Pacman Jones to Roger Goodell: 'I Am Smart'

Titans cornerback Pacman Jones met with NFL commissioner Roger Goodell today, then made his first public comments since he was charged with inciting a shooting at a Las Vegas strip club that left a man paralyzed.

The meeting with Goodell was Jones' opportunity to ask for another chance. There's not much question that Jones, who has had 10 different run-ins with police during his brief NFL career, will be suspended, but he's hoping the suspension will be for much less than the full year that some have predicted.

After meeting with Goodell, Jones sat down with Deion Sanders for an interview on NFL Network. Jones said Goodell's first word to him was, "explain" and that that's what he tried to do in his meeting with the commissioner. Jones told Sanders this is what he said to Goodell:

"I just feel like if you would just take five or 10 minutes to sit down and talk to me, you will see that I am real intelligent. That I am smart."

Jones also told Goodell that he has taken steps to get himself out of the environment that has caused him problems in the past, but I'm guessing Goodell will see that as too little, too late. Goodell will issue a ruling on Jones' discipline by the end of next week.

I was impressed with Sanders' interview technique. He was fair and gave Jones the opportunity to explain himself, but he also made it clear he expected answers: When Jones said he had made "a couple" mistakes, Sanders told him he didn't buy that, saying it was 10 mistakes, not "a couple."

Sanders asked Jones what he would do if he were commissioner and he had the task of disciplining a player who had gotten into off-field trouble. Jones replied, "I won't answer that question. I don't think it'd be fair to myself to answer that question."

When Sanders said, "Tell me about Vegas," Jones replied, "I don't have no comment." When Sanders asked about the famous garbage bag full of $1 bills, saying, "Was it $80,000?" Jones again replied, "I have no comment."

Ultimately, Jones said, "Whatever the punishment is, I'm going to be a man and take responsibility.... I fear getting my dream taken away."

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)

4-04-2007 @ 7:24PM

Joe said...

Wow, Pacman Jones. You feel "your dream being taken away"? Please. You did this to yourself and now you can't even admit that you are the one accountable for all of this? Instead, you are playing like you are the victim here and the big bad NFL is taking away your dream?! -For someone with some much God-given talent, it's insulting to hear someone like you throw it away and not even hold yourself accountable. Clearly, you haven't learned anything from these incidents. I hope you are banned from the league.

4-04-2007 @ 7:44PM

ron said...

If he is so damn smart how could he make the same mistakes 10 times???????? Just throw his sorry rear out of the league!!! Hey! He said he was smart so he could become a brain surgeon or lawyer! Right???

4-04-2007 @ 7:52PM

atlantic city said...

suspend him.

4-04-2007 @ 8:00PM

matt said...

Take away his dreams??? How many people really get 10 chances to make millions of dollars and still screw it up?! If Pac-Man were a man he would step down and let the league be better off without him.

4-04-2007 @ 10:15PM

rogerg591 said...

PACMAN GOD GAVE EACH OF US FREE WILL AND THE ABILITY TO CHOSE WHAT WE WANT TO DO WITH THE GREAT GIFT OF LIFE THAT HE GRANTED US. AT THE SAME TIME WERE NOT FREE TO CHOSE THE CONSIQUENCES. A BLIND MAN COULD SEE WHERE YOUR HEADED. I JUST HOPE THAT IN THE FUTURE YOU WILL TAKE ADVANTAGE OF YOUR GOD GIVEN TALENTS, WHICH CLEARLY ARE HALL OF FAME CALIBAR. THERE WILL BE A DAY THAT YOUR SKILLS WONT BE THERE AND IT WOULD BE A SHAME TO SEE YOU IN THE GETTO WHEN YOUR PLAYING CAREER IS OVER. IF YOU WANT TO LEARN FROM SOME INCREDIBLE ATHLETES OR COACHES OF COLOR LOOK AT TONY DUNGY, WHO IS A BLESSING TO ALL FANS AS WELL AS CHILDREN THAT LACK A FATHER FIGURE. YOUR THUG ACT IS IN NO WAY ORGINAL AND BY NO MEANS IS GOING TO DO ANYTHING POSITIVE. IF YOU DONT BELIEVE ME ASK MIKE TYSON HE HAD IT ALL AND NOW IS IS A BANKTUPT CONVICTED RAPIST.. I WILL PRAY FOR YOU... ROGER G.

4-04-2007 @ 10:59PM

jimwadevice said...

the sooner the commissioner gets thugs out of the game, the sooner the image of the sport will turn from bad to good. discipline among nfl players has been long overdue. sad to say, but most of the problem players seem to be of a certain color. why is that? is it because of their upbringing? are we going to blame their friends? their neighborhood? them not having a "father"? last i checked, each person has a brain and the ability to know right from wrong. my point is that those of color use the excuses society has given them to act the way they do. what they need to do is quit trying to take advantage of their skin color and start acting like human beings instead of wild animals.

4-04-2007 @ 11:03PM

jim said...

and by the way commissioner, the league can survive even without the thugs!

4-05-2007 @ 1:13AM

Gman said...

CHITBAG!

4-05-2007 @ 3:19AM

insomniac said...

Dear Lord Jesus in Heaven,

Please grant Roger G the serenity to remove his caps lock and the wisdom to occasionally throw in a comma from time to time.

Humbly yours...

4-05-2007 @ 5:55AM

t said...

I agree that pacman is trouble and doesn't learn from his mistakes. I am huge football fan and I wouldn't give a damn if they banned him for life. Ten + oppurtunities, give me break. My only other question is geared towards jim a couple of paragraphs above. How did you turn into such a close minded redneck? Are you really that dumb? I truely feel sorry for anyone that has to deal with you on a regular basis. My guess is you are a sheltered, white boy that just flew in here on a time machine from fifty yrs ago. P.S. I'm caucasion, if you know what that is. Dumbass!!!

4-05-2007 @ 6:51AM

Jason said...

Thanks "t" for shedding some light here on this matter. The fact is, is that he should be punished for what he did. Why even bring race into this. I am also caucasion and can think without having to be a racist bigot. Reality check "Jim", he's not using his race as an excuse, he is simply making excuses.

4-05-2007 @ 8:33AM

Budo said...

This guy is just another of the many thugs that are allowed to run wild because they are good athletes. What happened to the days that players made fair wages and not these outlandish salaries and played for love of the game? These thugs ought to be immediately suspended the first offense and then booted on anything further. These individuals should be dealt with immediately in all sports--not just football. This is truly getting out of hand.

4-05-2007 @ 9:25AM

EricC said...

Hey look everyone, we've got Super Whitey letting everyone know how UNracist he is over here.(T)What is the difference, exactly between Jim expressing his view referring to "people of color" and your terminology in calling him a "redneck"? That certainly is the pot calling the kettle black, don't you think? Maybe he is a dumdass, but your a jackass. Shut the hell up and don't impose your views on the public until you have a lick of sense!

4-05-2007 @ 9:47AM

chinamann2 said...

Don't be so quick to judge. Until it hits home, it is hard one to empathize or sypathize with people like Pacman. Give Pacman one more chance. If he screws it up, boot his hind parts forever.

4-05-2007 @ 9:46AM

tdxscrup said...

"I don't have no comment on whether PacMan be intellijent."

Higgly Biggly Whoop Whoop Whoop!

4-05-2007 @ 10:25AM

dee said...

This goes to chinamann2. "Give him one more chance." You don't believe that by now he's had enough chances to make the right decision? It shouldn't matter whether he's a good player or not, whether he's the best or not. The fact is he made wrong choices, over and over again. There are enough men willing and talented enough to play football and those are the ones who should be given a chance. These gentlemen that are given such an opportunity to play in the NFL, they should not take that for granted. They should be held accountable for what they do. We are! And, one last thing. It's definitely not a question of race, that's seems to be an easy out for some people, black or white.

4-05-2007 @ 11:02AM

tom stenson said...

Black or white is does not matter the athlete of today has been allowed to do as he pleases without repercussions. Athletes have skated through school simply because they can run, jump, throw and so forth better than the rest of us. There are millions of young men and women looking for the chance to demonstrate their athletic prowess but never get the chance. He's had enough chances, time for Pac-Man to go. 10 mistakes and he is still getting chances? What about that young man(24)that was shot and subsequently paralyzed from Pac-Man`s mistake? This mistake changed a vibrant young man with his entire life before him into a wheel-chair bound man currently in a rehabillitation hospital trying to adapt to a life changing Pac-Man mistake. Pac-Man should be punished for what he did. Take away his dream? Has he even mentioned the young man who was shot? What becomes of this young man`s hopes and dreams?this is a selfish human being with absolutely no consideration for others

4-05-2007 @ 11:42AM

what if said...

I am smart. What the??? Apparently, not smart enough. You watch sports for the thrill of seeing your team participation. I'm sure many of the guys playing with Jones feel the same as many of us civilians about this. So at what point did it go to being all about the Titans to all about Jones?
BTW he did not use his race as an excuse and anyone who read that in any of his interviews or articles needs to come out of the alternate universe before blogging.
Far as I'm concerned, after the third strike he should have been out. We have WAY to many talented individuals who would LOVE the opportunity to prove it! They're grossly overpaid for this type of end result. I imageine there are a lot of real heros in our everyday life that need & most definately deserve the money more. Support your local fire department!!
Goodell, find your sac & do the right thing, quick before he does something else to hinder the Titan's morality!!

4-05-2007 @ 12:34PM

josh said...

this si poste dto T, what makes him so redneck and close minded? It's teh truth, the player's getting in trouble are black.. Chris Henry, Tank johnson, Pacman jones and all the cinncinatti player's, were black.. is that jims fault, or my fault, or the leagues fault? Dont get mad caus eit's the truth, go out and do something about it. Black people seem to have more trouble staying out of trouble, than anybody else... or let me guess, it's the white people in the leauge, getting with the white people in the media, to make up stories about black people.. Black people are teh reason that black people are veiwed the way they are.. insult my intellegence all you want, but you're the ignorant one for not looking at it, like it is.. with the truth.. Feel sorry for what happened, don;t make escuses for the way they act today.. thats got nothing to do with what happened then

4-05-2007 @ 12:37PM

sorry for the mispelling. It's already posted before I could proof read it.. oh well, deal with it.

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