Ray Rice, a former NFL running back for the Baltimore Ravens, hit his then-fiance Janay Rice and knocks her unconscious. Then he drags her out of an elevator like he’s taking out the trash.
Now Adrian Peterson, running back for the Minnesota Vikings, has been indicted for beating and bruising his four-year old son with a tree branch (also known as switch), and Greg Hardy, a defensive end for the Carolina Panthers, is facing domestic violence charges as well.
Are you kidding me? Some are calling it the “worst week in NFL history. I call it flat out ridiculous.
When did it become commonplace to hear about multiple instances of physical abuse on wives, kids, or girlfriends on a weekly basis? Better yet, when did it become ok to brush these horrible situations under the rug until someone decides to dig up history?
My finger is pointing at you NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell, and everyone involved in these scandals who let them slide, for that matter.
Adrian Peterson faces up to two years in prison and a $10,000 fine if he is found guilty of infringing harm on his four-year old son. In a statement put out by USA Today, Peterson says, “I am not a perfect son. I am not a perfect husband. I am not a perfect parent, but I am, without a doubt, not a child abuser”.
While I agree that nobody is perfect by any means, I did learn from a young age that actions have consequences. While the way a parent disciplines their child is—in minor ways—up to their discretion, it is never ok to physically inflict harm on anyone, regardless of what they have done.
When I acted up as a child, my actions certainly came with repercussions. Personally, I remember the occasional threat of getting a pop from a wooden kitchen spoon by my mom who was the disciplinarian of my family, when I was younger. But when I reflect back on the times that I disobeyed my mother or father, I realize that one thing rings true: they never actually hit me.
Call it a scare tactic, call it discipline, whatever it was – it worked. I respect my parents more than anyone in this world, but it didn’t take physical punishment to do so. When I looked up the pictures of Peterson’s son’s bruises, I was disgusted. At any age, but especially four years old, it’s just plain wrong.
Clearly, Rick Spielman, the General Manager of the Minnesota Vikings, disagrees with the public outrage though. In a heated media discussion, he said “Peterson deserves to play…It has nothing to do with him as a football player. It has to do purely on the facts that have been presented to us”.
So, what Spielman is saying is that bruises and blood don’t constitute enough facts of abuse on a four-year old child, right? Nice one Spielman. In other domestic violence news, Greg Hardy was convicted of beating and threatening to kill his girlfriend months ago, and is currently waiting to be brought to trial regarding this incident. His ex-girlfriend claims that he did so during a late-night jealous rant over—get this—a Nelly song he heard at a nightclub, which pissed him off because his then-girlfriend had recently dated the singer.
People are outraged by the news of these appalling occurrences, and I can honestly say I can’t blame them. Thankfully, the NFL is hiring four women, “to serve as advisers in shaping the league’s stance on domestic violence”, according to Goodell.
Call me a feminist, call me anti-NFL, but I would rather be associated with anti-violence than America’s favorite pastime. Some fans are trending on Twitter by spreading their contempt and worries via the hashtag #BoycottNFL and #FireGoodell. At the rate the NFL is going, I am not far behind this hashtag movement.
