In America, it seems as if the National Football League owns a day of the week. Every Sunday, our lives are put on pause so that we can don our jerseys, start up the grill and watch our home team get a win. Players become household names and heroes. But over the past few years, incidences of NFL players abusing their wives and girlfriends have become more and more common. However, it was only recently that league officials began to punish players for such actions.
In March 2014, Baltimore Ravens linebacker Ray Rice was arrested for aggravated assault when he punched his then-fiancée (and current wife) in the face, knocking her unconscious. Initially, he was only suspended for two games by league officials. However, when gossip website TMZ released a gory surveillance tape of the altercation, public uproar ensued. Did the NFL see the tape before it was released to public? And if so, why did they only punish Rice with a two-game suspension?
The league quickly backpedaled, suspending Rice “indefinitely” and completely overhauling their policies regarding players accused of domestic abuse. People began to fall back into their fandom, cheering for their players and teams with the same zeal as before. However, did the NFL change?
Just this past Saturday, Cleveland Browns’ quarterback Johnny Manziel was questioned by the police for domestic abuse for the second time since last October. According to ESPN, the police report for Manziel’s October incident quotes his then-girlfriend as saying Manziel “pushed her head into a window.”
According to the revised physical conduct rules released by the NFL, a first-time offender of domestic violence is subject to an unpaid suspension of six weeks. However, Manziel started for the Browns against the St. Louis Rams only two weeks after the altercation.
According to ESPN, he was not punished or fined in any way. The officials of the NFL should be ashamed by their lack of morality. Viewers, young and old, look up the NFL players with the highest levels of admiration and respect. However, when the NFL greenlights behavior such as domestic violence and aggravated assault, they are sending the message that this behavior is not worthy of punishment and is socially acceptable.
This is not the kind of message that needs to be sent by such an influential company. According to the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence, a woman is beaten or assaulted every nine seconds. The NFL should be using cases of violence committed by its players as a way to exhibit how this kind of action is intolerable. However, they are only concerned with the business side of the deal. If the loss of a player could affect the team’s performance, will the player be suspended?
With Super Bowl 50 looming, the NFL is expected to bring in over 100 million viewers for the much-anticipated showdown between the Carolina Panthers and the Denver Broncos. But, if the NFL does not become more consistent with its rulebook, it will lose the respect and admiration it currently has. Abuse is never OK, even if it could be the difference between a victory or defeat.
Samantha is a freshman planning on majoring in communication arts and journalism. Has your perception of the NFL changed? Will you continue to watch NFL football games? Send all comments and concerns to opinion@dailycardinal.com.
