NFL Miami Dolphins

Miami Dolphins Right to Suspend Derrick Shelby Indefinitely

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By @CouchGuyFB

Derrick Shelby suspended indefinitely after arrest.

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It’s about time. In the wake of the immense number of mismanaged “off the field” incidents that have marred the start of what has been a phenomenal season through five weeks, a team has finally handled one correctly.

Miami Dolphins defensive end Derrick Shelby was arrested for trespassing and resisting arrest over the weekend after allegedly touching women inappropriately, prompting him to be asked to leave a South Florida night club during the Dolphins’ bye week. He refused and, according to a Fort Lauderdale Police statement, “took an aggressive fighting stance.” The police report goes on to say that the officers were forced to use a stun gun three times on the 25-year-old lineman in order to take him into custody. While surely an isolated incident, Shelby’s arrest is just the latest in a long line of stories that has fans shaking their heads.

The Ray Rice incident was only the first of many public relations nightmares for the NFL this season. The Baltimore Ravens organization and NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell have been living in the court of public opinion’s doghouse ever since the full video of Rice’s now infamous elevator beating of his then-fiancée, now wife, Janay, came to light. The reputations of Rice, Goodell and Ravens owner Steve Bisciotti were irreparably tarnished, and the public outcry about the bungling of the investigation reached new heights.

If the Ray Rice saga wasn’t enough, the perpetually worsening Adrian Peterson fiasco grabbed headlines nationwide, as did the horrendous mismanagement of the Greg Hardy situation by the Carolina Panthers. This season has seen a number of amazing storylines that all have been overshadowed by the extracurricular negatives, and it is time that the league as a whole fights back.

While it appears that NFL players may not be getting the hint to keep a low profile while public scrutiny is at its highest, and multiple organizations have been as proficient in handling the scandals as the kid who tries to eat his “cheat sheet” after being caught during a test, the Miami Dolphins seem to have gotten the message.

In suspending Shelby, the Dolphins extricated themselves from what could have been the next NFL public relations disaster. No matter what Derrick Shelby did to cause his arrest, the Dolphins were absolutely in the right to suspend him until all the facts are ascertained.

Had the Dolphins followed in the footsteps of the Ravens, Vikings and Panthers, it would have been proof positive that the organization learned nothing from this year’s scandals, not to mention last year’s “Bully-gate.” Instead, the Dolphins set an example that the rest of the league should follow: get in front of the issue, and keep the distraction from spreading.

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