The NFL is one of the best leagues in the entire wide world of sports worldwide. The reasons are many, but its fierce competitiveness, its constant offering of spectacle and the standards of fairness it manages stand out. Proof of this is that not even the most important people in it are spared from being sanctioned when they commit an illegal act, such as the owner of the Miami Dolphins, Stephen Ross.
The Chairman of The Related Companies, with a fortune valued at 7.6 billion dollars, according to Forbes, entered the NFL universe when in 2008 he acquired 50 percent of the Dolphins franchise. A year later, he reached 95 percent ownership to become the lord and master of the team’s destiny.
Unfortunately for Stephen Ross’ cause, his tenure has been more notable for the trouble he has gotten into than for the accomplishments the Miami Dolphins have achieved. In fact, the team’s main debt to its fans continues to increase its interest rate: not having won a single Super Bowl since 1973.
The reason for the NFL’s punishment of Stephen Ross, owner of the Miami Dolphins
Through a press release, the NFL announced that Stephen Ross had been sanctioned with a veto until October 17, 2022, in which he will not be able to represent his team or attend any event related to the league, indefinite removal from all league committees and a payment of 1.5 million dollars.
The reason for such punishment is for violations related to the integrity of the game because of specific events that occurred between 2019 and 2022 that were reviewed by a group of lawyers who reached conclusions against Stephen Ross.
The Dolphins owner is accused of Tampering by attempting to establish contact with both Tom Brady and Sean Payton, and their respective agents to negotiate a possible addition to the franchise. This happened while both characters had contracts in force with their respective teams, something illegal for the NFL.
Also, Stephen Ross is punished for his Tanking attempt to improve Miami’s position in the 2020 Draft, which included insinuations of intentionally losing games. It should be noted that the investigation conducted by the NFL concluded that there were no intentional forfeits by the Dolphins.
In addition to the punishment received by their owner, the Miami Dolphins were hit with NFL sanctions and lost their first round pick in the 2023 Draft and their third round pick in the 2024 Draft. Likewise, the Vice Chairman of the franchise, Bruce Beal will not be able to attend any league meeting during the 2022 season and was punished with $500,000.
