Fool the NFL once, shame on you. Fool the NFL twice, shame on it.

For those of you who are unaware, Dallas Cowboys cornerback Adam “Pacman” Jones was reinstated by Commissioner Roger Goodell this past week after he was handed a four-game minimum suspension for violating the league’s personal conduct policy. Jones was involved in an alcohol-related incident at a Dallas hotel on Oct. 8, prompting the league to slap him on the wrist for the second time in as many seasons. I say ‘slap him on the wrist’ because Jones has been implicated in more than 12 -- 12!!! -- off-field issues since being drafted by the Tennessee Titans in 2005. That’s four per season, considering Jones was suspended for the entire 2007 season after several conduct policy violations.

His actions and decision-making, which have included participating in altercations and fights at hotels and clubs, as well as an arrest on counts of misdemeanor assault and felony vandalism, have made him the black sheep in a league that prides itself on a positive image. There’s a reason the NFL is the most popular and lucrative American professional sport, making Jones an automatic hindrance to its reputation and profits. With all of that said, Goodell seems to believe otherwise, as this is the second time he has reinstated Jones following a multi-game suspension.

Simply stated, Jones is not a good person, which is illustrated by the accusations that he spit in the face of a college student and initiated a fight with one of his team-issued body guards. He lacks the understanding that maturity and responsibility go hand in hand with being a professional athlete, as well as the ability to adjust to the spotlight-heavy role. As professional sports continue to become a dominant force in American society, professional athletes are being called upon more and more to be constructive and influential members of society, which doesn’t seem like too arduous of a task when your salary is greater than 95 percent of all Americans.

When Goodell was chosen as commissioner in 2006, one of his goals was to reevaluate and strengthen the personal conduct policy -- and he did. Relative to past commissioners, he has raised the bar on the behavior requirements of his players and made violations much more costly. Yet, his weakness lies in his failure to realize that some players are not worthy of NFL readmission, no matter how strong or costly his policy may be. When a guy is involved in more than 12 off-field issues, it’s pretty obvious his willingness to change and learn from his mistakes is non-existent.

After being traded from the Titans to the Cowboys this past offseason, Jones requested that people drop his nickname and only refer to him by his first name to show that he is a changed man. Mr. Jones, I respect your request, but you’ll always be Pacman in my book.