Why- Social Change. I think ultimately when you get out of the details of the individual story, in general, the NFL has fallen short of a real opportunity they can do to make a difference in the lives of individuals victimized by Domestic Violence at the hands of their players. I think it is important that the NFL takes a deeper look at their standards and their penalization process and looking at how they can make a more conscious effort to do better....
Ray Rice, Domestic Violence and the NFL's REAL Problem
Hello Hello, it's me SportsGal89 Innnnnnnn the Buildin'. Today I come to you with a little bit of a heavy heart. The game I love is being dominated by a really important story that is very hard to ignore, and like any person who loves the game, has feelings about how the game is being handled, but also cares about social issues in general and people, it is important for me to comment on this current story.
The Backdrop:
In February, a video surfaced of Ray Rice carrying is unconscious fiancee from an elevator. Many stories surfaced and finally it became clear that Ray Rice and his fiancee had gotten into a physical altercation. An act that Ray himself wasn't denying and something that his team and the NFL were aware of. As a result of the information they had, the NFL suspended Ray Rice 2 games at the start of this 2014-2015 season.
The Current Situation:
On Monday, September 8, 2014 a new video surfaced of what happened BEFORE Rice carried his unconscious fiancee from the elevator. This video, mind you was consistent with Rice's story as it related to him striking his now wife. The video was graphic as a visual, watching a man like Rice, punch his significant other twice, the second punch causing her to fall to the side and eventually to the ground before being carried out of the elevator. This was the first time that the public had seen the video and according to the NFL the first time that they had to.
The Failure of the public, the Ravens & the NFL:
Let's talk about Domestic Violence first. According to the National Coalition of Domestic Violence:
DID YOU KNOW?
Approximately 42.4 million women in
the United States have experienced
rape, physical violence, and/or stalking
by an intimate partner in their lifetime
1 in 3 women have experienced
physical violence by an intimate
partner
1 in 10 men have experienced rape,
physical violence, and/or stalking by an
intimate partner in their lifetime
30.3% of women in the United States
have been slapped, pushed, or shoved
by an intimate partner in their lifetime
3.2 million women have experienced
severe physical violence by an intimate
partner
Intimate partner violence accounts for
15% of all violent crime
Intimate partner violence is most
common among women between the
ages of 18-24
19% of intimate partner violence
involves a weapon
A Beautiful Convergence of things I love- Politics and sports:
My background is political science and so watching this story become as big as it is, is unfortunately fascinating for my poli sci brain. Reason being, there is this interesting backdrop of these overlap in responsibility.
In February you had an incident that occurred, that by our societies standards is the law's responsibility to do something about it. But then you have this overlap, because here is Ray Rice a football player which has it's own system of governance outside of the law, right.The Ravens weren't the ones who instituted a punishment or suspension, the NFL did and their standards are very off compared to what the public believes is reasonable for "crimes" so to speak. I think that there is an element that there are too many hands in the punishment jar (for lack of a better phrase). I think the biggest thing we are seeing right now is the disparities between the legal process and the NFL's own standards of punishment. This is why so many people are up in arms with the number of suspensions that are being added for one issue or another. It's not equal or fair, in the eyes of the public because of how loose or aggressive the decision has been.
I mentioned briefly that I think in regards to the NFL's governance standards a little bit more they need to do a little bit more and go farther in how they are punishing their players. I work in Higher Education. Our conduct system reminds me very much of what is happening with the NFL. So when a student is found in violation of our university policies we not only provide an element that directly impacts the student, but we also provide an element that assists in the education and learning of these entire campus as well.
Where the NFL for me fails is that there is this lost element of education and support for players when they are punished etc. Example, the NFL is heavy on suspending and fining our players from games. That only impacts the player and in most areas doesn't change the behavior by any means. I think that the NFL needs to look at how they are bettering their players rather than looking at what they look like as an enforcer of standards. Example- when a player is suspended x amount of games for Domestic Violence, aside from the suspension couldn't the NFL issue some anger management course, couple's counseling, spousal support etc. And a restriction that this is consistent throughout the season and up for review post season etc?
And in this case in particular with Ray Rice, I think the punishment was waaaaaay too much. I think the NFL failed not only the public but Ray Rice. Comments on one of my groups likened this case to Chris Brown and here were my comments:
I think there is a huge difference between the Chris Brown case and this one. I say this one as a former avid fan of Chris Brown and one who recognizes the hardships it takes to distinguish between the law and responsibility as the NFL is involved in. Chris Brown, was charged in the court of law and was given a sentence and punishment as deemed by the court. He for what the public deems right by the justice system served his time. We didn't see what happened in that car, but we saw the results of what happened in that car. The reason why I am no longer an avid fan of Chris Brown is he still makes the same choices to be a giant douchebag and present aggressive behavior that goes against a one time case of domestic violence. He is just a violent aggressor period. In the case of Ray Rice, the reality is a visual does much more than talk. Ray Rice was upfront about what occurred, but the only image was him carrying his unconscious fiance out of an elevator. When it was clear that they had been in a fight, I think no one could have questioned or been surprised about that the video that is making rounds now. What did we expect happened? Where I don't fully agree with the decision by the NFL is the idea to black ball Ray Rice. Essentially, the NFL is taking the law into their own hands with this penalty, one because they fucked up, but it doesn't solve the problem Harbaugh, John, not Jim, had it right when he said in the press conference yesterday that the road ahead is going to be different for both Ray and Janay, but we the Ravens will be here for them however we can. That is exactly where the thought should be. I think that what occurred in that elevator is far from a one time case and what I think the NFL has neglected in this decision is their responsibility to support, educate and guide their players better. 6 game suspension for domestic violence cases, doesn't teach a player to be less violent and it doesn't provide care or support for the victim either. But what occurred yesterday was that NFL needed to recover their image.
I think ultimately telling Ray Rice that is form of livelihood is completely over is too much. I would have been happy moreso with Rice being suspended for a year after being release from the Ravens, with the provision that he seek counseling, that he get involved in community service, that he take anger management courses etc. But this actually doesn't teach anything, it just shows the world that the NFL is seriously trying to save their own asses than support their investment of the players they have. I think the NFL has a bigger responsibility because it is their image and they are responsible for the actions of their players but they can't just release people and think that fixes things. It doesn't.
It's a touchy situation, but the reality right now is that because of all the mistakes that are making, the Rice's themselves are suffering the most having to relive this awful situation and having to be ridiculed daily.
No right or wrong answer, just my reflection.
That's all she wrote folks...
The Backdrop:
In February, a video surfaced of Ray Rice carrying is unconscious fiancee from an elevator. Many stories surfaced and finally it became clear that Ray Rice and his fiancee had gotten into a physical altercation. An act that Ray himself wasn't denying and something that his team and the NFL were aware of. As a result of the information they had, the NFL suspended Ray Rice 2 games at the start of this 2014-2015 season.
The Current Situation:
On Monday, September 8, 2014 a new video surfaced of what happened BEFORE Rice carried his unconscious fiancee from the elevator. This video, mind you was consistent with Rice's story as it related to him striking his now wife. The video was graphic as a visual, watching a man like Rice, punch his significant other twice, the second punch causing her to fall to the side and eventually to the ground before being carried out of the elevator. This was the first time that the public had seen the video and according to the NFL the first time that they had to.
The Failure of the public, the Ravens & the NFL:
Let's talk about Domestic Violence first. According to the National Coalition of Domestic Violence:
DID YOU KNOW?
Approximately 42.4 million women in
the United States have experienced
rape, physical violence, and/or stalking
by an intimate partner in their lifetime
1 in 3 women have experienced
physical violence by an intimate
partner
1 in 10 men have experienced rape,
physical violence, and/or stalking by an
intimate partner in their lifetime
30.3% of women in the United States
have been slapped, pushed, or shoved
by an intimate partner in their lifetime
3.2 million women have experienced
severe physical violence by an intimate
partner
Intimate partner violence accounts for
15% of all violent crime
Intimate partner violence is most
common among women between the
ages of 18-24
19% of intimate partner violence
involves a weapon
So here's my thing. Domestic Violence is a troubling statistic, it is one that many people champion as their cause to shed more light on and gain more support for. This is not me being catty, but the stats are the stats. When the story first came out in February, where was the outrage and dismay? Did we really need to SEE it happen in order to know it was wrong and disturbing? A man three times the size of his wife, an active athlete told the world, he struck his wife twice and was able to knock her out and carry her unconscious body out of an elevator. That alone, should have been enough for outrage and movement.
It disturbs me that a decision of misdemeanor assault was placed against Ray Rice with the following entrance into the Pre-Trial Intervention program, and rehabilitation, that included anger-management classes.I think that there is a standard that should be set for athletes regardless of who they are or what they are faced against. Military men and MMA fighters can have their bodies named as weapons due to all of their training and ability to "walk away" from certain situations. I think regardless of whether or not Janay had hit Ray or was aggressive towards, him it does not at all give him the ability to hit her the way he did. He backed up, she came towards him and then he punched her in the face again... He a 200 + lb man could have wrapped her up and told her to chill if he felt she was out of hand.
Then you have the Ravens, who to this moment, I don't believe issued their own infraction at the time of the February video coverage. Instead the only group that did anything was the NFL. However, here are my concerns the NFL failed in their penalization of domestic violence cases and as a result how they handled the situation to begin with, in February. The NFL is STILL FAILING now because when the Ravens decided to release Ray Rice, that should have been their decision alone, but the NFL could have done better by not suspending Ray Rice indefinitely, but saying he is suspended for a year, with a probationary period that involves him seeking anger management counseling, marriage counseling, community service in a domestic violence shelter, charity work etc. The NFL seems to fail in their over all support in how they address not only this social issue but all social issues. If the NFL doesn't want to be chasing these issues then they need to be involved in setting up programs tools and resources that better their "investment" in the athletes they hire. In the same way they have taken on financing research regarding connections to head injuries while playing and mental health, they could most definitely do better when it comes to domestic violence and their players. If they and really any other sporting league continue to act as if these incidents that come out in the public are one-offs it does nothing to change the underlying culture that is domestic violence and other issues within the NFL and those other sporting leagues.
I think where people are most frustrated is this tangled ugly web of lies that the NFL keeps finding themselves in. With this Ray Rice situation, the NFL and Goodell tell us one thing and then we find out they did or knew something else and then there is all this back and forth and well, stop saving your image and actually do the right thing!
A Beautiful Convergence of things I love- Politics and sports:
My background is political science and so watching this story become as big as it is, is unfortunately fascinating for my poli sci brain. Reason being, there is this interesting backdrop of these overlap in responsibility.
In February you had an incident that occurred, that by our societies standards is the law's responsibility to do something about it. But then you have this overlap, because here is Ray Rice a football player which has it's own system of governance outside of the law, right.The Ravens weren't the ones who instituted a punishment or suspension, the NFL did and their standards are very off compared to what the public believes is reasonable for "crimes" so to speak. I think that there is an element that there are too many hands in the punishment jar (for lack of a better phrase). I think the biggest thing we are seeing right now is the disparities between the legal process and the NFL's own standards of punishment. This is why so many people are up in arms with the number of suspensions that are being added for one issue or another. It's not equal or fair, in the eyes of the public because of how loose or aggressive the decision has been.
I mentioned briefly that I think in regards to the NFL's governance standards a little bit more they need to do a little bit more and go farther in how they are punishing their players. I work in Higher Education. Our conduct system reminds me very much of what is happening with the NFL. So when a student is found in violation of our university policies we not only provide an element that directly impacts the student, but we also provide an element that assists in the education and learning of these entire campus as well.
Where the NFL for me fails is that there is this lost element of education and support for players when they are punished etc. Example, the NFL is heavy on suspending and fining our players from games. That only impacts the player and in most areas doesn't change the behavior by any means. I think that the NFL needs to look at how they are bettering their players rather than looking at what they look like as an enforcer of standards. Example- when a player is suspended x amount of games for Domestic Violence, aside from the suspension couldn't the NFL issue some anger management course, couple's counseling, spousal support etc. And a restriction that this is consistent throughout the season and up for review post season etc?
And in this case in particular with Ray Rice, I think the punishment was waaaaaay too much. I think the NFL failed not only the public but Ray Rice. Comments on one of my groups likened this case to Chris Brown and here were my comments:
I think there is a huge difference between the Chris Brown case and this one. I say this one as a former avid fan of Chris Brown and one who recognizes the hardships it takes to distinguish between the law and responsibility as the NFL is involved in. Chris Brown, was charged in the court of law and was given a sentence and punishment as deemed by the court. He for what the public deems right by the justice system served his time. We didn't see what happened in that car, but we saw the results of what happened in that car. The reason why I am no longer an avid fan of Chris Brown is he still makes the same choices to be a giant douchebag and present aggressive behavior that goes against a one time case of domestic violence. He is just a violent aggressor period. In the case of Ray Rice, the reality is a visual does much more than talk. Ray Rice was upfront about what occurred, but the only image was him carrying his unconscious fiance out of an elevator. When it was clear that they had been in a fight, I think no one could have questioned or been surprised about that the video that is making rounds now. What did we expect happened? Where I don't fully agree with the decision by the NFL is the idea to black ball Ray Rice. Essentially, the NFL is taking the law into their own hands with this penalty, one because they fucked up, but it doesn't solve the problem Harbaugh, John, not Jim, had it right when he said in the press conference yesterday that the road ahead is going to be different for both Ray and Janay, but we the Ravens will be here for them however we can. That is exactly where the thought should be. I think that what occurred in that elevator is far from a one time case and what I think the NFL has neglected in this decision is their responsibility to support, educate and guide their players better. 6 game suspension for domestic violence cases, doesn't teach a player to be less violent and it doesn't provide care or support for the victim either. But what occurred yesterday was that NFL needed to recover their image.
I think ultimately telling Ray Rice that is form of livelihood is completely over is too much. I would have been happy moreso with Rice being suspended for a year after being release from the Ravens, with the provision that he seek counseling, that he get involved in community service, that he take anger management courses etc. But this actually doesn't teach anything, it just shows the world that the NFL is seriously trying to save their own asses than support their investment of the players they have. I think the NFL has a bigger responsibility because it is their image and they are responsible for the actions of their players but they can't just release people and think that fixes things. It doesn't.
It's a touchy situation, but the reality right now is that because of all the mistakes that are making, the Rice's themselves are suffering the most having to relive this awful situation and having to be ridiculed daily.
No right or wrong answer, just my reflection.
That's all she wrote folks...
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