Goodell reviewing union’s appeal of his decision on Titans cornerback Adam ‘Pacman’ Jones

 

NEW YORK (AP) – NFL commissioner Roger Goodell is reviewing the players’ union appeal of his decision last month not to ease the season-long suspension of Titans cornerback Adam “Pacman” Jones.
The NFL Players Association needed only two days to announce its appeal of Goodell’s decision Nov. 6 to reject Jones’ request for leniency. The union had hoped to convince Goodell to change his mind, but the exact date of the appeal has not been announced.
Asked if Goodell was hearing the union’s appeal this week, league spokesman Greg Aiello said Tuesday in an e-mail, “The matter is under review.”
Richard Berthelsen, an attorney for the players’ union, did not return telephone messages left by The Associated Press on Tuesday.
Gene Upshaw, the NFLPA’s executive director, and union president Troy Vincent discussed Jones at a meeting Tuesday. Vincent did not immediately return messages from the AP seeking details on the discussion.
Goodell had promised Jones he would review the suspension after the Titans’ 10th game but met with him two weeks early on Nov. 2 in New York. But Goodell declined to trim the suspension, which Jones had hoped would help him earn credit for playing this season.
If his suspension stands for the entire season, the Titans will have Jones under contract through 2010 instead of 2009. Team officials have said they will address his future with the franchise after the league reinstates Jones.
When Goodell suspended Jones in April, the cornerback had been arrested five times since the Titans drafted him in April 2005 with the sixth pick overall. He reached a plea deal last month settling two felony counts for his sixth arrest stemming from a fight at a Las Vegas strip club that led to a triple shooting and left one man paralyzed.
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AP Sports Writer John Wawrow in New York contributed to this report.