lvnginhwktwn":xa9kdkln said:
So if this was a Hawk you'd be ok with him being benched until DA decision, trial, etc.?
http://deadspin.com/jim-harbaugh-says-domestic-violence-means-youre-off-his-1629719728
The Niners were a little less clear on whether McDonald will remain active as team security, police, and perhaps eventually prosecutors complete their investigation. GM Trent Baalke held a contentious press conference with reporters, in which he repeatedly dodged questions about McDonald's status for Sunday's season opener.
-Q: What's the process to determine whether Ray McDonald plays Sunday or if he ever plays again for the 49ers?
-BAALKE: Well, right now it's a legal matter. There's such a thing called due process, and we intend on letting that play out.
-Q: Is the way you handled the Aldon Smith matter, when he was allowed to play two days after his arrest last year, a precedent for this matter?
-BAALKE: I don't think Aldon's case has anything to do with this case. They are separate issues and they will be dealt with separately.
-Q: Do you and the organization share Harbaugh's stance that there's no room on the team for someone guilty of domestic violence?
-BAALKE:: I think this–this is certainly something that hits home for me. I've got two daughters myself. It's certainly, domestic violence is unacceptable, and it certainly won't be tolerated.
-Q: Will McDonald play Sunday against the Cowboys?
-BAALKE: That remains to be seen. Once again, it's due process.
There is no playbook on how to deal with players going through the legal process—only that due process, which refers to state prosecution, doesn't apply in a private workplace. The NFL pretty much set that precedent when it announced Ben Roethlisberger's six-game suspension (later knocked down to four) less than a week after prosecutors decided not to charge him.
The 49ers, too, have something of a precedent here: last season they let LB Aldon Smith play two days after a DUI arrest, then shipped him off to rehab right after the game. (Smith returned to action five weeks later, despite racking up felony gun charges for an earlier incident in the meantime. He's serving a nine-game suspension to start this year.)