The Florida Masochist: The Knucklehead of the Day award

Today's winner is NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell. He gets the award for the following.

Michael Vick's indictment on charges he was part of a dog-fighting ring may lead to questions about the consistency of NFL commissioner Roger Goodell's new conduct policy.

The NFL statement after the Atlanta Falcons quarterback's federal indictment Tuesday cautioned that, "Michael Vick's guilt has not yet been proven and we believe that all concerned should allow the legal process to determine the facts."

To some, that appears at odds with the season-long suspension of Tennessee Titans cornerback Pacman Jones, who has two felony trials pending. Charges hadn't been filed in one of those cases when Goodell levied the suspension.

"I feel like they made us a poster boy to set an example," Jones' attorney, Manny Arora, said Thursday. "It seems patently unfair."

A league official with knowledge of the decisions on Jones and Vick said Thursday the difference is that Jones has had repeated run-ins with police, and Vick is facing his first criminal court case.

Jones has been involved with at least 11 police investigations since becoming the No. 6 overall pick of the 2005 NFL draft. He also faces two felony counts in Las Vegas on charges he incited a strip-club melee that led to a triple-shooting by a still unidentified gunman. In Georgia, he faces an obstructing police felony charge.

"You can say he's had more mix-ups with the law or whatever, but he hasn't been convicted," Arora said.

Click here to read my original post on Vick's indictment.

Goodell's policy decisions are clearly out of sync. Why suspend Jones and not Vick? Both are charged with felonies, but not convicted. Vick doesn't have a spotless behavior record either. He was fined by the league within the last twelve months. The water bottle incident in Miami and his making an obscene gesture at fans.

So what is really going on here? It should be pretty clear- Vick is a star, Jones isn't and Goodell has set a double standard. The Falcons ownership probably has something to do with the NFL's decision too. Where would that team be without Vick this fall? Who's the #2 QB on the Falcon depth chart. Cough.....Cough.....Joey Harrington. Enough said, right?

James Joyner, almost always a voice of reason wrote at OTB Sports-

That’s a shame. We know enough to know that Vick is a thug, a liar, and a disgrace to the National Football League. Many sportswriters are urging Roger Goodell to suspend Vick now, rather than allowing him to tarnish the league’s reputation while this all plays out. I’m 100 percent behind them.