I’m
a football fan. I’ve been watching the Patriots play since Drew Bledsoe was the
model of the stiff-legged quarterback, and I’ve recently carved out a spot in my
heart for the poor, poor Browns. So when I begin this post with a title that
declares the NFL to have a culture of domestic violence, it is not from a place
of malice towards an out-group or of ignorance of a culture. Instead it is from
a place of pain and with a sadness in my heart that I admit that this thing I
love, this part of so many of us, has an attitude of passivity towards the
violent behavior that players impose upon their families.
Ray
Rice was seen dragging his fiancée by the hair through a casino. The NFL did
not pursue additional information, including the tape that was later obtained
by TMZ. Instead they ignored it and banned Rice for two games. It was only when
their hands were forced that they instituted a serious ban. Adrian Peterson was
known to be facing charges of child
endangerment/child abuse. He was allowed to play for his team until a warrant was put out for his arrest.
Greg Hardy’s domestic violence case was also not a surprise. These are not
small time players, and this is not a couple isolated incidents. These are some
of the NFL’s biggest stars and This. Is. A. Problem.
Like
many young men, I played football in high school. I had been watching the sport
for years and I saw a chance to do something that seemed ‘manly’, that showed
toughness. How is abusing your children manly? How is dragging your unconscious
fiancée around by her hair being tough? Protip: these actions are neither manly
nor tough.
NFL
teams’ responses have been as poor as the league responses. Two of the three
players mentioned above are currently on the NFL’s “exempt/commissioner” list,
a designation that is rarely used but was intended to give players time to
address “off the field issues”. Both Peterson and Hardy, by the way, are still
being paid their salary while they are on “leave”. That’s over $700,000 per
week for Hardy. Past NFL players who have been placed on this list include
Michael Vick, who was sent to prison for his role in a dog fighting ring.
Basically it’s a way for teams to take their legally troubled players out of
the limelight and off the field until the trouble blows over.
This
statement leads me back to the problem I mention in my first paragraph, the
problematic attitude of passivity towards domestic violence that the NFL has
exhibited. Perhaps passivity is even too weak a word. Maybe it would be more
accurate to say that that the NFL chose not to act, chose to turn a blind eye
to the domestic violence problem that it has, and in doing so tacitly encouraged
this culture of violence in the home. The NFL estimates that over 40% of its
fan base in female. Mr. Goodell, how can you encourage the abuse of women when
they make up over a third of your fan base? How can you encourage the abuse of
children, who may want to grow up to play the very game that has in some way
influenced they violence they faced in their own lives?
A
post by Angela Barney was featured on this blog a couple weeks ago highlighting
the lack of initial punishment in the Rice case and focusing on the sometimes
appalling responses to the case from some ESPN and other news anchors. Ms.
Barney’s post covers those topics better than I could hope to, and articulates
some greater societal problems that we have with the issue. As an entity that
provides role models for millions of children, as an intrinsic part of American
culture, the NFL needs to do better. Roger Goodell’s apology for choosing to
ignore evidence and suspend Rice only two games is not enough. The new policy
is a step in the right direction, but it is still not enough. The NFL needs to
take responsibility for its actions. It needs to admit that it was wrong, and
that it has been ignoring what is truly a problem that is faced by its players
and those they love. It needs to step up and get help for all those involved
and implement programs to educate players and prevent these problems from
occurring in the first place. Until then their fans, their sponsors, and the
world will be left wondering whether football is the same American staple is
has been, or whether it will cease to be a place where role models and good
work ethic can be demonstrated and extolled.
I
close this post as I opened it, a fan of football waiting for Sunday to watch
my teams play. I hope that is not a decision I find myself regretting.
- Written by Eric
R. McCurdy
No comments:
Post a Comment