The NFL has announced that it will suspend Colts owner Jim Irsay for the first six games of the season and fine him $500,000. Irsay had pleaded guilty to the misdemeanor charge of driving while impaired. In addition to being barred from the Colts facilities, NFL games and functions during his suspension, Irsay will also have another critical service taken away from him:
During the suspension, which takes effect at 5 p.m. ET tomorrow, Mr. Irsay may not be present at the club’s facility, may not attend any practices or games, may not represent the club at league or league committee meetings or at any other team or league event, and may not conduct media interviews or engage in social media regarding any team or league matters.
Yes, the NFL is taking away Jim Irsay’s Twitter which may be the most significant thing about this suspension (the NFL office even noted that they weren’t deducting the Colts any draft picks because the situation involving Irsay has no “competitive consequences”).
And while $500,000 is a drop in the bucket for Jim Irsay, it is also the maximum fine that is allowed under the league’s constitution. Somehow, it’s a good bet that Irsay is more irked about having his Twitter account taken away than he probably is from losing half-a-million bucks.
Here’s the full letter that the NFL sent out explaining Irsay’s suspension:
Following his plea of guilty to one misdemeanor count of driving while impaired, Indianapolis Colts owner Jim Irsay has been suspended for the team’s first six regular-season games and fined $500,000 for violating the league’s Personal Conduct Policy, the NFL announced today. Mr. Irsay will be eligible to return following the Colts’ game against the Houston Texans on October 9.
Terms of the suspension imposed by Commissioner Roger Goodell include the following:
– During the suspension, which takes effect at 5 p.m. ET tomorrow, Mr. Irsay may not be present at the club’s facility, may not attend any practices or games, may not represent the club at league or league committee meetings or at any other team or league event, and may not conduct media interviews or engage in social media regarding any team or league matters.
– In addition, Mr. Irsay is fined $500,000, the maximum permitted under league rules.
– Mr. Irsay will be subject to ongoing treatment, counseling, and testing as determined by medical professionals and the Indiana court.
Commissioner Goodell noted that no draft choice forfeiture or other competitive sanction will be assessed because the conduct did not have competitive consequences.
In a letter to Mr. Irsay, Commissioner Goodell said, “I have stated on numerous occasions that owners, management personnel and coaches must be held to a higher standard than players. We discussed this during our meeting and you expressed your support for that view, volunteering that owners should be held to the highest standard.”
Edit: Jim Irsay has released the following statement regarding his suspension:
“I acknowledge the mistake I made last March and stand responsible for the consequences of that mistake, for which I sincerely apologize to our community and to Colts fans everywhere. Even more importantly, though, I am committed to do everything in my power to turn this whole experience into a positive event for myself, my family, and the community.
“In retrospect, I now know that the incident opened my eyes to issues in my life that needed addressing and helped put me on the path to regain my health. I truly hope and pray that my episode will help in some small measure to diminish the stigma surrounding our country’s terrible and deadly problem of addiction. It is a disease like other progressive, terminal diseases — one that can only be successfully treated by understanding, committed hard work, and spiritual growth. I am deeply grateful for the tremendous outpouring of love and support during these past few months from my family, friends, care-givers, and our great community. Please know I am firmly committed to staying on my path to good health and I look forward to a great season.”
