Lindsay H. Jones, USA TODAY Sports
Just hours after Indianapolis Colts owner Jim Irsay pleaded guilty to a charge of driving while intoxicated in an Indiana courtroom, he received his additional punishment from the NFL.
Commissioner Roger Goodell announced a six-game suspension and a $500,000 fine for the Colts owner. The suspension begins at 5 p.m. ET on Wednesday, four days before Irsay's team kicks off the regular season with a game against the Denver Broncos on Sunday night.
The $500,000 fine is the maximum fine allowed under NFL rules.
"I acknowledge the mistake I made last March and stand responsible for the consequences of that mistake, for which I sincerely apologize to our community and to Colts fans everywhere," Irsay said in a statement released by the Colts.
"Even more importantly, though, I am committed to do everything in my power to turn this whole experience into a positive event for myself, my family, and the community. In retrospect, I now know that the incident opened my eyes to issues in my life that needed addressing and helped put me on the path to regain my health. I truly hope and pray that my episode will help in some small measure to diminish the stigma surrounding our country's terrible and deadly problem of addiction."
Goodell did not impose further punishment on the Colts because Goodell decided Irsay's actions did not have a "competitive consequence," according to a league statement.
"I have stated on numerous occasions that owners, management personnel and coaches must be held to a higher standard than players," Goodell wrote in a letter to Irsay. "We discussed this during our meeting and you expressed your support for that view, volunteering that owners should be held to the highest standard."
Irsay was arrested in March after a traffic stop in Carmel, Ind. Toxicology reports showed Irsay had both hydrocodone and oxycodone in his system. He initially was charged with two counts of driving while intoxicated, but reached a deal to plead guilty to just one charge.
On Tuesday, he entered that plea and was sentenced to one year's probation and had his driver's license revoked for a year. As terms of his probation, he will be subject to monthly drug testing.
Goodell waited to impose his own punishment on Irsay until after Irsay's case was full adjudicated.
Irsay's full sentence includes 60 days to in the Hamilton County (Ind.) jail, according to the Hamilton County Prosecutor's Office. Fifty-eight days of his sentence were suspended, and Irsay was given two days of credit for the one day he served on March 17.
The court imposed costs of $168.50 and a $200 alcohol countermeasure fee, the release states. The court also recommended that Irsay's license be suspended for a period of 90 days.
Irsay admitted himself into a rehab facility this spring following his arrest, and his daughter Carlie Irsay-Gordon, took over daily control of the Colts. Irsay-Gordon, Irsay's oldest daughter, and two sisters, Casey Foyt and Kalen Irsay, will have run the Colts during their father's suspension.
While on probation, Irsay is prohibited from consuming or possessing alcoholic beverages. He must also provide officials with current and valid prescriptions of all of his medication, the release states. Irsay must also attend a victim impact panel, and complete the rehabilitation program he has participated in since March 24.
"The agreement's terms are typical for first-time OVWI defendants in Hamilton County," the prosecutor's release states. "Sixty days in the local jail is the maximum penalty available under Indiana law for a Class C misdemeanor. Count 2 was dismissed pursuant to the agreement."
Irsay becomes the first NFL owner to be slapped with a suspension since 1999, when former Commissioner Paul Tagliabue suspended San Francisco 49ers owner Eddie DeBartolo Jr. a year-long ban (and a $1 million fine) following DeBartolo Jr.'s guilty plea for his involvement in a Louisiana extortion case. DeBartolo Jr. never returned to active ownership. His nephew, Jed York, now runs the 49ers.
Goodell also intervened in an issue involving former Tennessee Titans owner Bud Adams, who was twice caught giving an obscene gesture during and after a game in 2009. Goodell fined Adams, who died in October, $250,000 for conduct detrimental to the NFL.
Irsay may have to appear in court in an unrelated case involving custody of two minor children who live with their mother in a million-dollar home Irsay bought earlier this year.
An attorneys conference in that case had been scheduled for Sept. 2 but has been continued. Morgan Superior Court Judge G. Thomas Gray has already ruled against an attempt to kill the subpoena requiring Irsay to testify.
The Martinsville custody case centers on Greg Martin's concern about the well-being of his minor children, ages 17 and 12, when they are in Irsay's presence.
In a letter to the court, Martin stated that his children were in the home of his ex-wife, Jami Martin, on the night of Irsay's arrest. The home is a few blocks from where he was arrested by Carmel police.
Contributing: The Indianapolis Star
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