The Aldon Smith thread

Originally posted by AmpLee:
https://twitter.com/Edwerderespn/status/505451081154191360

Who is his source though? Their discussion could've went something like this:

Werder's Source: "Aldon has been suspended 9 games."
Werder: "Are Smith/SF going to have the opportunity to appeal this suspension down, citing the rehab as leverage?"
Werder's Source: "No. The suspension is for 9 games. Appeal process is already over."

It's still possible that Goodell originally decided on, say, a 12-game suspension, but dropped it by a few games and the source is unaware of this (i.e. it was already factored in by the time the information propagated down to the source).

I'm not trying to be cute or or twist Werder's words around, but the fact that the suspension was 9 games is a strong sign to me that it was originally a longer suspension (4 games substance abuse, 8 games personal conduct?) that Goodell reduced down. Maybe I'm grasping at straws, but I really do believe that's a possibility.

Originally posted by AmpLee:
Very possible that was the Commissioners point of view. My argument is that it's an incorrect point of view. The LAX incident got dismissed because Aldon, ultimately, did nothing wrong. He sarcastically made a comment while being questioned by the TSA and was later arrested at his gate. He became loud during the arrest because he probably felt (and was probably right) that it was unwarranted. Sure, it was probably an immature thing for him to take attitude with a TSA agent, but I just don't see how that justifies a punishment far more severe than any punishment levied on a player with similar circumstances.

Here's what Matt Barrows said about the incident back in July:

Although Smith will avoid prosecution in the LAX case, the NFL believes its employees should be held to a "higher standard" and does not always require a conviction when it comes to punishment.

Even if he wasn't charged, it was bad press for the league, and it was yet another incident of him displaying questionable judgement. Had this happened to someone like Patrick Willis/Justin Smith (i.e. guys with clean track records), I bet nothing would've came of it. Given Smith's rap sheet, I think Goodell came down hard.

But, hey, Goodell is not infallible. I agree that his suspensions are puzzling and hard to figure out. After the backlash from the pedestrian Ray Rice suspension, he came out and publicly admitted he made a mistake. As some people have speculated, maybe he did come down harder than usual to "atone" for that mistake. It's totally possible he regrets coming down so hard on Aldon.

Personally though I think the suspension is right around the number it should've been, even if that is an unpopular opinion around here.

Originally posted by NYniner85:

Originally posted by BrianGO:

Originally posted by BobS:
`What is not adding up is your selective memory and extremely biased view of things. If you include getting stabbed at the same party where a couple guys were shot Aldon was involved in 5 incidents that the league views as negative in lest than 2 years. As far as hitting a tree he was still trying to drive forward when the tree had stopped his progress, he was extremely wasted, thank God he hit the tree instead of driving through a house where people were sleeping. While no one was seriously injured as the result of Aldon's repeated episodes of drunk and stupid, things could have been much worse. The league frowns upon repeat offenders and that is no secret, and that is what Aldon is.

If you include getting stabbed at the same party
-- Getting stabbed is a crime? Or perhaps trying to prevent someone else from being stabbed is a crime? Or perhaps it is both? I'm still confused about that.

The league frowns upon repeat offenders and that is no secret, and that is what Aldon is.
-- Those other guys are also repeat offenders. Lynch has two DUIs, a hit and run (where he hit a woman with his car, not a tree), a felony weapons possession, and was involved in an assault investigation. So far, the league only frowns on him for three games worth. Aldon gets frowned on for nine games.

Thank God he hit the tree instead of driving through a house where people were sleeping. While no one was seriously injured as the result of Aldon's repeated episodes of drunk and stupid, things could have been much worse.
-- Theoretical crimes are bad, but they don't compare to actual ones. Aldon could have theoretically drove his car through a parade of pre-schoolers, killing dozens of kids, but the same can be said Lynch. The "theoretically could have" stuff doesn't seem to add anything to the discussion, because it goes both ways. Any crime could have "theoretically" been worse, so how is this relevant to anything?

I'd like to throw in that Josh Brent got a 10 game suspension for KILLING someone and Aldon got 9 games...something doesn't seem right with that.

Huh? What's wrong with killing adult people?

You're forgetting. Brent killed only ONE person. Aldon Smith could have THEORETICALLY run over an entire kindergarten marching band. He could have theoretically killed dozens of children.

Are you seriously putting the life of one measly adult ahead of the lives of dozens of theoretical children?

Originally posted by theduke85:

Originally posted by AmpLee:
Very possible that was the Commissioners point of view. My argument is that it's an incorrect point of view. The LAX incident got dismissed because Aldon, ultimately, did nothing wrong. He sarcastically made a comment while being questioned by the TSA and was later arrested at his gate. He became loud during the arrest because he probably felt (and was probably right) that it was unwarranted. Sure, it was probably an immature thing for him to take attitude with a TSA agent, but I just don't see how that justifies a punishment far more severe than any punishment levied on a player with similar circumstances.

Here's what Matt Barrows said about the incident back in July:

Although Smith will avoid prosecution in the LAX case, the NFL believes its employees should be held to a "higher standard" and does not always require a conviction when it comes to punishment.

Even if he wasn't charged, it was bad press for the league, and it was yet another incident of him displaying questionable judgement. Had this happened to someone like Patrick Willis/Justin Smith (i.e. guys with clean track records), I bet nothing would've came of it. Given Smith's rap sheet, I think Goodell came down hard.

But, hey, Goodell is not infallible. I agree that his suspensions are puzzling and hard to figure out. After the backlash from the pedestrian Ray Rice suspension, he came out and publicly admitted he made a mistake. As some people have speculated, maybe he did come down harder than usual to "atone" for that mistake. It's totally possible he regrets coming down so hard on Aldon.

Personally though I think the suspension is right around the number it should've been, even if that is an unpopular opinion around here.

Fair enough. And I agree overall...4 games + 5 games. But it should have been held under the same precedent at Rice then. Were charges filed? No. Should they be held to a higher standard? Yes. 2 games. Not wait until AFTER Rice's backlash and punish one player more esp. when Aldon's case was settled a while ago and they were mininal chargers at that (weapons charges were a CLEAR misunderstanding and not an "incident" where he was at a club firing shots at gang members). And they were probably reduced to misdemeanors BECAUSE Aldon has done the right thing re: rehab and he was not aware of the CA laws re: the weapons he LEGALLY purchased (no bad intentions here). The courts even waited to see if the LAX incident was really an "incident." And it wasn't. So that should NOT factor in in any way. And now after the harsh punishment to Aldon, NOW God is looking to revise the drug policy to get Gordon off the hook? Any bets if it goes through, nothing is reworked for Aldon? Why wasn't Aldon "grandfathered in" given his case goes back way before Rice's. It's just hypocritical in every way. He's an apologist for Rice and a lowers the boom on Aldon to make up for it (who has done the right thing ever since). I understand the poor publicity argument and how that "may" have forced God's hand here but he gave the maximum fine for both policy violations for a first-time offender @ 4 + 5. And 5 was for the weapons charges (b/c he didn't DO anything else, right? Wasn't charged for anything else,right?). That has never happened in the NFL as far as I know.

Originally posted by buck:
On 49ers: Alcohol is players' biggest enemy

Neighbors say there are perhaps a half-dozen of them a year: House parties so loud that the bass from the speakers rattles their windows well into the early-morning hours.

When the sun comes up, the scores of cars that had been parked on the street are gone, the neighbors say, and the only signs of recent revelry are a wine glass or two strewn on the grass in the neighbors' front yards.

That was the scene Sunday morning at 49ers defensive end Ray McDonald’s home in the tony Silver Creek neighborhood in the hills east of San Jose.

The party, which tight end Vernon Davis said was attended by at least half the team, broke up when police arrived at 2:40 a.m. and arrested McDonald on suspicion of felony domestic abuse.

.........

Guess I was right when I surmised alchohol was involved...and reinforces the fact that McDonald is an idiot. He's previously had legal issues re: alcohol (DUI), it was his party that Crazy Aldon left at 7am when he thought a tree was a drive-thru...thank goodness Ray Ray doesn't try to break up parties like Aldon and Delanie do. But he's still an idiot to throw a party like that in a residential area that's still raging at 2:30 am...you're just begging for the cops to show up. That said, I don't think he "domestically abused" his GF, don't think any charges will be filed, and glad he's playing this week.

Originally posted by DelCed2486:

Originally posted by buck:
On 49ers: Alcohol is players' biggest enemy

Neighbors say there are perhaps a half-dozen of them a year: House parties so loud that the bass from the speakers rattles their windows well into the early-morning hours.

When the sun comes up, the scores of cars that had been parked on the street are gone, the neighbors say, and the only signs of recent revelry are a wine glass or two strewn on the grass in the neighbors' front yards.

That was the scene Sunday morning at 49ers defensive end Ray McDonald’s home in the tony Silver Creek neighborhood in the hills east of San Jose.

The party, which tight end Vernon Davis said was attended by at least half the team, broke up when police arrived at 2:40 a.m. and arrested McDonald on suspicion of felony domestic abuse.

.........

Guess I was right when I surmised alchohol was involved...and reinforces the fact that McDonald is an idiot. He's previously had legal issues re: alcohol (DUI), it was his party that Crazy Aldon left at 7am when he thought a tree was a drive-thru...thank goodness Ray Ray doesn't try to break up parties like Aldon and Delanie do. But he's still an idiot to throw a party like that in a residential area that's still raging at 2:30 am...you're just begging for the cops to show up. That said, I don't think he "domestically abused" his GF, don't think any charges will be filed, and glad he's playing this week.

She's a sista...she's 10 weeks pregnant...hormones are raging...she was at a party...her and her fiance were probably drinking until 3AM...things get out of hand. No charges were filed by her. She will still marry him. Book it!

Originally posted by DelCed2486:

Guess I was right when I surmised alchohol was involved...and reinforces the fact that McDonald is an idiot. He's previously had legal issues re: alcohol (DUI), it was his party that Crazy Aldon left at 7am when he thought a tree was a drive-thru...thank goodness Ray Ray doesn't try to break up parties like Aldon and Delanie do. But he's still an idiot to throw a party like that in a residential area that's still raging at 2:30 am...you're just begging for the cops to show up. That said, I don't think he "domestically abused" his GF, don't think any charges will be filed, and glad he's playing this week.

where did that report say anything about aldon being at a party at mcdonalds house the day he hit the tree?

Originally posted by LoneWolf:

Originally posted by DelCed2486:
Guess I was right when I surmised alchohol was involved...and reinforces the fact that McDonald is an idiot. He's previously had legal issues re: alcohol (DUI), it was his party that Crazy Aldon left at 7am when he thought a tree was a drive-thru...thank goodness Ray Ray doesn't try to break up parties like Aldon and Delanie do. But he's still an idiot to throw a party like that in a residential area that's still raging at 2:30 am...you're just begging for the cops to show up. That said, I don't think he "domestically abused" his GF, don't think any charges will be filed, and glad he's playing this week.

where did that report say anything about aldon being at a party at mcdonalds house the day he hit the tree?

This is not breaking news, it was reported last year that Aldon's little "mishap" just so happened to have occurred on the same street McDonald lives just a few houses down. Perhaps it wasn't a "party" per se, maybe just a fun sleep-over...the kind of sleep-over where someone leaves at 7am still royally f***ed up and happens to have weed and pills in their car.

Originally posted by NCommand:
The courts even waited to see if the LAX incident was really an "incident." And it wasn't. So that should NOT factor in in any way. And now after the harsh punishment to Aldon, NOW God is looking to revise the drug policy to get Gordon off the hook? Any bets if it goes through, nothing is reworked for Aldon?

This is where I start to completely disagree with you. As Barrows pointed out, the NFL does not care if there were formal charges or not. To me, it was clearly and unambiguously an incident. If it wasn't an incident, there wouldn't been a court date in the first place. There absolutely was an incident, there was just no crime committed.

He was pulled aside by airport security and made a stupid remark (nothing about a bomb, but apparently, "what, you're not gonna search me?"). Stupid decision. Then, TSA decided his joke wasn't funny so they detained him. Instead of being polite and calmly explaining himself, he became "belligerent and uncooperative". Another stupid decision to further-exacerbate an already-bad situation. I don't know how you can spin that as a "non-incident". It was clearly not a crime, but it absolutely was a lapse in judgement on his part. A colossally stupid sequence of decisions by somebody already on thin ice. Guess what, Aldon? When you've got your track record, you don't get the benefit of the doubt in situations like that!

Yes, the league waited to see what the criminal outcome of the LAX incident was. Had he been formally charged, I guarantee you he would've received an even longer suspension. I vehemently disagree that is should have not been a factor (again, see the Barrows quote as reference).

Why wasn't Aldon "grandfathered in" given his case goes back way before Rice's. It's just hypocritical in every way. He's an apologist for Rice and a lowers the boom on Aldon to make up for it (who has done the right thing ever since).

What Ray Rice did was horrible, but it was his first offense. Although I think he should have been suspended longer, I do understand why Goodell was forgiving. Sometimes good people make bad decisions. Just because Aldon has never been formally suspended before does not mean that he's a "first-time" offender. Had these incidents been spread out over a longer period of time, he would almost certainly have been suspended multiple times by now. As the NFLPA player policy clearly states:

With respect to repeat offenders, the Commissioner may impose discipline on an enhanced
and/or expedited basis. In such cases, the timing and nature of the discipline will be
determined by the Commissioner based on several factors including but not limited to: the
severity of the initial charge and later charge; the facts underlying the later charge; the
length of time between the initial offense and later charge; and the player or employee's
compliance with counseling and other programs. Following a full investigation and/or
resolution of the proceedings, the Commissioner will review the matter and make any
appropriate adjustments.

If I'm Goodell, here's how I view his incidents:
Drunk driving in Florida: "Hm, reduced to reckless driving. Oh well, I'm the commish, I care about the action, not the charges. But this is your first offense... I'll let it slide. Still, stupid decision, Aldon."
Party fiasco: "Illegal weapons charges? Well, honest mistake, but the law is the law. Wait a second... there was a shootout at your party? You got stabbed? You fired guns into the air to break up a party? What kind of people are hanging around with and inviting to your party? Stupid decisions, Aldon!"
Drunk driving in Cali: "Fool me once, shame on me... fool me twice, shame on you. Guess you didn't learn after the first time, huh? Stupid decision, Aldon."
Aldon enters rehab: "Well, that's encouraging... let's see how he holds up when he gets out."
Escalates incident at LAX: "You've got to me kidding me. Again? Charges or not, trouble seems to find you wherever you go... for some reason, this doesn't seem like it's a coincidence. Another stupid decision, Aldon!"

Originally posted by NCommand:

Originally posted by DelCed2486:

Originally posted by buck:
On 49ers: Alcohol is players' biggest enemy

Neighbors say there are perhaps a half-dozen of them a year: House parties so loud that the bass from the speakers rattles their windows well into the early-morning hours.

When the sun comes up, the scores of cars that had been parked on the street are gone, the neighbors say, and the only signs of recent revelry are a wine glass or two strewn on the grass in the neighbors' front yards.

That was the scene Sunday morning at 49ers defensive end Ray McDonald’s home in the tony Silver Creek neighborhood in the hills east of San Jose.

The party, which tight end Vernon Davis said was attended by at least half the team, broke up when police arrived at 2:40 a.m. and arrested McDonald on suspicion of felony domestic abuse.

.........

Guess I was right when I surmised alchohol was involved...and reinforces the fact that McDonald is an idiot. He's previously had legal issues re: alcohol (DUI), it was his party that Crazy Aldon left at 7am when he thought a tree was a drive-thru...thank goodness Ray Ray doesn't try to break up parties like Aldon and Delanie do. But he's still an idiot to throw a party like that in a residential area that's still raging at 2:30 am...you're just begging for the cops to show up. That said, I don't think he "domestically abused" his GF, don't think any charges will be filed, and glad he's playing this week.

She's a sista...she's 10 weeks pregnant...hormones are raging...she was at a party...her and her fiance were probably drinking until 3AM...things get out of hand. No charges were filed by her. She will still marry him. Book it!

That's basically what I've been saying, they were drinking (which, WTF lady, you are PREGNANT), by the time 3am rolls around that's likely a lot of alcohol consumed, maybe she thinks Ray Ray was checking out some chick, hilarity ensues...cops show up because of noise complaint, see bruises on her, she's still a little p**sed, says Ray grabbed her while they were arguing, 6' 3' 300# dude goes to jail.

But just to correct one thing you said, she has no say on whether to press or drop charges...it's DV, once the cops take someone away it's basically in the DA's hands. However, if she's not going to testify against McDonald, no witnesses that will, no video...then will be a very tough case to prosecute, hence why I believe 49ers know this and are confident no charges will be filed.

Originally posted by DelCed2486:

This is not breaking news, it was reported last year that Aldon's little "mishap" just so happened to have occurred on the same street McDonald lives just a few houses down. Perhaps it wasn't a "party" per se, maybe just a fun sleep-over...the kind of sleep-over where someone leaves at 7am still royally f***ed up and happens to have weed and pills in their car.

Police report didn't mention weed or pills, sounds like you've been duped by Timmy K.

Originally posted by theduke85:

Originally posted by NCommand:
The courts even waited to see if the LAX incident was really an "incident." And it wasn't. So that should NOT factor in in any way. And now after the harsh punishment to Aldon, NOW God is looking to revise the drug policy to get Gordon off the hook? Any bets if it goes through, nothing is reworked for Aldon?

This is where I start to completely disagree with you. As Barrows pointed out, the NFL does not care if there were formal charges or not. To me, it was clearly and unambiguously an incident. If it wasn't an incident, there wouldn't been a court date in the first place. There absolutely was an incident, there was just no crime committed.

He was pulled aside by airport security and made a stupid remark (nothing about a bomb, but apparently, "what, you're not gonna search me?"). Stupid decision. Then, TSA decided his joke wasn't funny so they detained him. Instead of being polite and calmly explaining himself, he became "belligerent and uncooperative". Another stupid decision to further-exacerbate an already-bad situation. I don't know how you can spin that as a "non-incident". It was clearly not a crime, but it absolutely was a lapse in judgement on his part. A colossally stupid sequence of decisions by somebody already on thin ice. Guess what, Aldon? When you've got your track record, you don't get the benefit of the doubt in situations like that!

Yes, the league waited to see what the criminal outcome of the LAX incident was. Had he been formally charged, I guarantee you he would've received an even longer suspension. I vehemently disagree that is should have not been a factor (again, see the Barrows quote as reference).

Why wasn't Aldon "grandfathered in" given his case goes back way before Rice's. It's just hypocritical in every way. He's an apologist for Rice and a lowers the boom on Aldon to make up for it (who has done the right thing ever since).

What Ray Rice did was horrible, but it was his first offense. Although I think he should have been suspended longer, I do understand why Goodell was forgiving. Sometimes good people make bad decisions. Just because Aldon has never been formally suspended before does not mean that he's a "first-time" offender. Had these incidents been spread out over a longer period of time, he would almost certainly have been suspended multiple times by now. As the NFLPA player policy clearly states:

With respect to repeat offenders, the Commissioner may impose discipline on an enhanced
and/or expedited basis. In such cases, the timing and nature of the discipline will be
determined by the Commissioner based on several factors including but not limited to: the
severity of the initial charge and later charge; the facts underlying the later charge; the
length of time between the initial offense and later charge; and the player or employee's
compliance with counseling and other programs. Following a full investigation and/or
resolution of the proceedings, the Commissioner will review the matter and make any
appropriate adjustments.

If I'm Goodell, here's how I view his incidents:
Drunk driving in Florida: "Hm, reduced to reckless driving. Oh well, I'm the commish, I care about the action, not the charges. But this is your first offense... I'll let it slide. Still, stupid decision, Aldon."
Party fiasco: "Illegal weapons charges? Well, honest mistake, but the law is the law. Wait a second... there was a shootout at your party? You got stabbed? You fired guns into the air to break up a party? What kind of people are hanging around with and inviting to your party? Stupid decisions, Aldon!"
Drunk driving in Cali: "Fool me once, shame on me... fool me twice, shame on you. Guess you didn't learn after the first time, huh? Stupid decision, Aldon."
Aldon enters rehab: "Well, that's encouraging... let's see how he holds up when he gets out."
Escalates incident at LAX: "You've got to me kidding me. Again? Charges or not, trouble seems to find you wherever you go... for some reason, this doesn't seem like it's a coincidence. Another stupid decision, Aldon!"

Incident yes, charges no. Couldn't the same be said about Rice (2 games)? And which is worse, the LAX non-incident or the DV caught on tape? So based on your rationale, Aldon gets that tacked on to an honest-mistake weapons possession charge that only happened b/c some cholo's decided to show up to a house party in NoCal (yeah, b/c THAT never happens) who subsequently fire weapons into the garage and stab him in the leg IN his own garage...and were only found days later after a routine "search" of his house that I'm sure he granted permission to and obviously, didn't try to hide (he had time). Couldn't the firing of the shots in the air by the legal handgun be seen as him trying to regain control of the party and ensure everyone dispersed to avoid FURTHER injury (to himself or others).

The DUI's? Anyone who knows anything about addiction (and the NFL should by now) knows that addiction is not shaken the first time. Incidents happen in clusters very commonly and the chance of relapse is high. The point of this is that he DID get help and it was reported that Aldon has been sober for 10+ months (huge) and has looked the healthiest this team has ever seen (ever). So what's the best thing to do? Remove him from the one stable environment he has outside of home and riddle him with guilt while he watches his team from afar and hears his name brought up in the media press dueing games (as constant reminders) and issue an equivalent suspension of a murderer? Really? Yeah, that won't make an addict turn a 180 and head right back on the wrong path. And that's my biggest issue with this punishment!

Fine him a million dollars for all I care but you don't take a recovering addict out of his routine, his family/support system (9ers), job, etc. AFTER he's been on the right path and showing clear positivity towards growth and health for the first time (and have some BALLS to say that publically...you had the balls to publically note you sought out DV counsel for the new policy!).

That's like you going to rehab, coming back to work, and THEN me firing you for a year. But don't worry, you can still show up to the building once in a while...but you can only go to the cafeteria!

BTW: Really appreciate your take though...always love the "other perspective."

Originally posted by DelCed2486:
That's basically what I've been saying, they were drinking (which, WTF lady, you are PREGNANT), by the time 3am rolls around that's likely a lot of alcohol consumed, maybe she thinks Ray Ray was checking out some chick, hilarity ensues...cops show up because of noise complaint, see bruises on her, she's still a little p**sed, says Ray grabbed her while they were arguing, 6' 3' 300# dude goes to jail.

But just to correct one thing you said, she has no say on whether to press or drop charges...it's DV, once the cops take someone away it's basically in the DA's hands. However, if she's not going to testify against McDonald, no witnesses that will, no video...then will be a very tough case to prosecute, hence why I believe 49ers know this and are confident no charges will be filed.

Don't they usually ask the victim if she'd like to press chargers right then and there b/c it was a domestic dispute?

Originally posted by ModestoNiner33:

Originally posted by DelCed2486:
This is not breaking news, it was reported last year that Aldon's little "mishap" just so happened to have occurred on the same street McDonald lives just a few houses down. Perhaps it wasn't a "party" per se, maybe just a fun sleep-over...the kind of sleep-over where someone leaves at 7am still royally f***ed up and happens to have weed and pills in their car.

Police report didn't mention weed or pills, sounds like you've been duped by Timmy K.

Yeah, because it's just so hard to believe that a dude who starts firing a gun in the air to break up a party where a bunch of gangbaners were at his house, who already had a previous DUI before he murdered a tree in another DUI at 7 o'clock in the MORNING, who decides it's a good idea to start s**t with TSA agents....right, so hard to believe this paragon of smart choices wouldn't also be stupid enough to have weed and pills in his car. And the original report of it did not come from Kawakami, my recollection is it came from Cam Inman. Sounds like you're a rose-colored homer.

Originally posted by theduke85:
This is where I start to completely disagree with you. As Barrows pointed out, the NFL does not care if there were formal charges or not. To me, it was clearly and unambiguously an incident. If it wasn't an incident, there wouldn't been a court date in the first place. There absolutely was an incident, there was just no crime committed.

He was pulled aside by airport security and made a stupid remark (nothing about a bomb, but apparently, "what, you're not gonna search me?"). Stupid decision. Then, TSA decided his joke wasn't funny so they detained him. Instead of being polite and calmly explaining himself, he became "belligerent and uncooperative". Another stupid decision to further-exacerbate an already-bad situation. I don't know how you can spin that as a "non-incident". It was clearly not a crime, but it absolutely was a lapse in judgement on his part. A colossally stupid sequence of decisions by somebody already on thin ice. Guess what, Aldon? When you've got your track record, you don't get the benefit of the doubt in situations like that!

Yes, the league waited to see what the criminal outcome of the LAX incident was. Had he been formally charged, I guarantee you he would've received an even longer suspension. I vehemently disagree that is should have not been a factor (again, see the Barrows quote as reference).

Why wasn't Aldon "grandfathered in" given his case goes back way before Rice's. It's just hypocritical in every way. He's an apologist for Rice and a lowers the boom on Aldon to make up for it (who has done the right thing ever since).

What Ray Rice did was horrible, but it was his first offense. Although I think he should have been suspended longer, I do understand why Goodell was forgiving. Sometimes good people make bad decisions. Just because Aldon has never been formally suspended before does not mean that he's a "first-time" offender. Had these incidents been spread out over a longer period of time, he would almost certainly have been suspended multiple times by now. As the NFLPA player policy clearly states:

With respect to repeat offenders, the Commissioner may impose discipline on an enhanced
and/or expedited basis. In such cases, the timing and nature of the discipline will be
determined by the Commissioner based on several factors including but not limited to: the
severity of the initial charge and later charge; the facts underlying the later charge; the
length of time between the initial offense and later charge; and the player or employee's
compliance with counseling and other programs. Following a full investigation and/or
resolution of the proceedings, the Commissioner will review the matter and make any
appropriate adjustments.

If I'm Goodell, here's how I view his incidents:
Drunk driving in Florida: "Hm, reduced to reckless driving. Oh well, I'm the commish, I care about the action, not the charges. But this is your first offense... I'll let it slide. Still, stupid decision, Aldon."
Party fiasco: "Illegal weapons charges? Well, honest mistake, but the law is the law. Wait a second... there was a shootout at your party? You got stabbed? You fired guns into the air to break up a party? What kind of people are hanging around with and inviting to your party? Stupid decisions, Aldon!"
Drunk driving in Cali: "Fool me once, shame on me... fool me twice, shame on you. Guess you didn't learn after the first time, huh? Stupid decision, Aldon."
Aldon enters rehab: "Well, that's encouraging... let's see how he holds up when he gets out."
Escalates incident at LAX: "You've got to me kidding me. Again? Charges or not, trouble seems to find you wherever you go... for some reason, this doesn't seem like it's a coincidence. Another stupid decision, Aldon!"

I agree with this. And I think NFL security may have looked into the report that he was possibly drinking before the LAX incident and confirmed it.