Bob McManaman

azcentral sports

It's been in the back of the NFL rule book for seemingly forever, but on-field discipline for players who use abusive and insulting language on game days is about to get pushed to the forefront in an unprecedented way.

The NFL has decided to deliver a major crackdown on unsportsmanlike-conduct infractions this season, urging game officials to issue 15-yard penalties every time one of them hears any over-the-top language.

That can include, but is not limited to, words or gestures a referee deems threatening or demeaning to opponents, teammates, officials or representatives of the NFL. Any racial or homophobic slurs, especially, will result in penalties, fines and possible ejection and further discipline.

Rule 12, Section 3, Article 1b always has been there. It just hasn't always been a point of emphasis by referees. This year it will be.

"It is now a front-of-the-book issue," St. Louis Rams coach Jeff Fisher, co-chairman of the NFL's competition committee, said during a conference call. "With respect to sportsmanship on the playing field, the committee agreed after looking at a lot of tape and talking to a lot of entities, we had an issue on the field. And we agreed we're going to get it under control as soon as we possibly can."

Fisher said the NFL not only owes such a change to the game and its fans, but to set an example for college football and youth levels of the sport.

"The NCAA is hoping for us to do something at our level," he said, "and we have to take the lead. We're going to do that."

Cleaning up the game by cleaning up some of the dirty language sounds fine, but members of the Cardinals remain perplexed at just how game officials plan to enforce the code.

What if a slur is made at the bottom of a dog pile following a gang tackle? Will refs be able to accurately single out which player may have said it? What if the n-word is used by a Black player toward a Black teammate in an endearing fashion while celebrating a big play? If it isn't used in hate, even if the word itself is hateful, should the teammate be subject to a 15-yard penalty, a fine, an ejection and perhaps even a suspension?

To that point, Cardinals defensive tackle Darnell Dockett takes exception.

"These are different days, different languages, different ways of communicating with your teammates and other people," Dockett said, specifically referring to some Blacks using the n-word among each other. "It's different from what you may think is appropriate or inappropriate in your surroundings. Bottom line is people communicate in different languages."

Dockett has never been afraid to say what he thinks or feels. It's made him a popular thread to follow on Twitter. And he says the NFL is going too far in trying to police what is said on the field in the heat of the moment.

"This is a man's sport. It's very physical. There's a lot of testosterone going on around here," he said. "You can't take that away. C'mon, man. To each his own. It's just being petty if you ask me.

"It's just something else to bitch about. They're controlling hits, controlling this and controlling that. Before you know it, they'll have us out there playing like mannequins and they'll put a muzzle over your mouth."

Cardinals coach Bruce Arians has his concerns — mainly how referees can be expected to call games while also listening for salty slang and/or abusive and insensitive language.

"To me it's a very touchy subject," Arians said. "Officials have a hard enough job as it is. But men are men. It's a man's game. Things will be said out there. … There's no place for derogatory or demeaning (language), but it's out there.

"I've got to start with me because I get very hot on the sidelines. You have to watch what you say now because there's so many microphones involved. But for the officials to now try and officiate language, I think we're stepping out of bounds."

Arians at least won't have to worry about his new left tackle, Jared Veldheer, crossing the line.

"I'm not a huge yeller or screamer," Veldheer said. "When I get angry, I get kind of eerily quiet and it's like, 'Whoa, what's this guy going to do next?' "

Cardinals linebacker Lorenzo Alexander understands why the league is trying to fix a problem it says can make an impact on youths, and he agrees there should be zero tolerance when it comes to racist and anti-gay remarks.

But he, too, has questions about the language crackdown.

"I think it's good in a sense, but at the same time, censoring guys?" he asks. "For me, if we're going to be PC (politically correct) we need to be PC all the way around. That means the Redskins name. That means the n-word. Everything.

"We can't choose what we think is OK and not OK. If something is bad, it should be bad."

Alexander spent his first six NFL seasons playing for the Redskins and he believes a name change is in order. If the league is going to mandate what language can be used on game days, then the NFL should also force the Redskins to pick a new name.

"No matter how many groups of people are offended by it, if they feel a certain way and they feel like it's the same as the n-word, then I think there needs to be some type of change," he said. "I know it's hard when the intent might not have been there, but when you're educated about this is what it means, I think at some point you've got to move away from it and be respectful."

Respect. That's the same reason Alexander said he stopped using the n-word when talking to fellow Blacks.

"It's a term of endearment in our community," he said, "but at the same time, you know what it means. My grandmother was called that in a derogatory way so just out respect for her and what people went through, I don't use it anymore just because of all the baggage that goes with it.

"I'm not mad at a guy that uses it, but cats don't call me that because I don't use it. I don't talk to them like that. But if you're talking within your group and you want to use it, I'm not mad at you because I think you've been removed from that situation. But if you lived 40, 50 years ago, you never would have used it because you lived through it."

As for the use of other abusive words, well, teams will begin to find out during the preseason just what is tolerable and what isn't. Perhaps.

Players like Alexander have their doubts.

"We're out there competing and you're dealing with guys like Dockett, where you're right up against crazy and that's the way you have to play this game if you want to be good at it," he said. "I don't think guys should be penalized or held accountable for things you may say in the heat of the moment. Stuff's going to come out."

Alexander and others believe the league is toughening its stance on player misconduct primarily because of the incidents in Miami regarding the bullying of offensive lineman Jonathan Martin by fellow lineman Richie Incognito and others. Maybe, they said, it also is because of Eagles receiver Riley Cooper's racial rants last offseason or because referee Roy Ellison was suspended one game last year for allegedly using a slur word toward a player.

"Generally overall, the league is made up of some great men that are out here competing," Alexander said. "Nobody out here is a racist or bigots or anything like that. You had a couple bad apples and they want to categorize everybody the same way and that's the way it's always been.

"You have one or two guys mess up and all of a sudden it's, 'Oh, all them NFL players are like that,' which is really not the case."\

Camping out

Camp confidential: Judging from coach Bruce Arians' comments in camp, several players are benefiting from losing weight in the offseason. On Tuesday, Arians mentioned that WR Michael Floyd, LB Kenny Demens and LB Kevin Minter all dropped weight by changing diets. … It's early but TE John Carlson appears to be emerging as a focal point of the passing game. He's fast, has good hands and QB Carson Palmer clearly trusts him. Carlson's durability, however, is a question. He has a history of concussions. … Players coming off lower-body injuries appear to be moving well in training camp. OLB Sam Acho (broken leg) has stood out. G Jonathan Cooper (broken leg) looks better than he did in May and June. And Lorenzo Alexander (foot) is close to 100 percent. "He always limped, so it's hard to tell," Arians said, smiling.

Injury report: NT Dan Williams (left knee) was out. The joint was irritated and Williams had it drained of fluid. He expects to return soon. CB Antonio Cromartie (pectoral) is expected to miss four to five days. RB Andre Ellington (neck) missed Tuesday's practice but is expected back soon, perhaps Wednesday. Others on the injury report are LB Ernie Sims (back spasms), NT Christian Tupou (groin) and CB Todd Washington (groin).

Quote: "They are screaming for me, and I haven't made a play yet."

— LB Larry Foote, joking that after practice fans were chanting "Larry" for him and not WR Larry Fitzgerald

Next up: Practice Wednesday from 2 to 4:30 p.m. at University of Phoenix Stadium. Parking and admission are free. The lots are open at 12:30, and fans are admitted about 1:30 each day.

— Kent Somers