Whether it stands as a six-game suspension or is appealed down to four or delayed in the courts, Ezekiel Elliott must now learn that he can run, but he cannot hide.
Enough with these entitled thugs who think they are Above the Law.
Let Elliott’s violation of the league’s Personal Conduct Policy stand as a loud and powerful example that there are teeth, finally, in Roger Goodell’s zero tolerance policy on domestic violence, and even one of the game’s marquee stars will be severely bitten enough to threaten his career if he is dumb and reckless enough.
When will they ever learn?
Thankfully, we no longer require an elevator video or the outraged court of public opinion to determine the punishment of laying hands on a woman. Any woman.
The NFL no longer needs a journal confession detailing any player’s abuse of a woman to bring down the hammer.
It now conducts a “thorough and exhaustive” investigation because it has all the resources, and the will as well, at long last. The league’s Elliott investigation took 13 damn months. But better late than never.
And Cowboys owner Jerry Jones reportedly is furious over the ruling?
He should be furious with Elliott. For embarrassing his family and his league and the Cowboys and damaging his team’s Super Bowl dreams.
It wasn’t the see-no-evil, hear-no-evil Columbus, Ohio, City Attorney’s Office that did right by a young woman named Tiffany Thompson, Elliott’s victim last summer before training camp inside the Canvasback Lane apartment in Columbus.
For once, it was Goodell and the NFL, which along with the Giants, fumbled the moral football in the Josh Brown fiasco. Which followed the Ray Rice, Greg Hardy and Ray McDonald fiascoes.
“On multiple occasions,” the NFL statement to Elliott read, “you used physical force against Ms. Thompson.”
Elliott is entitled, of course, to due process. He is innocent, of course, until proven guilty in this country. But the hope is Elliott now knows just because you can run away from the NFL’s biggest and fastest defenders, you cannot run away from what now should be recognized as the long arm of the NFL.
Tom Brady delayed his Deflategate suspension in the courts before being forced to sit four games at the start of the 2016 season.
Elliott will appeal, but the best he realistically can hope for is a reduction to four games.
Elliott also will have a chance to stiff-arm justice in the courts for a time if he chooses, but he should know that the commissioner will chase him down sooner or later.
If Elliott’s suspension were to begin on Opening Night against the Giants, it doesn’t guarantee Ben McAdoo that treasured fifth Lombardi Trophy. It doesn’t guarantee the Giants a victory at a hushed and demoralized Jerry World.
But it sure can’t hurt the Cowboys’ cause, and it would be a bombshell that would send an immediate jolt of electricity through the Giants organization and a pall over Valley Ranch at the same time.
The letter sent Friday by the NFL to Elliott mentions additional disturbing, disrespectful behavior towards women on St. Patrick’s Day: “It suggests a pattern of poor judgment and behavior for which effective intervention is necessary for your personal and professional welfare.”
And adds a stern warning: “You should understand that another violation of this nature may result in your suspension or potential banishment from the NFL.”
Elliott’s response: “Factual inaccuracies and erroneous conclusions … During the upcoming weeks and through the appeal, a slew of additional credible and controvertible evidence will come to light.”
His problem is he is guilty until proven innocent now in the eyes of the NFL.
Which will make it more probable than not that Ezekiel Elliott has these choices now: run to daylight, or run to darkness.