This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate

Alex Landry, 10, watches his robot fight another robot during a combat robot tournament called “Houston Holiday Bash 2021!” at Electronics Parts Outlet, Saturday, Nov. 20, 2021 in Houston . The Electronic Parts Outlet has the claustrophobic feel of a classic hardware store, with narrow aisles bordered by crowded shelves stacked literally to the rafters with merchandise. But this is a different kind of hardware. Rather than nails, shovels and toilet flappers, EPO is jam-packed with microprocessors, electric motors, cables, circuit boards, computer parts and anything that makes the digital world go ‘round. But it’s also a museum of sorts, with thousands of antique electronics, including a working electronics tube tester, dozens of classic radios, a World War II telephone, a Japanese pachinko machine from the 1960s and even Cold War-era oscilloscopes the manager thinks may have been pulled from decommissioned U.S. Navy submarines. It is one of the last of its kind, as mom-and-pop electronics stores have largely been killed off by the likes of Best Buy and Amazon

A full-size R2-D2 robot on display at Electronics Parts Outlet, Saturday, Nov. 20, 2021 in Houston . The Electronic Parts Outlet has the claustrophobic feel of a classic hardware store, with narrow aisles bordered by crowded shelves stacked literally to the rafters with merchandise. But this is a different kind of hardware. Rather than nails, shovels and toilet flappers, EPO is jam-packed with microprocessors, electric motors, cables, circuit boards, computer parts and anything that makes the digital world go ‘round. But it’s also a museum of sorts, with thousands of antique electronics, including a working electronics tube tester, dozens of classic radios, a World War II telephone, a Japanese pachinko machine from the 1960s and even Cold War-era oscilloscopes the manager thinks may have been pulled from decommissioned U.S. Navy submarines. It is one of the last of its kind, as mom-and-pop electronics stores have largely been killed off by the likes of Best Buy and Amazon

Volt meters and ohmmeters on display at Electronics Parts Outlet, Saturday, Nov. 20, 2021 in Houston . The Electronic Parts Outlet has the claustrophobic feel of a classic hardware store, with narrow aisles bordered by crowded shelves stacked literally to the rafters with merchandise. But this is a different kind of hardware. Rather than nails, shovels and toilet flappers, EPO is jam-packed with microprocessors, electric motors, cables, circuit boards, computer parts and anything that makes the digital world go ‘round. But it’s also a museum of sorts, with thousands of antique electronics, including a working electronics tube tester, dozens of classic radios, a World War II telephone, a Japanese pachinko machine from the 1960s and even Cold War-era oscilloscopes the manager thinks may have been pulled from decommissioned U.S. Navy submarines. It is one of the last of its kind, as mom-and-pop electronics stores have largely been killed off by the likes of Best Buy and Amazon

Chris Macha, co-owner and manager of Electronics Parts Outlet, stands in front of Cold War-era oscilloscopes that he thinks may have been pulled from decommissioned U.S. Navy submarines, Saturday, Nov. 20, 2021 in Houston . The Electronic Parts Outlet has the claustrophobic feel of a classic hardware store, with narrow aisles bordered by crowded shelves stacked literally to the rafters with merchandise. But this is a different kind of hardware. Rather than nails, shovels and toilet flappers, EPO is jam-packed with microprocessors, electric motors, cables, circuit boards, computer parts and anything that makes the digital world go ‘round. But it’s also a museum of sorts, with thousands of antique electronics, including a working electronics tube tester, dozens of classic radios, a World War II telephone, a Japanese pachinko machine from the 1960s and even Cold War-era oscilloscopes the manager thinks may have been pulled from decommissioned U.S. Navy submarines. It is one of the last of its kind, as mom-and-pop electronics stores have largely been killed off by the likes of Best Buy and Amazon

Bins of Ohm resistors at Electronics Parts Outlet, Saturday, Nov. 20, 2021 in Houston . The Electronic Parts Outlet has the claustrophobic feel of a classic hardware store, with narrow aisles bordered by crowded shelves stacked literally to the rafters with merchandise. But this is a different kind of hardware. Rather than nails, shovels and toilet flappers, EPO is jam-packed with microprocessors, electric motors, cables, circuit boards, computer parts and anything that makes the digital world go ‘round. But it’s also a museum of sorts, with thousands of antique electronics, including a working electronics tube tester, dozens of classic radios, a World War II telephone, a Japanese pachinko machine from the 1960s and even Cold War-era oscilloscopes the manager thinks may have been pulled from decommissioned U.S. Navy submarines. It is one of the last of its kind, as mom-and-pop electronics stores have largely been killed off by the likes of Best Buy and Amazon

A steampunk mask for sale at Electronics Parts Outlet, Saturday, Nov. 20, 2021 in Houston . The Electronic Parts Outlet has the claustrophobic feel of a classic hardware store, with narrow aisles bordered by crowded shelves stacked literally to the rafters with merchandise. But this is a different kind of hardware. Rather than nails, shovels and toilet flappers, EPO is jam-packed with microprocessors, electric motors, cables, circuit boards, computer parts and anything that makes the digital world go ‘round. But it’s also a museum of sorts, with thousands of antique electronics, including a working electronics tube tester, dozens of classic radios, a World War II telephone, a Japanese pachinko machine from the 1960s and even Cold War-era oscilloscopes the manager thinks may have been pulled from decommissioned U.S. Navy submarines. It is one of the last of its kind, as mom-and-pop electronics stores have largely been killed off by the likes of Best Buy and Amazon

A wide angle view of an aisle at Electronics Parts Outlet, Saturday, Nov. 20, 2021 in Houston . The Electronic Parts Outlet has the claustrophobic feel of a classic hardware store, with narrow aisles bordered by crowded shelves stacked literally to the rafters with merchandise. But this is a different kind of hardware. Rather than nails, shovels and toilet flappers, EPO is jam-packed with microprocessors, electric motors, cables, circuit boards, computer parts and anything that makes the digital world go ‘round. But it’s also a museum of sorts, with thousands of antique electronics, including a working electronics tube tester, dozens of classic radios, a World War II telephone, a Japanese pachinko machine from the 1960s and even Cold War-era oscilloscopes the manager thinks may have been pulled from decommissioned U.S. Navy submarines. It is one of the last of its kind, as mom-and-pop electronics stores have largely been killed off by the likes of Best Buy and Amazon

Cold War-era oscilloscopes the co-owner and manager, Chris Macha, thinks may have been pulled from decommissioned U.S. Navy submarines at Electronics Parts Outlet, Saturday, Nov. 20, 2021 in Houston . The Electronic Parts Outlet has the claustrophobic feel of a classic hardware store, with narrow aisles bordered by crowded shelves stacked literally to the rafters with merchandise. But this is a different kind of hardware. Rather than nails, shovels and toilet flappers, EPO is jam-packed with microprocessors, electric motors, cables, circuit boards, computer parts and anything that makes the digital world go ‘round. But it’s also a museum of sorts, with thousands of antique electronics, including a working electronics tube tester, dozens of classic radios, a World War II telephone, a Japanese pachinko machine from the 1960s and even Cold War-era oscilloscopes the manager thinks may have been pulled from decommissioned U.S. Navy submarines. It is one of the last of its kind, as mom-and-pop electronics stores have largely been killed off by the likes of Best Buy and Amazon

Manual typewriters for sale at Electronics Parts Outlet, Saturday, Nov. 20, 2021 in Houston . The Electronic Parts Outlet has the claustrophobic feel of a classic hardware store, with narrow aisles bordered by crowded shelves stacked literally to the rafters with merchandise. But this is a different kind of hardware. Rather than nails, shovels and toilet flappers, EPO is jam-packed with microprocessors, electric motors, cables, circuit boards, computer parts and anything that makes the digital world go ‘round. But it’s also a museum of sorts, with thousands of antique electronics, including a working electronics tube tester, dozens of classic radios, a World War II telephone, a Japanese pachinko machine from the 1960s and even Cold War-era oscilloscopes the manager thinks may have been pulled from decommissioned U.S. Navy submarines. It is one of the last of its kind, as mom-and-pop electronics stores have largely been killed off by the likes of Best Buy and Amazon

A wide angle view of an aisle at Electronics Parts Outlet, Saturday, Nov. 20, 2021 in Houston . The Electronic Parts Outlet has the claustrophobic feel of a classic hardware store, with narrow aisles bordered by crowded shelves stacked literally to the rafters with merchandise. But this is a different kind of hardware. Rather than nails, shovels and toilet flappers, EPO is jam-packed with microprocessors, electric motors, cables, circuit boards, computer parts and anything that makes the digital world go ‘round. But it’s also a museum of sorts, with thousands of antique electronics, including a working electronics tube tester, dozens of classic radios, a World War II telephone, a Japanese pachinko machine from the 1960s and even Cold War-era oscilloscopes the manager thinks may have been pulled from decommissioned U.S. Navy submarines. It is one of the last of its kind, as mom-and-pop electronics stores have largely been killed off by the likes of Best Buy and Amazon

A sign welcoming customers on the counter of Electronics Parts Outlet, Saturday, Nov. 20, 2021 in Houston . The Electronic Parts Outlet has the claustrophobic feel of a classic hardware store, with narrow aisles bordered by crowded shelves stacked literally to the rafters with merchandise. But this is a different kind of hardware. Rather than nails, shovels and toilet flappers, EPO is jam-packed with microprocessors, electric motors, cables, circuit boards, computer parts and anything that makes the digital world go ‘round. But it’s also a museum of sorts, with thousands of antique electronics, including a working electronics tube tester, dozens of classic radios, a World War II telephone, a Japanese pachinko machine from the 1960s and even Cold War-era oscilloscopes the manager thinks may have been pulled from decommissioned U.S. Navy submarines. It is one of the last of its kind, as mom-and-pop electronics stores have largely been killed off by the likes of Best Buy and Amazon

Antique puzzles for sale at Electronics Parts Outlet, Saturday, Nov. 20, 2021 in Houston . The Electronic Parts Outlet has the claustrophobic feel of a classic hardware store, with narrow aisles bordered by crowded shelves stacked literally to the rafters with merchandise. But this is a different kind of hardware. Rather than nails, shovels and toilet flappers, EPO is jam-packed with microprocessors, electric motors, cables, circuit boards, computer parts and anything that makes the digital world go ‘round. But it’s also a museum of sorts, with thousands of antique electronics, including a working electronics tube tester, dozens of classic radios, a World War II telephone, a Japanese pachinko machine from the 1960s and even Cold War-era oscilloscopes the manager thinks may have been pulled from decommissioned U.S. Navy submarines. It is one of the last of its kind, as mom-and-pop electronics stores have largely been killed off by the likes of Best Buy and Amazon

Motor pieces and parts for sale at Electronics Parts Outlet, Saturday, Nov. 20, 2021 in Houston . The Electronic Parts Outlet has the claustrophobic feel of a classic hardware store, with narrow aisles bordered by crowded shelves stacked literally to the rafters with merchandise. But this is a different kind of hardware. Rather than nails, shovels and toilet flappers, EPO is jam-packed with microprocessors, electric motors, cables, circuit boards, computer parts and anything that makes the digital world go ‘round. But it’s also a museum of sorts, with thousands of antique electronics, including a working electronics tube tester, dozens of classic radios, a World War II telephone, a Japanese pachinko machine from the 1960s and even Cold War-era oscilloscopes the manager thinks may have been pulled from decommissioned U.S. Navy submarines. It is one of the last of its kind, as mom-and-pop electronics stores have largely been killed off by the likes of Best Buy and Amazon

A Texas Instruments calculator at Electronics Parts Outlet, Saturday, Nov. 20, 2021 in Houston . The Electronic Parts Outlet has the claustrophobic feel of a classic hardware store, with narrow aisles bordered by crowded shelves stacked literally to the rafters with merchandise. But this is a different kind of hardware. Rather than nails, shovels and toilet flappers, EPO is jam-packed with microprocessors, electric motors, cables, circuit boards, computer parts and anything that makes the digital world go ‘round. But it’s also a museum of sorts, with thousands of antique electronics, including a working electronics tube tester, dozens of classic radios, a World War II telephone, a Japanese pachinko machine from the 1960s and even Cold War-era oscilloscopes the manager thinks may have been pulled from decommissioned U.S. Navy submarines. It is one of the last of its kind, as mom-and-pop electronics stores have largely been killed off by the likes of Best Buy and Amazon

Volt meters and ohmmeters on display at Electronics Parts Outlet, Saturday, Nov. 20, 2021 in Houston . The Electronic Parts Outlet has the claustrophobic feel of a classic hardware store, with narrow aisles bordered by crowded shelves stacked literally to the rafters with merchandise. But this is a different kind of hardware. Rather than nails, shovels and toilet flappers, EPO is jam-packed with microprocessors, electric motors, cables, circuit boards, computer parts and anything that makes the digital world go ‘round. But it’s also a museum of sorts, with thousands of antique electronics, including a working electronics tube tester, dozens of classic radios, a World War II telephone, a Japanese pachinko machine from the 1960s and even Cold War-era oscilloscopes the manager thinks may have been pulled from decommissioned U.S. Navy submarines. It is one of the last of its kind, as mom-and-pop electronics stores have largely been killed off by the likes of Best Buy and Amazon

Steampunk masks for sale at Electronics Parts Outlet, Saturday, Nov. 20, 2021 in Houston . The Electronic Parts Outlet has the claustrophobic feel of a classic hardware store, with narrow aisles bordered by crowded shelves stacked literally to the rafters with merchandise. But this is a different kind of hardware. Rather than nails, shovels and toilet flappers, EPO is jam-packed with microprocessors, electric motors, cables, circuit boards, computer parts and anything that makes the digital world go ‘round. But it’s also a museum of sorts, with thousands of antique electronics, including a working electronics tube tester, dozens of classic radios, a World War II telephone, a Japanese pachinko machine from the 1960s and even Cold War-era oscilloscopes the manager thinks may have been pulled from decommissioned U.S. Navy submarines. It is one of the last of its kind, as mom-and-pop electronics stores have largely been killed off by the likes of Best Buy and Amazon

Participants battle during a combat robot tournament called “Houston Holiday Bash 2021!” at Electronics Parts Outlet, Saturday, Nov. 20, 2021 in Houston . The Electronic Parts Outlet has the claustrophobic feel of a classic hardware store, with narrow aisles bordered by crowded shelves stacked literally to the rafters with merchandise. But this is a different kind of hardware. Rather than nails, shovels and toilet flappers, EPO is jam-packed with microprocessors, electric motors, cables, circuit boards, computer parts and anything that makes the digital world go ‘round. But it’s also a museum of sorts, with thousands of antique electronics, including a working electronics tube tester, dozens of classic radios, a World War II telephone, a Japanese pachinko machine from the 1960s and even Cold War-era oscilloscopes the manager thinks may have been pulled from decommissioned U.S. Navy submarines. It is one of the last of its kind, as mom-and-pop electronics stores have largely been killed off by the likes of Best Buy and Amazon

An aisle with electronics and other items at Electronics Parts Outlet, Saturday, Nov. 20, 2021 in Houston . The Electronic Parts Outlet has the claustrophobic feel of a classic hardware store, with narrow aisles bordered by crowded shelves stacked literally to the rafters with merchandise. But this is a different kind of hardware. Rather than nails, shovels and toilet flappers, EPO is jam-packed with microprocessors, electric motors, cables, circuit boards, computer parts and anything that makes the digital world go ‘round. But it’s also a museum of sorts, with thousands of antique electronics, including a working electronics tube tester, dozens of classic radios, a World War II telephone, a Japanese pachinko machine from the 1960s and even Cold War-era oscilloscopes the manager thinks may have been pulled from decommissioned U.S. Navy submarines. It is one of the last of its kind, as mom-and-pop electronics stores have largely been killed off by the likes of Best Buy and Amazon

A mannequin selling ponchos next to a bulb meter at Electronics Parts Outlet, Saturday, Nov. 20, 2021 in Houston . The Electronic Parts Outlet has the claustrophobic feel of a classic hardware store, with narrow aisles bordered by crowded shelves stacked literally to the rafters with merchandise. But this is a different kind of hardware. Rather than nails, shovels and toilet flappers, EPO is jam-packed with microprocessors, electric motors, cables, circuit boards, computer parts and anything that makes the digital world go ‘round. But it’s also a museum of sorts, with thousands of antique electronics, including a working electronics tube tester, dozens of classic radios, a World War II telephone, a Japanese pachinko machine from the 1960s and even Cold War-era oscilloscopes the manager thinks may have been pulled from decommissioned U.S. Navy submarines. It is one of the last of its kind, as mom-and-pop electronics stores have largely been killed off by the likes of Best Buy and Amazon

Walking into the Electronics Parts Outlet is a lot like walking into museum — well, except for the shelves stuffed with microprocessors, circuit boards, electric motors and other components stacked to the rafters.

Across from the cash register sits a working tube tester, where customers bring vacuum tubes harvested from old TVs, amplifiers and radios to see if they still work. In the rear, you’ll find Cold War-era oscilloscopes yanked from decommissioned Navy vessels. Near the entrance, a World War II-era crank telephone rings its twin near the back of the store. (And no, those are not for sale).

The Electronic Parts Outlet — EPO to its fans — is a survivor from another time, when do-it-yourselfers and hobbyists yammered into ham radios, repaired computers and restored classic TVs. But it also is danger of going the way of countless other mom-and-pop electronics stores that have vanished from downtowns, shopping malls and commercial districts in recent decades.

Like all small players, EPO is under pressure from chains like Best Buy and e-commerce giants like Amazon. But for EPO, falling electronics prices not only makes it tougher to compete with the big retailers, but also undermines a key customer base by making gadgets easier and often cheaper to replace than repair.

COVID-19 hasn’t helped, either, driving customers from the store’s cramped, narrow aisles

“This business is in decline,” conceded EPO’s co-owner Chris Macha,. “I have to be honest with you, it’s tough.”

EPO is one of a kind in Houston, and possibly in the United States. Founded in 1985 — Macha began working there in 1999 and bought it with Rick Zamarrippa in 2013 — the store has become a fixture in the area’s geek culture.

Customers with technical expertise conduct workshops on everything from vacuum tube technology to “the science of coffee.” The store hosts tech swap meets and “battle bots” competitions in which robots try to tear each other apart, and promotes them in a mailing list with about 2,000 subscribers.

EPO’s clientele ranges from the professional to the student, from the collector to the artist. Macha said he’s sold parts to oil field technicians looking to repair downhole drilling equipment, a medical technician working on an MRI machine in the Texas Medical Center, and a movie producer looking for props.

EPO is crammed so full of items old and new that it’s notoriously hard to find what you’re looking for. But that’s OK: The hunt is its own reward.

On HoustonChronicle.com: Stung by shifting tastes and the pandemic, retailer adjusts on the fly

One glassed-in shelf holds dozens of elaborate kits made of polished metal sheets to make models of the Eiffel Tower, the Beatles’ drums kit or classic cars. You’ll come across dozens of classic radios, a Japanese pachinko machine from the ‘60s, and steampunk masks that look as if they are made of gears and pipes.

You may also find an old foghorn that works. But, if you value your ear drums, don’t lean directly over it as you crank the handle.

Iris Story, 65, first came to EPO in the mid-1990s in search of a motor for a project for one of her students in Odyssey of the Mind, a global initiative that teaches young people from kindergarten to college age to solve problems and think critically.

She recalled Macha greeted her right away, put her on the mailing list, and gave a tour of the store, leaving her agog at endless shelves brimming with components and vintage gear.

Story soon became a regular, going with her students to EPO for wires, motors, circuit boards and hobby kits. As a result, her house is filled with EPO finds - including a Victrola phonograph.

“When I go there to shop for something, I get exposed to other things,” Story said. “One time I went back in there and spent $400 just on … things. And that’s just not me!”

Longtime customers say the store has not changed since the original owners, Michele and Daniel Bretch, opened it at its original location, just a few blocks near the store’s current home on Fondren Road. From the beginning, longtime customers said, it was quirky and cluttered.

EPO has tracked consumer electronic trends over the years. In its first incarnation in the ‘80s, it was a destination for ham and CB radio operators. Dan Johnson, 56, was one of EPO’s earliest customers as a teen and a ham-radio enthusiast. He was hooked, and returned almost every weekend, he said, even as he became an adult and landed a job in the oil field services industry.

“Even if I didn’t buy anything, I’d stop by on weekends,” Johnson said.

As the times changed, so did the store’s focus. When the personal computer boom began, and hobbyists were building their own systems, EPO stocked up on those components.

When Macha and Zamarripa bought the store from the Bretches, Johnson said they brought in more antique technology, something the original owners had done early on. The Bretches couldn’t be reached for comment.

Johnson moved to Missouri in June to start a new career as a long-haul trucker. He said he misses his weekend visits to EPO, and hopes his driving job will eventually have him passing through. The last thing he bought was, like the very first, radio-related.

“I bought plenty of stuff from them; they treated everybody like gold,” he said. “I really miss those guys.”

On HoustonChronicle.com: Facebook is despicable. Why can’t I quit?

Whether EPO will be around when Johnson returns is uncertain. Macha said that he’s gone into “survival mode” to try to keep the store going, but EPO faces daunting consumer trends.

The worldwide consumer electronics market is massive, estimated at more than $1 trillion by the market research firm Global Market Insights. But the industry’s transition to online sales is accelerating, claiming retailer after retailer that sold consumer electronics and the components to build and fix them.

The most prominent among them: RadioShack. The retailer began selling ham radio components in Fort Worth in 1921, and, at its peak, had thousands of stores across the country as it expanded in into general electronics parts, consumer electronics and cellphones.

But after bankruptcies in 2015 and 2017, the chain all but vanished. All that remains is a handful of stores run by independent dealers. and a website owned by Retail Ecommerce Ventures, which holds defunct brick-and-mortar brands such as Radio Shack, Pier One, Stein Mart and Dress Barn

Other national chains, such as Circuit City and CompUSA, also have imploded. Earlier this year, the California chain Fry’s Electronics shuttered its three Houston area locations.

Many local electronics parts stores also have closed their doors over the years. Only a few remain in Houston, including EPO, Ace Electronics, which dates back to 1964; JPM Supply; and Directron ,which is primarily mail-order but also has a walk-in store.

In addition to industry trends, EPO has been buffeted by local events. Hurricane Harvey in 2017 didn’t flood the store, but it put many of EPO’s commercial customers out of business. Then, on Black Friday 2019, a customer trying to park accidentally accelerated and drove through one of EPO’s painted-over windows.

The storefront was boarded up for through January 2020. “Customers thought we were out of business,” Macha said.

Then came the coronavirus pandemic. Like most retailers, EPO’s traffic plunged. It has yet to completely recover, averaging about 80 customers today, down from 220 customers before the pandemic.

COVID-19, meanwhile, claimed a particular source of business, school projects, after it forced schools to shut down.

“Students used to come in frequently, from elementary through college,” Macha said. “Not much anymore.”

So far, Macha and Zamarrippa have avoided laying off any of the store’s staff of 11, but filling jobs when employees leave is difficult.

The loss of EPO would leave a hard-to-fill hole in the local tech scene. On a recent Saturday afternoon, for example, five teams of robotics enthusiasts gathered in the parking lot for a “battle bots” competition.

The teams, some comprising children and parents, placed small, radio-controlled robots equipped with wedges, buzz saws and hammers into plexiglass cabinets that served as arenas. The goal: disable opponents.

Sparks and parts flew. Tears flowed among losers, who marched into EPO to buy replacement components for the next round.

Bill Jameson, another longtime customer, said he has served as a marketing and business consultant to Macha and Zamarripa. Jameson, 80, is a former director of HAL-PC, the legendary Houston computer users’ club that was the biggest of its kind in the country until it succumbed in 2014 to changing habits in personal tech.

On HoustonChronicle.com: Ho w Houstonians scored the elusive PlayStation 5

EPO needs better marketing, Jameson said, but what makes EPO unique — the crazy jumble of parts, gadgets and long-lost technology, and the treasure-hunting experience — is hard to market. While some consumers might be dazzled by it all, others would find it overwhelming, frustrating and not worth the effort to buy something.

“They like the eclectic approach,” Jameson said. “But at the same time, that’s their worst enemy.”

For now, change is not in the cards for EPO. Macha said he’s just trying to meet payroll and keep the lights on, with little time to devise marketing strategies, plan new initiatives, or explore different business models.

“I want this business to survive,” Macha said. “I have poured quite a bit of my life into this. We are just doing whatever we can to keep it going.”

Dwight Silverman worked for the Houston Chronicle in a variety of roles for more than 30 years, serving as a technology reporter and columnist; manager of HoustonChronicle.com; social media manager; online news editor; and assistant State Desk Editor. 

He has returned as a freelancer to continue his long-running technology column. You can email him at dsilverman@outlook.com and follow him on Twitter twitter.com/dsilverman.

A look at the notable events during Deshaun Watson's time in the NFL from when the Texans drafted him to his suspension for violating the league's player conduct policy.