| Goodell not shortening season-long suspension for Pacman Jones |
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| Written by Admin |
| Tuesday, 06 November 2007 14:28 |
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NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) -NFL commissioner Roger Goodell told Titans cornerback Adam ``Pacman'' Jones in April to sit out the 2007 season. On Tuesday, the commissioner informed Jones he still hasn't changed his mind. Jones had met with the commissioner last week in New York, pleading for some leniency and an early return. But the cornerback whose biggest community service was buying wrestling tickets for Atlanta students to watch him at a pay-per-view event last month didn't convince Goodell. The commissioner told Jones his suspension will last through this season, which would include the playoffs if the Titans (6-2) qualify. ``He will be eligible to begin working out at the Titans' facility following the conclusion of the team's season,'' the league said in a statement late Tuesday afternoon. Messages were left by The Associated Press seeking comment from Jones' attorneys. Goodell had promised Jones' case would be reviewed after Tennessee's 10th game of the season. He met with Jones last Friday - two days before the Titans' eighth game. But the Titans, who have replaced their best defensive player, had been expecting the suspension to stand. ``As we have said all through this process, we understood the suspension was for a year and made preparations to move our team forward without Adam Jones,'' the team said in a statement. ``We will continue to monitor his situation and will address his future when he is reinstated by the commissioner.'' Goodell originally suspended Jones in April for violating the league's personal conduct policy. At the time, Jones had been arrested five times since the Titans drafted him with the sixth overall pick in the 2005 draft. The suspension followed a Las Vegas strip club fight Feb. 19 in which police accused Jones of inciting a fight inside that led to a triple shooting outside that left one man paralyzed. Jones was arrested on two felony counts of coercion in June after dropping an appeal of his NFL punishment. Jones said in interviews since his suspension that he felt he was being treated unfairly and that the punishment was harsh. To keep himself busy, he signed a contract with Total Nonstop Action Wrestling. But the Titans got an injunction that limited his physical contact to prevent any injuries. Jones' contract ended recently with TNA, and the Nashville-based company did not renew the deal. His legal problems still haven't been resolved. Jones faces a Nov. 27 hearing in Las Vegas. A felony count of obstruction in Georgia recently was postponed until March, and a public intoxication and disorderly conduct charge in Tennessee from August 2006 was revived and postponed until January. With Jones on the roster in 2006, the Titans ranked last in the NFL in yards allowed. Without him, the Titans currently rank second in total defense and first against the run. They replaced him by signing veteran Nick Harper and second-year cornerback Cortland Finnegan developed into a starter. They also have plenty of depth with Reynaldo Hill and Kelly Herndon. |
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