Pacman Suspension Continues

[February 23, 2008]  NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) -- NFL commissioner Roger Goodell warned three weeks ago that he could give suspended cornerback Adam "Pacman" Jones more time to understand what was expected of him.

Now the league says Jones is prohibited from working out at the Tennessee Titans' facility and may not be reinstated until at least the opening of training camps in July.

Jones' agent and attorney, Manny Arora, confirmed Friday he had received a letter from the NFL telling him that Jones cannot use the Titans' facility for workouts and remains suspended. Jones had been allowed to work out there once a week during the season, a restriction that was dropped once the Titans' season ended.

"That's all it said," Arora said. "They're going to entertain the issue of reinstating him in the near future, but they're not going to reinstate him right now."

The league said there is no change in Jones' status.

"He remains suspended and will be considered for reinstatement prior to the opening of training camps," spokesman Greg Aiello wrote in an e-mail.

Goodell suspended Jones last April for the 2007 season for his off-field conduct. The sixth pick in the 2005 draft has been arrested six times since being drafted.

He settled charges from a Las Vegas strip club fight and triple shooting at the end of NBA All-Star weekend with a plea deal in December to a gross misdemeanor. A Tennessee judge last month dismissed public intoxication and disorderly conduct charges from August 2006.

The final outstanding case from Georgia in February 2006 was resolved last week when Jones entered an Alford plea to a felony count of obstruction of a police officer.

But Jones didn't help himself when news came out that the cornerback had been in an Atlanta strip club on Jan. 3 while his teammates were prepping for a playoff game.

Arora said he wasn't sure if that incident was what led to the latest letter from the NFL.

"Certainly, it was poor decision-making ... to go back in there," Arora said. "Unfortunately for those decisions there are consequences. We may or may not agree with them, but there are going to be. We'll deal with it."

The Titans met with Jones' agents in January, and the team is expected to try and trade the cornerback once he is reinstated.

Arora said he will call the NFL within a couple weeks to make sure they know exactly what Goodell wants to see from Jones. The cornerback has agreed to be the spokesman for a group working with underprivileged children primarily raised by grandparents in Atlanta.

They also are trying to arrange visits by Jones with college teams to discuss the consequences of making bad decisions no matter how famous or talented someone may be.

But reinstating Jones just before training camps open in July doesn't help the Titans or teams that might be interested in trading for the cornerback unless they are prepared to wait. Free agency opens March 1.

"I'm hoping prior to the draft we'll make a serious push to see if we can get him back in, and hopefully, we'll have some success," Arora said.

[Associated Press; By TERESA M. WALKER]

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