NFL and NFLPA Appoint Neutral Arbitrator

The NFL and the NFLPA announced yesterday that they have agreed to hire a neutral arbitrator to hear Ray Rice's appeal.  The arbitrator they selected is former U.S. District judge Barbara S. Jones, who served in the Southern District of New York from 1996-2013.  The appointment of a mutually agreed upon neutral arbitrator to hear an appeal of commissioner discipline for off-field misconduct in the NFL is a significant development and long overdue.  It will be interesting to see whether this has a precedent-setting effect going forward for all appeals of commissioner discipline for off-field misconduct.