Roger Goodell's iron fist has recently landed like a right hook to the jaw of Sean Payton and the New Orleans Saints.
It didn't knock them out, but they will go back to their respective corner and take full inventory of their faculties.
Actually—Sean Payton is out. Well, it's more like a year-long standing eight-count.
Saints' head coach Sean Payton has been suspended for the entire 2012 season. General Manager Mickey Loomis received an eight-game suspension, while the ring leader of the Bounty scandal, Gregg Williams is suspended indefinitely.
The Saints also lost second-round draft picks in 2012 and 2013. Oh Yeah, their wrong doings will also cost the Saints $500,000.
Goodell does his best not to allow any trash to be spilled on the game that he oversees.
Ask Bill Belichick and the New England Patriots—$750,000 and a first-round draft pick later, Belichick and the Patriots will think twice before they decide to bend the rules again.
Michael Vick, Adam "Pacman" Jones, Dante Stallworth and others can all attest to Goodell's, "I won't tolerate actions that hurt the game" attitude.
Players like Pittsburgh Steeler's safety Troy Polamalu have come forward about how they feel about Goodell and how he runs the NFL.
Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker James Harrison is not a big fan, in case you didn't know. Harrison has been fined multiple times for "dangerous" hits.
Some players obviously don't like Goodell—these guy's have huge egos and don't want the rules to apply to them.
Not all players have a sense of entitlement, but there are the select few that think that no one can touch them.
The Trickle-Down Effect
The way Goodell is handling things in the NFL is going to eventually have a significant effect on college football as well.
Former Ohio State quarterback Terrelle Pryor was suspended by the Buckeyes for five games in 2011 for his involvement with the owner of a tattoo shop in Columbus, Ohio.
Instead of serving the suspension Pryor decided to take his talents to the NFL where he was drafted in the third round of the 2011 supplemental draft by the Oakland Raiders.
Goodell went ahead and upheld the NCAA suspension, so-to-speak, by suspending Pryor for the first five games of the 2011 NFL season.
The Pryor situation should send a message throughout college football—breaking the rules could directly affect a specific player's opportunity to play on Sundays.
Do the Punishments Fit the Crimes?
Goodell is trying to get his message across—"Don't break the rules."
The commissioner has been consistent with his punishments so far. He has only been in charge since the beginning of the 2006 season, so his consistency over the long haul remains to be seen.
Consistency will ultimately answer the aforementioned question.
The real question that should be asked, is, "do the punishments stop the crimes?" This should be Goodell's ultimate goal. If he overshoots a little bit while doling out the punishments, that's a chance he has to take.
Integrity of the Game
Goodell won't be able to clean up the game completely, but he is doing his best to make sure that the integrity of the game is upheld.
Some players, and especially the perpetrators, are not going to agree with how the the man in charge wields his sword of power.
Of course not!
But as fans, do any of us think that anything that Goodell has done so far should warrant us thinking he is abusing his power.
Take a look back at the way players and coaches have paid the piper since Goodell has been the commissioner. Has he crossed the line with his sentencing of these guys who have tainted the game on and off the field?
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