This past week, New York Giants placekicker Josh Brown was placed on the commissioner’s exempt list for domestic violence acts related to his ex-wife last year. Meaning, he is not allowed to play or practice in any football related activities, including games or practices. These incidents of Brown’s domestic violence came to light due to the sheriff in King County. Sheriff Urquhart released documents of Brown’s charges and arrests of domestic violence acts to the media.
The NFL is no stranger to domestic violence acts among its players. From Ray Rice to Greg Hardy, football players have had a variety of acts of physical abuse with their significant others. Domestic violence is a very serious issue that don’t seem to be a priority for this popular sport. For example, Josh Brown was only suspended for one game in 2015 for a domestic violence charge against his ex-wife. I personally think he should have been released from the league when this act of physical abuse happened. Why does it take more than one act of domestic violence to launch an investigation or initiate a suspension? Furthermore, why are more acts of physical abuse against women weighted more heavily than one? The answer to these questions should be very simple. Personally, I think one act of physical abuse should result in the consequence of being released and entering into free agency. In looking at Brown’s domestic violence charges there were more than twenty physical assaults that Molly Brown, his ex-wife, reported to the police. This type barbaric behavior is unacceptable and intolerable. There is no way a one game suspension would suffice for Josh Brown’s abuse against his ex-wife. The NFL should have thoroughly investigated the domestic violence charge and released Brown from the league. The league claims it couldn’t gather information about the charge from Molly or the police officers involved in the case. However, this is not an excuse, the NFL should have gone above and beyond to ensure that Josh Brown was disciplined property.
It seems that the domestic violence policy that Brown was supposed to abide by in the NFL’s personal conduct policy wasn’t very effective. This personal conduct policy clearly outlined disciplinary actions for players who violate it. Violations for domestic violence charges consists of paid leave, counseling, and baseline game suspensions. Paid leave for a player charged with domestic violence is ridiculous. There is no way a player who is charged with domestic violence should be paid any amount of money. The policy is a joke and simply ignores the severity of domestic violence. It doesn’t hold a player accountable of his actions, if he is offered paid leave or a couple of game suspensions. Football players like Josh Brown need to understand that their job is on the line if they choose to engage in domestic violence. I’m well aware that some cases of domestic violence can be complicated and that the player is not always the aggressor. However, there needs to be severe punishment for players who are proven to the be aggressor in police reports. Paid leave is an ignorant response to domestic violence. If the NFL wants to be taken seriously about disciplining players for domestic violence acts, then they need to seriously restructure their personal conduct policy and release Josh Brown.
