It wasn't exactly instant.

But the NFL finally replayed its foolish decision about an act of violence off the field and realized it blew the call.

Commissioner Roger Goodell broke with the NFL's long tradition of never admitting a mistake and conveyed with refreshing candor the league's failure to appreciate the seriousness of domestic abuse.

It was a confession made under duress, for sure, as women's organizations unleashed their fury at the league for giving a two-game suspension to a star running back who had beaten his fiancee unconscious in a hotel elevator.

When handing out that paltry sentence to Baltimore Ravens running back Ray Rice last month, Goodell said, "He is a young man that really understands the mistake he made."

In remarks made Aug. 28, Goodell's tone was more contrite.

"My disciplinary decision led the public to question our sincerity, our commitment and whether we understood the toll that domestic violence inflicts on so many families. I didn't get it right. Simply put, we have to do better. And we will."

Moving forward, any league employee who commits an act of assault, battery, domestic violence or sexual assault will be suspended without pay for six games for a first offense. Second-time offenders will be banned for at least one year.

This is a strong and positive message that domestic abuse will not be tolerated in the nation's most popular sports enterprise.

Goodell has put on notice the men working on and off the field in his league that if they harm a woman, they will do serious harm to themselves. Given the prevalence of domestic violence, it is an important message to men everywhere.

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