Lions President Tom Lewand Suspended 30 Days, Fined $100K

The NFL has suspended Detroit Lions President Tom Lewand for 30 days and fined him $100,000 as a result of his drunk driving arrest and subsequent guilty plea, as Commissioner Roger Goodell shows once again that he's serious about holding all league employees to high standards in their personal conduct.

In this case, Goodell was even tougher on Lewand than he usually is on players: The DUI was Lewand's first offense under the league's personal-conduct policy, and NFL players typically aren't disciplined for first DUI offenses.

"You occupy a special position of responsibility and trust, and - as you have publicly acknowledged - your conduct must be consistent with someone in that position," Goodell told Lewand in a letter that has been released publicly.

Lewand released a statement of his own saying, "I remain committed to accepting all of the consequences of my actions, including those in the commissioner's decision. I am deeply grateful for the support I have received."



Lewand's suspension will run from Aug. 25 to Sept. 24, which means he won't be involved in the end of the preseason, the formulation of the final 53-man regular season roster, and the first couple weeks of the regular season. That's an important part of the year for a team president to miss, and that makes this a significant suspension.

And it's a suspension that Goodell was right to hand down. Goodell has built his reputation on getting tough with NFL players, and team executives need to know that he'll hold them accountable as well.