NFL Personal Conduct Policy could doom Joey Porter's career

… violations need not be criminal 

The National Football League has attempted to protect its brand, and in doing so, it has made clear to employees -- players, coaches, front office personnel, and others -- that they must behave themselves.

The league has thus devised what it calls the "Personal Conduct Policy" that is intended to prevent “conduct detrimental to the integrity of and public confidence in the National Football League.”

The rationale for the policy is clear.

"Illegal or irresponsible conduct does more than simply tarnish the offender. It puts innocent people at risk, sullies the reputation of others involved in the game, and undermines public respect and support for the NFL."

[In reality, the NFL does not always live up to its own policy. Hence, the embarrassment of Spygate and Deflategate. But, I digress.]

The interesting part of this is that it does not include just the conviction for a criminal offense. Embarrassing the league itself is sufficient to be considered a violation of the policy.

"Instead, as an employee of the NFL or a member club, you are held to a higher standard and expected to conduct yourself in a way that is responsible, promotes the values upon which the League is based, and is lawful.

"Persons who fail to live up to this standard of conduct are guilty of conduct detrimental and subject to discipline, even where the conduct itself does not result in conviction of a crime."

Porter's situation

The current problem that Steelers Assistant Coach Joey Porter finds himself is the kind of situation that the NFL wants to avoid. First, he embarrassed the NFL, his team, and himself by being arrested in January after assaulting an off-duty police officer and an employee of a bar who would not allow him to enter the facility. This occurred in Pittsburgh after the Miami Dolphins playoff victory. That drew national attention and resulted in his suspension from the Steelers for a few days.

Second, he embarrassed himself -- and to a point the school that he was rooting for -- when he went onto the field at a high school game to accost an official about a call. He was asked to leave but refused, and then had to be escorted off the field by police, who called for backup help after he threatened physical harm against them.

While the most serious charges were thrown out by the district attorney in a controversial move in the first case, allowing him to regain his job, the video from the event apparently shows him assaulting both the police officer who arrested him and throwing the bar employee to the sidewalk. A citizen's advisory board that investigates abuses by the police saw the video and confirmed Porter's abuses.

Once the criminal process is completed, probably later this month, the NFL will no doubt view that video since the criminal charges are not the only relevant piece of evidence.

In addition, since the case of his being escorted off the field of a high school game also became a national story, again embarrassing the league and the coach, that will also be subject to the terms of the Personal Conduct Policy. The police have already confirmed the gist of that story to local and national media. That included that Porter threatened them when he allegedly said, "If you want me to leave. it’s gonna take more than just you'.”

That comment is the kind of thing that could ultimately end his NFL coaching career. The NFL could fine him, it could suspend him, or it could remove him from his job. When you threaten police, like he allegedly did on this occasion, and when you assault them, like he allegedly did based on the video in the bar battle, then you have likely worked your way into a corner.

The NFL has said that it would not render a decision until the criminal case has run its course. That means that it will do so once a decision is rendered on the remaining charges later this month.

However, after the explosive damage caused by the NFL's inaction in the Ray Rice domestic abuse assault case, the league knows that it must protect itself.

If the video of Porter does indeed show him bouncing a bar employee off the steps and assaulting an off-duty police officer, and if the police in the high school case confirm published reports of the coach's action in threatening them, then it is difficult to see them not taking action.

What that will be remains the operative question.

The chief of police in Pittsburgh has confirmed that he will release the videos of the bar incident after Porter's criminal case is decided. So, it will end up on national TV.

While the Steelers will not remove Porter, and since Mike Tomlin will not do so, the onus rests with the league. It may not be so kind.