland Raiders Head Coach Tom Cable got into a physical confrontation with an Assistant Coach more than a year ago, and yet no suspension or fine. Detroit Lions President Tom Lewand was pulled over and arrested for Drunk Driving last Saturday night and yet he remains on the job.

Now if a player got arrested for driving drunk, where no one was injured the standard penalty would be about a one game suspension. More than the Raiders situation or the alleged controlled substances being smuggled out of the New Orleans Saints medical locker, the case of Lewand is a little more cut and dry.

He was drunk, he already flunked a PBT test, and will face some sort of punishment for his crime through the legal system. This is the perfect opportunity for Goodell to show that this policy applies to all who make their living as an employee of a NFL team. If the standard punishment for a player is a one game suspension, it seems that Goodell should suspend Lewand for the equivalent, maybe a month, or maybe just a really big fine.

It is clear that the Lions will do nothing to punish Lewand. If William Clay Ford Sr., owner of the Lions, had a clue Lewand would not be running the team in the first place. It seems clear they will do nothing, but I believe the league should, especially considering Lewand already has the reputation of a guy who likes to have a cocktail or three at league events.

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•The Business of the NFL
•MTR Football.com
•Detroit Lions news and notes