Trask: In Disciplinary Matters, NFL Teams Use 'Situational Ethics' Based On Player's Talent
CBS (BOSTON) - Former Raiders CEO and current That Other Pregame Show and We Need to Talk panelist Amy Trask was a guest of 98.5 The Sports Hub's Gresh & Zolak program Thursday morning, and the former NFL executive shed some light on the Ray Rice and Adrian Peterson situations.
When NFL executives find out some bad news, their reactions vary based on each situation. According to Trask, the timing of the situation, the call and the legal information all affect exactly what happens.
"Depending on the timing of the phone call, are you getting a phone call after a player has been arrested, or are you getting a phone call that a player is going to be arrested?" Trask said.
Next, a call to the team's lawyer is made.
"What is your response to this? How are you gonna address this? There's football issues, there's business issues, there's media issues and you mobilize all the pieces at once to start addressing them," Trask finished.
When it comes to big name players and heavy accusations -- for example Michael Vick, Ray Rice and Adrian Peterson -- Trask says that, "the league is one of situational ethics." Meaning, each situation is going to have its own proper way to handle it.
"If a player is the proverbial '53rd man on the roster,' and there is an incident of the nature we're discussing, do you think for a minute that that player remains on the roster if he's No. 53? If the player is needed for the team to win, the team is going to evaluate the situation differently," said Trask, who even admitted she is guilty of this "situational ethics" practice while with the Raiders.
Trask also brought up Riley Cooper of the Eagles, who was caught on camera using the N-word at a Kenny Chesney concert. She believes if the Eagles hadn't suffered a rash of injuries prior to this incident then Cooper would have been out the door. But because they needed him, he stuck around.
When it comes to bringing in an Adrian Peterson or a Ray Rice to a team, if they in fact do get reinstated, Trask says it is ultimately up to ownership of each team.
"At the end of the day, bringing in someone who has encountered trouble reflects on the organization as a whole," Trask said.
Trask provided a lot of great insight on this topic.
Listen below for the full interview!
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