I started this as a facebook post, but I quickly realized I need more real estate to express myself. I know some people will not agree with what I’m about to lay out here, but they probably don’t understand the argument I am about to make.
The last few weeks in sports some things have come to the forefront. Society has said we are no longer going to accept millionaires running around and getting away with crimes the rest of society does not get away with. If you have been under a rock these issues revolve around the issue of domestic violence. Now I for one am glad that the NFL is taking a stance against domestic violence within their organization. However, don’t think for a minute that its genuine. They have swept this issue under the rug for too many years. So there is nothing to be championed here. The issue I have with what has been going on is the weak minded and gutless individuals running these teams and the league itself. If you are going to punish and individual you do not then turn around and say oops I made a mistake I was not harsh enough on you. The biggest reason is the message is then lost.
First punishments should be used as a deterrent for a behavior. In real life its usually jail time or a fine that keep most of us from committing crimes. However everyone of us does weigh the penalty and figure out the risk. The simplest example is speed limits. If I get caught i will pay a fine, my insurance will go up, and some points go on my record. But nothing terrible happens. This is why many people read the posted speed limit and then pick a speed higher than it, whether it be 5 mph or 10 mph both are breaking the law. But what if you went to court and were fined $50 dollars, then a week later the judge called and said, “people have complained I was to easy on you and we are now going to fine you $100.” You would be pissed and thankfully we have this thing called the Constitution and the Bill or Rights that don't allow this to happen.
The thing is none of that applies here. We are dealing with corporations that do not have to follow those guidelines.
Let’s look at the Ray Rice scenario. A video came out showing him dragging he now wife out of an elevator. Every one of us knew what eventually happened in that elevator. Ray Rice told the NFL and the Ravens what happened in the elevator. According to reports the Ravens said nothing was seen in the new video that differed from what Ray Rice told them. But the NFL suspended Ray Rice for 2 games. He should have been penalized for his actions. But when you think about the league and all of the domestic violence issues that occurred before this, suspensions are not typically handed out for this offence. This time it was mostly due to the video. The public was outraged by the penalty saying it was not enough. So the NFL said that first offenses would lead to a 6 game suspension. Then someone leaked the elevator video and it showed us all what we already suspected happened in the elevator. The Ravens then cut Ray Rice. The Ravens have every right to do this as his employer. They didn't want to deal with the mess that was about to follow. The NFL then suspended Ray Rice indefinitely. What may I ask did Ray Rice do to have his penalty extended? Even if more occurred in the video then Roger Goodell thought Rice told him, doesn't the NFL now have a policy stating that the first time offense is 6 games? Did Rice commit a second offense? No.
The other thing I would like to point out is through this whole process the story has always been pulled from Ray Rice hit his fiance. The first time because the penalty wasn’t harsh enough. Then when the Commissioner finally extended his punishment it was Roger needs to be fired. So people are not even focused on the issue of domestic violence, they are focused on one person not handling the employee who committed the crime. As much as I don’t like Roger Goodell, how did he become the villain in this and not Ray Rice?
Then there was the Peterson situation which played out much the same way. Vikings suspend him, left the suspension, then suspend him indefinitely. However the the way they suspended him this time he will still receive his full pay so really he just doesn't get to play football. Some people out there are wishing they could find jobs where they still got paid to sit at home after being “punished” for doing something wrong. Same thing happened here, the story is now how the Vikings mishandled the situation and not about how a pro athlete needed a switch to punish his child.
Surprisingly the issue that really broke the camels back on back pedaling punishments was not a situation that dealt with domestic violence, but about a college QB that shouted something inappropriate in a cafeteria. Florida State punished their QB with a half game suspension. They are playing a big game this week and need him. They didn’t have the balls to punish him by suspending him the full game. Everyone knew why it wasn’t a full game. They pretended it wasn’t about the fact they were playing Clemson. The mob went wild, the media was outraged, and Florida State has now changed their mind and suspend him for the full game. Now I’m not an FSU fan or a Jameis Winston fan, but what lesson is he learning? That he should watch what he says in public or that if others complain enough it won't matter what he does he will get punished?
The only thing good that can come from the events of the last two weeks is that institutions whether it be the NFL, an NFL team, the NCAA, or one of the colleges, that they grow a pair and punish people appropriately and learn to stand behind their decision. Stop making decisions based on who the player is and who the team is playing.
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