Hey Friends-I know this isn't a posting about cards or the Cardinals (they lost a 1-0 game today to the Reds and those pesky Pirates will not go away). This is a posting on how I am ashamed of the NFL and why I don't watch it. The NFL is not what it was when I was growing up circa 1972-1985, it is a violent culture; the fans, the players, and the league. We sit here reading and watching news reports on Ray Rice and how he beat his now wife and we now learn the NFL had this information since April and has done nothing-I say to hell with you, you hate women. What is the reason for not standing up for what is right? I am a social worker and I work with the victims of domestic violence daily and I see the cycle of violence and how the victim is blamed for the perp's actions.
Going back as far as high school, professional athletes get breaks you and I never get. If I were to grab my wife by the wrist and the cops were called I am going to jail-no question. But if you are Ray Rice beating your partner in an elevator and law enforcement sends a tape to the NFL and they don't arrest this a'hole? Women, the NFL hates you. How can we say no to this? We can stop buying their cards, logo junk, and stop watching them. I know many of you will not do this-but perhaps this situation will help to plant seed of questioning in fan's minds so much so there will be true justice for victims of dv perpetrated by professional athletes. Thank you for letting me rant-I was prompted to do so when I saw one of the first frames of the film footage with Ray Rice cocking his fist. So the question I ask you is where do you stand? Are you with the NFL or do you stand with the women?
Ravens Fans Still Loyal to Rice (article)
Video of Ray Rice beating his GF
It is a mess. The NFL really dropped the ball. They are so worried about their own image that it finally came back to bite them in the ass. Hopefully some fallout occurs and some changes can be made. You are right when you said the NFL hates women.
ReplyDeleteThank you Matt, your are right it is a mess-and hopefully some systemic change will result from all of this.
ReplyDeleteBrady, I don't disagree with anything you said in your post about the present day NFL.
ReplyDeleteHere's the thing, though -- back in the 1970s and 1980s, players in the NFL would keep playing through criminal charges, drunk driving offenses, etc. Or, more likely, NFL players (and college guys, and the local high school stars) would simply say legitimately, "Don't you know who I am?" All of a sudden, the charges would go away, the police would go away, and the player might end up having to sign autographs rather than facing charges.
There's a blog post over at The Nation (http://www.thenation.com/blog/175044/why-nfl-crime-hysteria-overblown) that made this point better than I am, but the real point is this: with surveillance video everywhere, people are able to get away with less and less because the video (while it may deceive) it tends not to lie. As a result, cops can't turn the blind eyes they used to turn to bad behavior by sports "superstars".
Hey Tony, thank you for the link-I have always been a fan of Dave Zirin but I am not sure I totally agree with him. I don't think you can dismiss the inherent violence of football-regardless of the racial dimension. I get what he is saying about players of color being pulled over more often which would result in more non-violent crime arrests. Like the horrible movie my wife forced me to watch "It's complicated". Congrats on your contest win! I never win squat.
DeleteHey Tony, You are absolutely correct-cameras on phones, and surveillance film hasn't allowed folks to get by with as much as they used to. I don't think MLB is as good on DV and other violence as they could be. I don't want to give MLB a free pass.
ReplyDeleteGreat post. It's been very tough hearing about Ray Rice and (locally) Ray McDonald and their domestic violence stories. You're absolutely right that athletes (as well as other famous people such as movie stars, musicians, politicians, etc) sometimes get extra chances. The system itself has its share of flaws.
ReplyDeleteI wish I could promise you that I'd stop collecting NFL cards... but I can't. I love watching football. Don't get me wrong... I would never support domestic violence. But then again, I teach my students that cheating is wrong. Yet I still watch baseball. The NHL has had its share of domestic violence and suicide issues... but I still support the Sharks.
I guess what I'm saying is I could find a reason to not support just about any sport. Thankfully the positives outweigh the negatives. Now I'm not downplaying domestic abuse. It's terrible and abuse (verbal, mental, or physical) should never be tolerated in any relationship. I hope Ray Rice never plays in the NFL again.
But sometimes we forget all of the great programs created by NFL athletes and the NFL franchise itself that help support communities, kids, and schools.