The National Football League is an American professional football organization that consists of 32 teams. Each of these 32 teams has an active roster of about 53 players. The combined salary of all the athletes that make up the NFL is somewhere around $7.24 billion. Each team receives around $220 million from this 7.24 billion.
To make a lot of math sound simple, the NFL and it's athletes (and brands that associate with the NFL) are sitting pretty. The NFL is one of the most powerful corporations in the United States, as stated in the recent movie "Concussion." Dr. Cyril warns Dr. Bennet Omalu just how powerful the NFL is by saying "You’re going to war with a corporation that owns a day of the week."
This organization clearly has a popular following, one that is particularly strong and stubborn. The influence of the NFL has a major impact on the lives of Americans and American football lovers around the globe. People and businesses plan their months from September to early February around the return of this game. With all this power at the fingertips of commissioner, Rodger Goodell, you would think the organization's main goal would be to put it's best foot forward and create progression within its following; however, it’s quite the opposite.
Now, before you begin throwing hate in the comments, telling me that I’m not acknowledging the good that the NFL can bring to other organizations and people, let’s talk about this: In the recent years, the sacred shield of the NFL has taken a hit. It seems that there are more and more controversies occurring in the league and even more backlash from the way the league has been handling these controversies.The shining light in what seems to have repeated bad publicity is the conversations it has started around these issues and the progression demanded by the media attention and fans around the league.
One Thing You Can't Do in the NFL:
Not stand for the national anthem.
Colin Kaepernick is a player for the San Francisco 49ers and he has been a headliner in the press recently due to his choice to sit during the National Anthem. Backlash consisting of tweets such as:
Kaepernick not standing for National Anthem: I respect Freedom of choice but if he really wants to take a stand? Give back his NFL salary!!!
— Gary Radnich (@KRON4GRadnich) August">https://twitter.com/KRON4GRadnich/status/769601735... 27, 2016
I'm OK w/arguing that Kaepernick is in some way ignoring those fighting for our freedoms. But also OK saying he's exercising those freedoms
— Tim Kawakami (@timkawakami) August">https://twitter.com/timkawakami/status/76959816273... 27, 2016
Don’t get me wrong, I may not agree with Colin Kaepernick's protest, but he’s facing more backlash than many of the other crimes that have plagued the NFL the last couple of seasons.
Why he did it:
He took a stand by not standing. Kaepernick told NFL Media, "I am not going to stand up to show pride in a flag for a country that oppresses black people and people of color." I understand this. I understand why you would want to take a stand for something that matters to you. However, I believe this wasn't the place to do it. The flag represents the men and women that fight and stand for our country, the flag doesn’t represent hatred.
Now, this is his freedom, he’s allowed to exercise his right to protest, whether it be standing for his national anthem or not, that is what is so great about the United States of America, and that is what the people on the front lines fight to protect.
Why is it such an issue for Americans that he didn’t stand when other more heinous acts and even felonies receive very little reactions from our public and have since been forgotten about?
Things You Can Do And In The NFL:
Domestic Violence
Let's begin with domestic violence, a common, overlooked crime within the lives of these NFL "superstars." Greg Hardy was arrested for abusing his girlfriend at the time. Rather than receiving proper punishment for his crimes, his charges on his conviction were dropped, and later, expunged. After missing over a season of playing the game, he was signed to the Dallas Cowboys and has reached a new level of fame ever since.
Adrian Peterson was arrested for Injury to a Child back in 2014. He remained believing that after striking his child repeatedly with a tree branch, he had done nothing wrong. After this crime began to find it's way out of the news, Peterson was allowed to rejoin his teammates and play football again.
After receiving little punishment for their horrible crimes, the men were allowed to return to the field and continue to do what they loved. They faced a little backlash from their fans and, in fact, the charges only helped their fame grow. Both players were cheered when they returned.
Rape and Assault
NFL's own Personal Conduct Policy, "It is not enough simply to avoid being found guilty of a crime. We are all held to a higher standard and must conduct ourselves in a way that is responsible, promotes the values of the NFL, and is lawful." So how is it possible that there are -- at least -- 44 current players in the NFL who have had charges against them dropped for rape and assault?
There are names all across the board on this list starting all the way from Ahmad Brooks to Tony McDaniel. These men never faced the consequences for their crimes, they had a slap on the wrist (if that), some bad publicity, and (maybe) a guilty conscience. That’s it.
The stories of these allegations make headlines for a few weeks at most, and then the country turns a blind eye to these charges, dropped or not, once they make an impressive catch on the field or an important tackle.
Homicide
Million dollar names such as Ray Lewis, Aaron Hernandez, and Jim Dunaway have faced no repercussions for their alleged crimes, again, other than a misdemeanor, bad publicity, and a guilty conscience. In fact, using Lewis as an example, he is a Baltimore icon and idol. His fans imitate his entrance dance nd continue to root him on in every endeavor he takes.
Drugs
Now here’s the kicker, players have been punished more harshly for substance abuse than domestic violence. For his second drug offense, Josh Gordon faced a season-long suspension. In the end, his suspension totaled for four games and he was reinstated for the 2016 season. Even for those who receive some sort of punishment for their crimes, they're just let right back onto the field, nothing is permanent. However, for something as simple as marijuana, he is suspended, while these other “men” can be accused of harsher crimes and face little to no repercussions. I ask again… why?!
Assault, murder, and rape those around you, but God forbid you don’t stand for the national anthem.
These men have the ability to commit crimes that any other “normal” citizen would have to pay for, and letting them get away with it. Fans of the NFL will brush off cases of domestic violence, sexual assault, and homicides as just “mistakes”, but the backlash Kaepernick is facing for his belief is much worse than any of these other players.
This article goes for all sports, but football is the one in the news now. In every sport, there are players who take action in crimes and don’t face the correct repercussions. It’s time for the public to take a stand and make a point, this cannot happen anymore. Hold people accountable for their crimes, don’t allow celebrities to feel that they are at a higher standard than everyone else.
