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Pundits Debate Whether Bears Should Be Punished For Signing McDonald Despite Past

The Bears releasing DE Ray McDonald following his arrest Monday morning on domestic violence-related charges has brought to the forefront the issue of whether teams should be punished for signing players who have already gotten in trouble with the law. ESPN's Michael Wilbon said the Bears should not face any league punishment because McDonald was eligible to play. He said under that scenario, teams "should be able to sign him." Wilbon: "If the league doesn’t want to have him eligible, make him ineligible. But you’re not going to legislate morality because you, the columnist, are upset with something done.” ESPN’s Tony Kornheiser said if the league punishes the Bears, it would "stifle giving anybody a second chance.” Kornheiser: “The penalty here for the Bears is they made a bad signing and they lost the player. The player can’t help them” (“PTI,” ESPN, 5/26). L.A. Times columnist Bill Plaschke said unless the NFL "starts putting a scarlet letter on these players or has a black list, I don’t blame the Bears" for signing McDonald. Plashcke: "I commend them for getting rid of him immediately.” ESPN's Bomani Jones said he was "uncomfortable" with the Bears being punished. Jones: "If you’re going to say that you didn't talk to the alleged victim because of her bias, you talked to his mom. Clearly bias only seems to matter if they were going to give you the answer you didn’t like.” The Boston Globe’s Bob Ryan said, “I wouldn't dignify the process by which (the Bears) decided to sign him as vetting at all. They did not want to find any negative reasons” (“Around The Horn,” ESPN, 5/26). ESPN.com's Kevin Seifert noted the NFL "has a club-remittance policy ... designed to extract a measure of accountability from teams for the conduct of their players." However, whether it is strong enough "is open to debate." The policy "caps franchise discipline at $500,000 in fines per year." For the moment, the Bears "would be on the hook for no more than a $150,000 fine" after McDonald's arrest (ESPN.com, 5/26). 

EASY DECISION TO CUT TIES: ESPN’s Ed Werder said first-year Bears GM Ryan Pace was “certainly aware of the fact that there represented a significant risk to signing" McDonald, and that was "revealed in the fact they structured the contract as they did.” McDonald received no guaranteed money, so it was "easy" for the Bears to cut him Monday afternoon ("NFL Insiders," ESPN, 5/26). NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport said it "did seem to be a no-brainer for the Bears, especially because they basically told Ray McDonald, ‘You must walk a straight line, no gray area if we are going to sign you’" (“NFL Total Access,” NFL Network, 5/26). But Slate’s Mike Pesca said, "What they really believed in was a run-stopper in the 3-4 defense at a cheap price. ... This notion you gave him a second chance just to give him a second chance -- you acted out of self-interest” ("Olbermann," ESPN2, 5/26). In Orlando, George Diaz wrote the Bears, much like the Cowboys, "aren't overly concerned with domestic violence," which is "just a little collateral damage for the mayhem they crave on the field." The Bears "cut McDonald on Monday," but they "should have never signed" him in the first place (ORLANDOSENTINEL.com, 5/26).

THE REWARD IS WORTH THE RISK: USA TODAY's Jarrett Bell notes with "more focus than ever on domestic violence and a revised personal-conduct policy, the Cowboys have set themselves up for serious second-guessing." If any of their moves backfire, Owner Jerry Jones "knows the deal: It will be open season on him, too." The Cowboys "didn't speak to the victim" in DE Greg Hardy's case, Nicole Holder. But Jones said that the vetting process "was extensive enough to warrant signing the defensive end." That and, of course, the opportunity to "land a difference-maker to boost a woeful pass rush." After winning the NFC East and advancing to the divisional playoff round last season, Jones is "more willing to gamble on players with question marks because he's trying to win big again -- and he'll take the heat that comes with that" (USA TODAY, 5/27).

SHADES OF GRAY: In N.Y., Ken Belson notes while the NFL has "strengthened its personal conduct policy, teams are grappling with the gray areas it has created." Questions are being asked whether teams should "sign players who have been accused but not convicted." Belson: "Should they stay away from players who are in danger of being disciplined by the league?" Duke law professor Paul Haagen said, "The league has not really thought through its own message. They are definitely making it up as they go along and leaving themselves areas of discretion. But by leaving themselves discretion and not making clear what the required processes are, there is constant uncertainty and questions" (N.Y. TIMES, 5/27). 

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