When it comes to the NFL’s potential discipline of 49ers owner Jed York for his no-contest plea resulting from an attempt to pay for sex at an Ohio trailer park, the widespread public humiliation (which has crossed the Atlantic Ocean due to his partial ownership of two English soccer clubs) could be punishment enough.
Moving forward, the embarrassment could prompt York to impose a suspension on himself.
“Self-suspend” is the term an unnamed insider used to describe the potential outcome to Ben Fischer of Sports Business Journal at this week’s special ownership meeting to approve the sale of the Seahawks — from which York was absent.
“The shame element was an overriding theme in the hushed hallway conversations around the Atlanta Airport Marriott, with person after person noting that the formal sanctions are likely to be an afterthought compared to the long-term reputational damage, externally and internally,” Fischer writes.
Many will nevertheless be paying attention to the NFL’s handling of York. As Fischer explains, the outcome probably will be a suspension and a fine.
Of course, an owner’s suspension never carries the same weight as a player’s suspension. When a player is suspended, he loses all income for the duration of the banishment. When an owner is suspended, the owner still gets all of the revenue his team earns during the owner’s absence.
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