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NFL commissioner Roger Goodell did what he had to do Tuesday. He ignored Cowboys owner Jerry Jones' embarrassing internal investigation, and did something Jones didn't have the guts to do.

Jones

Adam "Pacman" Jones has been suspended indefinitely by the league, although his situation will be reviewed after four games. Honestly, Pacman should consider himself lucky.

Goodell has become close friends with Jerry Jones, and that's just one of the reasons he couldn't afford to come across as soft on Pacman following last week's fistfight with a team-hired body guard at a posh Dallas hotel.

In announcing the decision, Goodell said Pacman's "disturbing pattern of behavior was clearly inconsistent with the conditions I set for your continued participation in the NFL."

And for the Pacman apologists out there, the bathroom brawl was not an isolated event. The Cowboys had recently warned the player to keep a lower profile because he'd showed up on stage at a Nelly concert and then scheduled an appearance at a celebrity beach volleyball event at a local bar. The Cowboys told him to cancel the volleyball appearance.

Again, this shouldn't come as a shock to anyone. The commissioner couldn't afford to come across weak. Player conduct has, in many ways, defined his reign as commissioner to this point.

He couldn't follow the Cowboys' lead, and let this slide. Maybe Pacman has finally met someone not willing to enable his behavior. It's about time.