Wednesday Whys

Why did the Cowboys waive Greg Ellis instead of trading him? No choice there. Once it was known to the football world that there was little to no chance Ellis would remain on the Cowboys’ roster, the trade market for his services dried up. The Cowboys replaced Ellis with Anthony Spencer a year ago. The argument from the Cowboys – or any team trying to trade a player whom they will eventually release – is that a team will have to trade for the player rather than compete for him with other teams upon his release. That argument, however, was not good enough for any team to give up anything – even a conditional seventh rounder in future years – for Ellis.

Ellis was picked eighth overall in the 1998 draft (the same draft in which Randy Moss went to the Vikings with the 20th selection). Ellis is a class act and made the Pro Bowl just one year ago after coming back from a torn Achilles tendon, a rare achievement for an older player.

Why is Broncos receiver Brandon Marshall not being suspended by the NFL for his latest incident with alleged domestic violence? The NFL looked into Marshall’s case and decided the only punishment necessary was a stern letter from Commissioner Roger Goodell advising him to watch himself, as there will be no similar benefit of the doubt should this kind of incident happen again.

Interestingly, Marshall avoided discipline as a repeat offender. He was suspended for the opening game of the 2008 season after an incident involving a former girlfriend (this incident involved his fiancé, who refused to testify against him). Perhaps the police report didn’t show enough to warrant any discipline; perhaps the efforts of high-powered Denver attorney Harvey Steinberg helped.

During the tenure of former Commissioner Paul Tagliabue, discipline on matters involving the law had to wait until the case winded its way through the court system and resulted in some sort of verdict or plea agreement. With Commissioner Goodell, not so. The Personal Conduct Policy has become a signature policy of the league in its effort to continue to promote the integrity of the game. Is it working? Generally, yes, although having high-profile repeat offenders doesn’t help.

The league will enforce its personal conduct policy without delay from the courts, looking into whatever available evidence or circumstances it can find. Evidently, such information on Marshall didn’t warrant even the one-game suspension he received a year ago.

And, for my pet peeve “Why of the Week”:

Why do athletes, especially NBA players, refer to the game they play as “the game of basketball” or NFL players as “the game of football”?

We know what sport they’re talking about.

Happy seventh birthday, Max Brandt!

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