If we can pinpoint a precise action taken upon NFL commissioner Roger Goodell, it is clearly his best interest to discipline, issuing an unrelenting punishment. The most distinguished player formerly at the Ohio State University won't be eligible to begin his pro career, but could appeal the five-game suspension levied against him by the league if he is chosen in Monday's supplemental draft, a preference that embarks on a quandary.
In question right now is whether Pryor chooses to appeal the suspension and mature as a wiser athlete in dealing with strong character and judgment. But when he was finally interrogated by the NCAA and it was declared that he violated the rules following the Buckeyes investigation into the team's memorabilia-for-cash scandal, Pryor had quickly bailed on Ohio State.
Given his background as a quarterback for the Buckeyes, he lacks maturity, he has poor judgment and he is self-serving for abandoning the institution that elevated his stardom. Over hyped by a long shot, he doesn't even have the intangibles to dazzle as a top quarterback. The past year has gone from bad to worse at Ohio State.
That's because Pryor stained the university, left behind a toxic wasteland and could have largely cost the school in tatters. So, no doubt, in the wake of the Ohio State hysteria, which incredibly landed the tainted school on probation and cost Jim Tressel his coaching job, Pryor is liable for the hypocrisy and fraud that hovers permanently over a university that seems dismantled.
He ran from his troubles at Ohio State. He quit on his teammates and the coaching staff. He hightailed the program, clearly knowing that he'd be ineligible to begin the season at Ohio State, where he was a polished star in the Big Ten. Pryor leaves for the NFL, where he'll translate quarterback deficiencies on Sundays, after a bizarre departure of the wicked scandal that is tarnishing Ohio State's football program.
If only he could have gotten away with his sins, a scrupulous scheme of selling memorabilia for free tattoos and cash would have been a success. It's too bad he couldn't. He never was trying to feed his family, he was being greedy. He never was trying to break the rules, he was aiming to beat the system and he failed all so miserably.
Outside of the dramatic suspension, Pryor really doesn't seem like a devious suspect or demon of numerous crimes but a man who just lacks common sense. It requires growth, however, to avoid a slew of infractions as every NFL franchise should be leery on picking Pryor to call the snaps and hurl downfield passes on Sundays, not yet ready to advance in the NFL landscape.
Because he played for the Ohio State University, he absorbs much attention. It's the brand name, not the player. It's the history, not the player. It's the tradition, not the player. When a player can engineer a mediocre team and turn around a lowly program to qualify for an elite bowl game, he normally earns much consideration, although he never really proved to be an elite quarterback.
The stunning development sends a bold statement when Goodell wasn't hesitant to suspend the infamous quarterback by the name of Pryor, believed to be the first ever player penalized before a team can pick him in the supplemental draft. The daily charade continues, and if Pryor is selected, he will be permitted to complete training camp with his new team but will be forced to serve a suspension without pay.
His punishment, he said in a statement, had reached a surprising point and apparently he took accountability and cited Pryor's offense as undermining the "integrity of the eligibility rules for the NFL draft." The reason for an uncanny suspension towards Pryor, who is actually immature and lacks character, is that his persona worries Goodell, the one commissioner best known for instituting his personal conduct policy to punish players with misdeeds.
It sounds simple enough, a tactic that gives the commissioner a chance to collude with the NCAA and limit access to the league. The thing about it is, Goodell had a purpose for his pre-punishment regarding Pryor, angry with the puerile quarterback after hiring agent Drew Rosenhaus to represent him while attending Ohio State and being incompliant with investigators.
Whenever a fallen prospect enters the league with legal troubles next time, Goodell clearly thinks Pryor's suspension is the epitome of ramifications expected if a college athlete is tempted to accept money or even any other kind of improper benefits. Among other things, Pryor is not ready for the NFL and probably won't ever be a top-notch quarterback in the league.
It's an insult to tell another man to grow up, but maybe Pryor can finally grow up.
