will the nfl ever get it right about violence?
Will the NFL Ever Get it Right About Violence?
Today, the Baltimore Ravens professional football team terminated the contract of running back Ray Rice. Soon after, he was suspended indefinitely by the National Football League (NFL).
We would be cheering heartily for these actionsbecause Rice punched out his soon-to-be-wife, and such off-the-field violence should have serious consequences. But were loathe to give the NFL too much credit yet, because the facts of the case are this:
1. The assault took place back in February. A very disturbing video was released that showed Rice dragging his unconscious fiancée, Janay Palmer, out of the elevator where he had reportedly punched her, and then getting on his cell phone. Even though Rice faced criminal charges, his team didnt drop him then, nor did the NFL take any action. Football season was over by that time, so we dont know if he would still have been allowed to play.
2. It wasnt until July that the NFL announced that it would take action against Rice: a two-game suspension. As Mother Jones pointed out, the NFL has suspended at least six other players for four games up to an entire season for smoking marijuanaa victimless offense.
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Ultimately, the NFL and the Ravens have done the right thing, but it sure took a long time to get there. And what messages have been sent along the way? That its less serious to punch a domestic partner than to light up a joint? That it took two to tango, and Janay Palmer was somehow complicit in getting slugged by her football-player boyfriend? That if we didnt see the actual punch being thrown, it might not have happeneddespite all evidence to the contrary?
We certainly hope the NFL has seen the light, and that other professional sports have or will adopt equally rigorous policies to protect against domestic violence.
But meanwhile, another pro football player named Ray has made the news: San Francisco 49ers defensive lineman Ray McDonald was arrested for violence against his pregnant fiancée just three days after Goodell announced the new NFL policy. He is due in court September 15. And yet the 49ers let him play in their opening game of the season yesterday.
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http://msmagazine.com/blog/2014/09/08/will-the-nfl-ever-get-it-right-about-violence/