...Boycotting The NFL, An Immature Response to the NFL and its Mishandling of Players Associated With Domestic Violence Domestic violence riles up adamant feelings of loathe and righteous anger inside the hearts of Americans all over the United States. It’s a topic that headlines news channels, papers, and radio stations everywhere, especially when it involves high profile people constantly in the public eye like congressmen, actors, or more recently, former NFL and Raven’s running back Ray Rice. I’m sure that by now you have seen or at least heard of the recent events involving former NFL and Raven’s running back Ray Rice and his then fiancé Janay Palmer. “On February 15, 2014, Rice and Palmer were both arrested and charged with simple assault following an altercation where Rice attempted to cause bodily injury to J. Palmer, specifically by striking her with his hand, rendering her unconscious. A few days later on February 19, 2014, TMZ Sports released a video of Rice dragging Palmer, who looked to be unconscious, out of an elevator. The surveillance footage provided visual record of the aftermath. On July 24, 2014 the NFL suspends Ray Rice for two games without pay and fined him $58,000”(Time). The other day in my college English class this topic thrust its way into our midst. The alarming news of this terrible domestic violence incident alone seemed enough to invoke rage and abhorrent from our general public, however, the reaction to the NFL’s response in this incident proved...
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...The NFL and Domestic Violence The National Football League (NFL) is an American professional football league, The NFL consist of 32 teams. The NFL is one of the 4 major professional sports in North America and the highest level of professional football in the world. Domestic violence defined as “violent or aggressive behavior within the home, typically involving the violent abuse of a spouse or a partner” Domestic Violence has been a major problem within the National Football League. In the 2014-2015 season star players Adrian Peterson and Ray Rice where suspended because of involvement in domestic violence. The National Football league tends to turn a blind eye towards domestic violence, players are getting away with minor suspensions or not being punished at all. Ethos defined, as “an appeal to ethics, and it is a means of convincing someone of the character or credibility of the persuader”. An example of ethos in the Super bowl 2015: Domestic Violence PSA is the 911 operators. Throughout the United States emergency operators deal with millions of domestic violence cases yearly, they know from the second they answer the call that something is wrong and know what warning sings to look out for. In the PSA the women dials 911 and asks to order a pizza, she is frightened to speak about the issue because her spouse or partner is in the room with her, the operator who has dealt with similar experience uses his expertise and goes along with the call and comforts the lady and...
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...Developing a Public Relations Plan, Part 1 Candy Morris The Practice of Public Relations Professor Andrea Benjamin October 14th, 2015 The NFL 1. State the name of the organization and describe its mission and purpose. The nonprofit organization I chose to research is the National Football League. Mission To provide our fans, communities and partners the highest quality sports and entertainment in the world, and to do so in a way that is consistent with our values. (NFL – Careers) Purpose Every member of the NFL community embraces our unique leadership role in society and assumes the trust, character, and responsibility that comes with that role. We bring fans and communities from all walks of life together to celebrate a game that is constantly evolving, balancing the authenticity of tradition with the power of innovation. (NFL – Careers) 2. Explain in detail the facts of the event that generated the negative publicity and why this situation would create negative publicity. Adrian Peterson was supposed to play at Lambeau Field on Oct. 2. Instead, the running back is on the excused list following an indictment by a grand jury on a charge of negligent injury to a child. This case generated negative publicity because, in Texas, parents are entitled to discipline their children as they see fit, except when that discipline exceeds what the community would say is reasonable. The team disbands him the following weekend till further investigation. They...
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...The NFL is a private American football league that has been known for its Domestic violence and head concussion cases. They have botched most of these cases when conducting their own private investigations. Though they are very strict with their players, there have been cases where they don't suspend them accordingly or have unjustly suspended them without proper reason or without evidence.The suspension of these players have reasonable justifications according to their private investigations but they give justifications. The NFL should be prosecuted for giving players game suspensions due to their private investigations and not providing justifications for its actions. In a recent case, Ezekiel Elliott an NFL player for the Dallas Cowboys has been accused of domestic violence on his girlfriend (Tiffany Thompson). For that reason, the NFL has decided to suspend Ezekiel Elliott from six games. Now when Thompson accused Eliott of hitting her in an after party she called the cops and authorities took the matter into their own hands. Authorities did not find any evidence against Ezekiel and dismissed the case but the NFL reopened the case and decided to conduct their own investigation.Their investigation led to Ezekiel's suspension. The NFL did not give details and only justified Elliot's suspension because of the domestic violence charge on him that was dropped....
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...with his girlfriend, Ray Rice, lost his temper and proceeded to punch and drag Janay Palmer out of the elevator. His actions not only changed his career, but also shed light onto the personal conduct policy in the NFL. The reputation of the NFL and its members was under a magnifying glass. Commissioner Roger Goodell, especially would face the ultimate challenge. As a result of this incident, the NFL revised its personal conduct policy to a more robust, thorough, and formal. According to the NFL.com, Commissioner Roger Goodell said, "We now have a layered evaluation process to take into account a diversity of expert views. This will better enable us to make appropriate decisions and ensure accountability for everyone involved in the process." Ethics and Crisis Management in Sports On February 15, 2014, both Ray Rice and his fiancé Janay Palmer Rice were arrested in Atlantic City, New Jersey after an altercation had occurred in the Revel Casino. Videos of the incident were released four days later by TMZ. On March 26, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell, addresses the media about the incident and said that yes Ray Rice will face disciplinary actions when the investigation was fully complete. On June 16, Ray Rice has his disciplinary hearing with the NFL. On July 24, NFL suspends Ray Rice for 2 games. According to an article on SB Nation, Baltimore Ravens General Manager said, “As a league, we have a conduct policy,” Newsome said. “Being a member of the league, we will follow that...
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...row, the NFL aired a public service announcement for domestic violence awareness during the Super Bowl, but their efforts to actually raise awareness about this issue that affects more than two million people a year in the United States alone remain unimpressive. This year’s PSA, titled “Text Talk,” showed a text message conversation between an unnamed woman and her friend “Jess.” Jess is unable to attend a Super Bowl party because her significant other, Jake, is in a “bad mood.” The conversation ends when Jess stops responding. The ad ends with a warning that “there are many signs of domestic violence and sexual assault.” Between 2006 and 2014, 34 of the 57 domestic violence-related incidents involving NFL players went undisciplined by the league, a...
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...Term Paper: Corporate Responsibility and the NFL MNGT 5000: Management ODC S1 2015, Professor J. W, Webster University Introduction With the recent public backlash over the National Football League’s handling of domestic violence issues with its players, the League’s ethical policies and social responsibility behaviors are being highly scrutinized. It is an example of a highly successful, profitable company that has revealed itself to have a disparity between the social responsibility programs and ethical policies it has in place, and the degree to which it enforces them. Like most companies, is the NFL is at risk of decreasing profit margins in favor of ‘doing the right thing’? This paper will review the recent issues for which the NFL has come under fire, define corporate social responsibility programs, explain what measures the NFL is currently undertaking to rectify its public image problems, and explore the conflict that the National Football League, like any company, may experience with enforcing such measures. Discussion In 2014, NFL player Ray Rice was suspended by the League for two games, a suspension received as the result of the NFL discovering he’d perpetrated an act of domestic violence against his then fiancée, Janay. After the matter had been ‘settled’ by the League, news magazine TMZ obtained a video tape of the actual domestic violence incident from the casino where it took place. The tape clearly showed the football player punching his wife in the...
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...Jordan Hartshorn February 29, 2016 Domestic Violence Seminar ABSTRACT In 1920, the American Professional Football Association was founded. Modernly, The National Football League (the NFL) has become a billion dollar industry generating national revenue of $7.3 billion dollars in 2014 alone. However, roughly 55.4 percent of NFL players have a criminal record, and even more shockingly domestic violence accounts for 48 percent of arrests for violent crimes among NFL athletes compared to an estimated 21 percent nationally. This article first examines the history and traditions of the NFL and the subculture of domestic violence hidden by the league. Next, this article will specifically focus on the case studies of a few star athletes and their struggles with domestic violence. Finally, this article will examine the laws being enacted, both nationally and within the league, and contrast what has worked with what has not. Jordan Hartshorn February 29, 2016 Additional Sources Ambrose, Robert. "NOTE: THE NFL MAKES IT RAIN: THROUGH STRICT ENFORCEMENT OF ITS CONDUCT POLICY, THE NFL PROTECTS ITS INTEGRITY, WEALTH, AND POPULARITY." William Mitchell Law Review 34.1069 (2008): 1070-112. WestLaw Next. Web. 23 Feb. 2016. This article provides theory on why the NFL protects its wealthy athletes after they commit violent crimes. Dabbs, Ellen E. "INTENTIONAL FOULS: ATHLETES AND VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN." Columbia Journal of Law and Social Problems 31.167 (1998). WestLaw...
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...Question: To what extent should football players be held to a higher standard of accountability than the average person? Should criminal acts on the part of player be punished by the NFL as well as by state? If so, what is adequate punishment for a player who violently abuses their mate? Does gender or sexual orientation play a role in your decision? Under what condition is it appropriate for someone to lose access to their profession? Facts -"The league has consistently turned a blind eye to blows sustained by women at the hands of many NFL players over the last two decades" (Benedict, 1). -"The NFL is in dire need of male leadership when it comes to violence against women" (Benedict, 2). -"The sad fact is that the most memorable hit of the 2014 NFL season will end up being one in which a player knocked out a woman in an elevator" (Benedict, 2). -"NFL spokesman Greg Aiello infamously told the Washington Post: "We're not the criminal justice system. We can't cure every ill in society, You know, we're putting on football games. And unless it impacts the business, we have to be very careful about the disciplinary action we take. A player has rights too."" (Benedict, 2). -"The bottom line is that NFL players aren't like men in the general population, especially in the eyes of children. Rather, NFL players are seen as action heroes who epitomize strength, athleticism and toughness. That’s why so many kids emulate them." (Benedict, 2). -"The instinctive reaction and easy solution...
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...Democracy Now 1 The area of interest I chose was domestic violence/abuse from an show titled: An NFL Wife Tell Her Story: Intimidated Spouses Followed “Code of Silence” Around Domestic Abuse. This topic is common among the players in the National Football League (NFL). The date this show was posted is Tuesday, September 16, 2014. The key presenter(s) that discussed the topic were as followed: Amy Goodman (Journalist and columnist for radio show Democracy Now!) and Dewan Smith-Williams (Wife of retired NFL Player Wally Williams; Intimated spouse around domestic abuse). A briefing of the show, Mrs. Williams, is currently married to retired NFL player Wally Williams and has dealt with domestic abuse. In their relationship in the past, she encountered domestic abuse by Mr. Williams. Mrs. Williams wanted to tell her side of the story about how domestic abuse cases are filed against NFL players by their spouses and/or partners and how the NFL keeps it silence when informed. She wanted this story to help encourage change and promote change within the NFL. Mrs. Williams also discusses how drugs, Alcohol, and football are common issues apart of many spouses and/or partners lives and they deal with it all the time, which causes domestic abuse in many relationships of NFL players. Even though Mrs. Williams husband was placed in the diversion program for drug and alcohol abuse and for the use of marijuana the abuse continued and the NFL did nothing about it. During this show, Mrs. Williams...
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...Jacob Moore ENC 1101-15073 Professor Holt 8 October 2014 Domestic Violence by Athletes 1 in 4 women will experience domestic violence in their lifetime ("Domestic Violence: Statistics & Facts."). Domestic violence is the act of performing physical, emotional, verbal, or sexual abuse towards a spouse, child, or any other family member. There continues to be those who support this type of violence and those who are against it. Just recently I’ve noticed the media covering more incidents of domestic violence being committed by professional athletes. I am going to discuss whether or not domestic violence committed by professional athletes in the National Football League are being handled the way they should by the association they play for. The National Football League (NFL) has recently had two incidents of players committing domestic violence that has and continues to be discussed. The first incident involves former Baltimore Ravens Running Back, Ray Rice. Rice was recently cut by the Baltimore Ravens due to knocking out his then fiancée while riding the elevator. The second incident involves Minnesota Vikings Running Back, Adrian Peterson. Adrian Peterson was involved in hitting his 4 year-old son with a tree branch. Each of these acts of domestic violence resulted in both players being suspended. Adrian Peterson is still suspended indefinitely but Ray Rice has already been released from his team. On February 15, 2014, Ray Rice got into an altercation with his...
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...During every 60 seconds there are 20 victims of domestic violence (“National Statistics”). Domestic violence is a punishable crime that can result in the perpetrator spending significant time in jail, yet somehow comedians have found a way to turn this subject into a laughing matter. For example, seasoned stand-up pro Bill Burr once said during his 2012 routine, “They say there is no reason to hit a woman. Really? I could give you like 17 right off the top of my head” (Burr). This daring claim sent the audience into an uproar of laughter. The same joke idea was previously used in Chris Rock’s 1996 routine when he said, “There’s a reason to hit everybody! Ya just don’t do it. Ain’t nobody above an ass whoopin’” (Love)! Again, the audience reciprocated...
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...The NFL’s Policies are Unjust This past offseason, the NFL was turned on its head when news arose that Ray Rice was arrested on charges of Domestic Abuse. Rice and his fiancée, Janay Palmer, started arguing as they left a New Jersey casino on February morning. Palmer became physical with Rice, and soon Rice snapped and knocked Palmer unconscious with a left hook. When the elevator got to their floor, Rice tried to drag Palmer out of the elevator and to their room, but was stopped by a security guard. At first, Rice tried to play it off like she passed out from too much to drink, but video then surfaced of him striking her. This story spread like wildfire and Commissioner Roger Goodell had a big decision to make. At first, Goodell made a gut decision and suspended Rice for 2 games, a term that is shorter than the minimum 4 game suspension for players who violate the substance abuse policy for the first time. As the summer progressed, Goodell received a lot of negative feedback about...
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...hits, and no matter how safe the NFL will get you can take the safety out of head banging hits. The NFL’s viewing audience has grown drastically over the past years with more females being involved in the game and setting new records every year the super bowl comes on (100 million viewers last SB). Everyone knows the NFL is America’s favorite sport with a recent poll stating that 35% of Americans voting the NFL as the favorite and MLB 14% as the second favorite ("Harris Poll -- NFL still most popular; MLB 2nd," n.d.). What makes the NFL so special is the its role in society; tailgating, trash talking,...
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...that went viral showed former NFL running back, Ray Rice giving his then fiancée, Janay Palmer a vicious left hook to the face, knocking her unconscious. Social media erupted over the video’s release, there wasn’t a single person in the country who didn’t have an opinion on the video. Even the White house released a statement concerning the video, “The President is the father of two daughters. And like and American, he believes that domestic violence is contemptible and unacceptable in a civilized society. Hitting a woman is not something a real man does, and that’s true whether or not an act of violence happens in the public eye, or, far often, behind closed doors. Stopping domestic violence is something that’s bigger than football—and all of us have a responsibility to put a stop to it.” Anytime the President can comment on the current NFL scandals but can’t make a statement on the African American women, who was beaten by an officer, a person that was supposed to serve and protect , is no more shocking than the key of events that led up to September 8,2014. Seven months ago on February 15, 2014 was the beginning of a downward spiral for Ray Rice. A police report states “… commit assault by attempting to cause bodily injury to J. Palmer, specifically by striking her with his hand, rendering her unconscious.” February 19, 2014, when TMZ released a video of Ray Rice dragging his then fiancée’s unconscious body out of the elevator, nobody cared. The NFL organization had Rice’s back...
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