Does the NFL have a domestic abuse problem? Or simply a failure to severely punish its players in these situations? NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell has admitted that the NFL made a serious error in just listening to former Ravens running back Ray Rice’s version of events as to what went on in the elevator that February night. Essentially both the Ravens and the NFL trusted the version of the player they had gotten to know instead of digging deeper for the details of that February night.
Had the NFL done the right thing, and suspended Rice a significant number of games- my initial thought was at minimum six gmaes, we likely wouldn’t be looking at them as harshly now that the video was released. For me, seeing him drag her out of the elevator painted a solid photo. But others needed a clearer picture. The league HAD to have seen that picture as well.As ugly as that view was, they should’ve done their research, like they’re known to do in so many other areas as demonstrated in the past.
I know firsthand the commissioner will go to great lengths to “gather all evidence” but he purposely did not in this instance. Appalling.
— Jonathan Vilma (@JonVilma51) September 10, 2014
He should be held accountable for his lack of action just like Ray Rice has finally been held accountable for his actions.
— Jonathan Vilma (@JonVilma51) September 10, 2014
He should be held accountable for his lack of action just like Ray Rice has finally been held accountable for his actions.
— Jonathan Vilma (@JonVilma51) September 10, 2014
If TMZ could get their hands on the video, why couldn’t the NFL? No one in the organization considered what would happen if the video inside surfaced? Did they somehow miss Solange going up on Jay Z in an elevator getting leaked? Some are calling for the Commissioner to lose his job. He’s not the one that put his hands on a woman in an elevator. Perhaps the thought of getting into the marital relationship of one of the league’s players felt uncomfortable. Or, some view his actions as plausible deniability.
As if I wasn’t pissed off enough, now the National Organization For Woman is calling for Roger Goodell’s Resignation. $&@ Ridiculous. Oohhhh
— Stephen A Smith (@stephenasmith) September 10, 2014
I feel for Janay Rice. I know women who have made the decision to stay in an abusive relationship. Her Instagram post made it clear that she does not want your opinion of her relationship.
It’s unfortunate that she has to relive a painful moment in a public space. But maybe something this graphic is what it took for the NFL to address the problem in the league. There are two recent-pending domestic violence cases involving NFL players; one involving San Francisco 49’ers lineman Ray McDonald whose is accused of hitting his pregnant-fiancée and Panthers Gregg Hardy . Plus cases in the past like the one involving Ravens linebacker Terrell Suggs. In 2009 Suggs now wife, Candace Williams accused Suggs of holding her down while pouring bleach over her, kicking her in her face to break her nose and dragging her outside of a moving car while her children were inside the vehicle.
As in the situation with Rice, the couple married not long following an incident. Perhaps that added to the reason why the league was unsure how to punish Rice in his crime. A lack of knowledge as to how domestic violence works, from both the views of the abuser and victim. And again, while Janay Rice currently views herself as a victim, it’s not her husband that she is currently accusing of victimizing her, it’s the media.
Violence against women in the NFL is a topic that can’t continue to be ignored. By the numbers, arrests in the NFL account for about 85 of the 713 arrests since 2000. That’s around 8%. But the timing of these latest incidents coupled with the rawness of witnessing it on camera, the NFL clearly aware of the issue after this experience. That’s why harsher penalties were put in place.
Putting myself in the NFL’s position, while these cases might be fewer in between, there is a way to respect the privacy and space of the players and their relationships, while still taking a strong stance against violence as a whole, but especially against women. If it’s ultimately about protecting the brand, and we all know it is, its for its greater good that it ensures its players are punished accordingly if they are proven guilty of domestic violence.
