Here We Go Again!

I found myself struggling for a topic this week. I was thinking about some of the positives in the sports world and decided that would be my last blog of the year. Yesterday, my son and I sat down to watch the Saints/Falcons game when within minutes, the idea came to me!

On Thursday evening around 10:45 pm, Jonathan Babineaux, starting defensive tackle for the Atlanta Falcons was pulled over and arrested for possession of 40 grams of marijuana along with some minor vehicle issues like too much tint on his windows, driving without a license, and an expired tag. He will now fall under the NFL's substance abuse policy because he had more than an ounce of marijuana in his possession.

Given this situation, some teams and coaches would sit the player as a statement that this alleged behavior won't be tolerated. Not the Falcons. They played their star lineman against the Saints and he recorded three tackles and a quarterback hurry. Coach Mike Smith of the Falcons had this comment: "First and foremost, anytime one of our guys show up in a negative light, I am and we are as an organization disappointed. With that said, this is a process that the league and the legal system goes through. We are going to let that process run its course."

In other words, Jonathan plays until the League says he can't or he's convicted of possession-whichever comes first. Two issues here: The Falcons should set the standards for their team and what is the example they are setting?

Most organizations have employee handbooks that describes and defines what's right, fair and tolerated. It will also describe the process by which deviations from appropriate behavior will be addressed. I'm sure the Falcons have a similar handbook, made more complicated by the Player's Union. The intent of these handbooks is to set the tone and expectations of an organization. It creates an overall sense of discipline. Once known, most if not all employees follow the rules or work to get them modified if they appear onerous. In the private sector, an employee who was arrested would still be able to work until decisions were made through the legal process. But, an arrest would follow them for a period of time as they filled out applications for credit or a new job. What message are the Falcons sending by allowing him to play? They could have sat him for a quarter, half or the whole game to let the rest of the team know that a player, no matter how good, has a responsibility to the team to be at their best. This certainly means not being arrested!

Good organizations set the tone for high expectations. The Falcons will continue to mire in mediocrity until they get their house in order and instill discipline in the clubhouse.