[vincesanity82]

The Nashville Tennessean reports that the NFL Players Association has asked Commissioner Roger Goodell to reduce the one-year suspension imposed last month on Titans cornerback Pacman Jones.

"Your suspension of Jones without pay for the 2007 season is clearly excessive and much greater than discipline imposed upon players for the same or similar incidents," NFLPA staff counsel Thomas DePaso wrote in a May 23 letter.

Previously, the NFLPA had little to do with the appeal of the decision. We believed that the union was keeping its head low so as to avoid criticism arising from its past agreement that the Commissioner not only would impose the initial punishment, but also would handle any appeals.

But now that Jones and his lawyers could be mulling a claim against the NFLPA for breach of the duty of fair representation that every union in the U.S. owes to each of its members, the NFLPA's belated entry into the fray might have been motivated by its desire to avoid the appearance that it sat on its hands, thumbs pointing north, throughout the process.

A ruling on the appeal is expected this week.