Day 1 comes to an end

GEORGETOWN, Ky. -- An eventful day is coming to a close at Bengals training camp. And the team has not even practiced.

Meetings appear to be breaking up about now.

The news of the day was the NFL denial of Odell Thurman's reinstatement application. The Bengals linebacker remains suspended until the end of the 2007 season, when he can re-apply.

Readers have asked for my opinion. I'm not a columnist. I'm a beat reporter.

But, since you asked: I find NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell's decision consistent with his get-tough policy on players who get in trouble off the field. I can't believe Goodell would act without counsel from experts who oversee the substance abuse policy or outside strict policy guidelines.

Somewhere, somehow, I think, Thurman either did something he was not supposed to do or failed to meet a requirement. I agree with the take offered today by Bengals wide receiver T.J. Houshmandzadeh, who was on a player's advisory board convened in February by Goodell to seek input on his new personal conduct policy.

It's disappointing, though, for Thurman. By all accounts, he has worked hard to combat his demon, alcoholism. He went through in-patient and intensive out-patient treatment. I was impressed when I learned that Thurman had been working construction in his native Monticello, Ga., to support his family in the offseason.

Goodell has undertaken a big job, reigning in off-field misbehavior by dozens of NFL players and attempting to clean up the league's image.

Still, regardless of whether Thurman, Michael Vick, Adam "Pacman" Jones, Tank Johnson or even Chris Henry, for that matter, play another snap in the NFL, the league will go on as the most popular sports enterprise in the country. The product is more popular than ever and immensely larger than even one superstar, Vick.