You could say that today’s announcement of the NFL’s new conduct policy stems directly from the NFL’s bungling of the domestic violence case of Ray Rice last offseason.
But they’re at least addressing one of the biggest failings of that debacle/investigation, by including some women in the process.
There are two female members among the nine-member conduct committee -- Dee Haslam, the wife of Browns owner Jimmy Haslam, and Charlotte Jones Anderson, the daughter of Cowboys owner Jerry Jones and the team’s executive vice president.
While both Haslam and Anderson are established members of the NFL machine, they at least bring a gender diversity to a process that was woefully lacking in such at the time Rice was being investigated for punching his wife in the face in an elevator.
According to the league’s release, the committee “will review the policy at least annually and recommend appropriate changes with advice from outside experts. The committee will ensure that the policy remains current and consistent with best practices and evolving legal and social standards.”
Allowing women to speak is a step toward evolution for the league, to say the least.
The other members of the committee include chairman and Cardinals owner Michael Bidwill, Falcons owner Arthur Blank, Chiefs owner Clark Hunt, Bears owner George McCaskey, Texans owner Bob McNair and former NFL players Warrick Dunn and John Stallworth.
