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New NFL Policy Could Include Lifetime Bans

4/04/2007 12:35 PM ET By Michael David Smith

    • Michael David Smith
    • Michael David Smith is FanHouse's Lead Blogger
How intent is NFL commissioner Roger Goodell on ridding the league of players who get in trouble off the field? So much that the Washington Post reports that he's considering lifetime bans for players convicted of serious crimes.

The lifetime bans wouldn't apply to the three NFL players whose off-field problems have garnered the most attention -- Tennessee's Pacman Jones, Cincinnati's Chris Henry and Chicago's Tank Johnson -- but they could apply to other players down the line. Union chief Gene Upshaw doesn't sound like he's completely opposed to the idea, saying only:

"None of these cases we're talking about will be a permanent ban," Upshaw said in a telephone interview. "I don't think we're at that point yet with these cases. We understand there will be some type of suspension, but not that."

No player has ever been suspended more the four games under the league's current personal conduct policy, although former Carolina Panthers receiver Rae Carruth received an indefinite suspension after he was arrested -- but before he was convicted -- of conspiring to murder his girlfriend. A lifetime ban would be unprecedented, but Goodell sounds as though he wants to take unprecedented actions.

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