AP

As the NFL stumbles through the dark trying to find a way to get out of several current legal messes, there’s a pretty good platform being established by the NBA, if the NFL cares to look and learn.

The NFL has tripped over its own feet regarding the cases of Ray Rice, Adrian Peterson, and Greg Hardy, leading to suggestions that they’re making it up as they go.

Meanwhile, the NBA has issued a quick, clear, thorough, and reasonable ruling on the matter of one of their players charged with domestic violence.

NBA Commissioner Adam Silver suspended Charlotte Hornets forward Jeff Taylor 24 games stemming from his arrest on Sept. 25 on charges from a fight with a woman in a Michigan hotel.

The Hornets had already suspended Taylor with pay during the investigation (sounds familiar), and the league is giving him credit for time served (sounds unfamiliar). Taylor will miss another 13 games, and be fined an amount equivalent to 24 game checks.

But it isn’t just the suspension that draws a clear line between one league’s handling of a mess and another’s.

The statement from Silver is a thorough piece of literature, documenting exactly what happened, exactly who knew about it, exactly how the league proceeded. It includes evidence and expertise from actual women, which seems like a good idea, rather than just having the victim testify in front of her abuser’s bosses and superiors.

It contains the usual condemnation of vile acts, as well:

“The NBA is committed to vigilance with respect to domestic violence,” it said in closing. “We will continue to work closely with the Players Association to provide education, awareness training, and appropriate resources to NBA players and their families. We recognize our responsibility to do all that we can to prevent this destructive and unacceptable conduct from happening in the future.”

In short, it’s a solid piece of work, generated in an expeditious manner, which seems to have fairly dealt with a contentious topic.

It probably wouldn’t seem so novel, if the NFL hadn’t failed to meet those same criteria, so spectacularly.