...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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...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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...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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...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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...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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...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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...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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...Against Domestic Violence Koel Chowdhury Chamberlain College of Nursing Domestic Violence You think you love him, and you also think he loves you too. However, you always end up arguing about every little thing and his words soon turn into abuse. He says it will never happen again, he will never again hurt you. Then brings you a gift that makes you change your mind and perhaps makes you think he will change and give him another chance. Things seem to get better for a bit till he gets angry again and another fight breaks out over what? You cannot even recall why it started. One thing leads to the next, and once again things get out of hand. You live a life of fear all day, all night. Is there really nothing more to life? Do you deserve to get beaten for what you think, what you do? Your life does not need to be this way, he doesn’t love you if he did he would respect you and treat you well without abuse and tears. Nobody deserves such pain, and if one faces this they should just get up, leave, and never turn back. Domestic violence is any type of abuse which includes physical contact, mental, emotional and sexual in an intimate relationship. Domestic violence happens in all types of cultures, race, education level, and socioeconomic status. To a certain extent it exists in every society, community and social class all over the world, throughout history. Domestic violence can sometimes be viewed as a power hungry issue where one has the need to feel more dominant over the other...
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...Love Does Not Hurt: Domestic Violence in the United States Ashleigh Coker Module 5 December 21, 2014 COM510-Q2196 Knowledge and New Media 15TW2 Domestic Violence is sadly a common issue in today’s society for both men and women. An article written by Alonna Vagianas found in the Huffington Post “30 shocking Domestic Violence Statistics That Remind Us It’s an Epidemic” tells us that 85 percent of domestic abuse victims are women, while the other 15 percent are men. This shows us how women are much more likely to be victims of intimate partner abuse. The title of the article I chose to research is Domestic Abuse 'ordinary in US and can be found on CNN’s website. The article was written by Jane K. Stover. She is an Assistant Clinical Professor of Law and the Director of the Domestic Violence Clinic at the University of California, Irvine School of Law. In this article, Jane Stover highlights domestic violence and the lack of consequences for those who commit the crimes. She explicitly references the domestic dispute that took place between Ray Rice and then fiancé’ Janay Rice in February of 2014. She mentions is this article that what Janay Rice suffered is not extraordinary but rather ordinary here in the US. This story is delivered in two methods, both audio and a written article. In the audio portion of the story, anchor Jane Stover interviews another anchor, Christi Paul, who is a domestic abuse survivor. She shares her story and her logic behind the big question of why...
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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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...memorandum TO: Roger Goodell; NFL Commissioner from: Parker Gourlay SUBJECT: RECENT NFL PLAYER ARRESTS DATE: TUESDAY, JANUARY 26, 2016 CURRENT NFL PLAYERS VIOLATING THE LAW MR. GOODELL, THE NATIONAL FOOTBALL LEAGUE, HAS A SERIOUS PROBLEM TO DEAL WITH IN 2016. THE NUMBER OF ARRESTS IN 2015 STOOD AT AN ABSURD “38” (USA TODAY, 2015). THE ARRESTS INCLUDED WERE FROM ACTIVE NFL PLAYERS, ON CURRENT NFL TEAMS. THE OFFENSES COMMITTED WERE EXTREMELY SEVERE PROBLEMS. THESE INCLUDED: DRIVING UNDER THE INFLUENCE, SEXUAL ASSAULT, DOMESTIC VIOLENCE, ETC., THEY ARE OFFENSES THAT CANNOT BE TAKEN LIGHTLY AND SHOULD BE SEEN WITH NECESSARY PUNISHMENT. THE MEMO I HAVE PROVIDED FOR YOU WILL INCLUDE THE NECESSARY STEPS AND ALSO SOME MINOR CHANGES THAT COULD HELP TO REDUCE THE NUMBER OF PLAYER ARRESTS IN 2016 AND BEYOND. REINVESTIGATING PLAYER FINES AND SUSPENSION BYLAWS THE CURRENT PUNISHMENT FOR PLAYERS VIOLATING LEAGUE RULES IS JUST NOT WORKING RIGHT NOW. THE PROOF IS IN THE GROWING NUMBER OF OFFENSES OCCURRING EACH YEAR. FOR EXAMPLE, THE GREG HARDY CASE IN THE SUMMER OF 2014. GREG HARDY WAS INVOLVED IN A MAJOR DOMESTIC ABUSE SCANDAL AND THIS WAS NOT HIS FIRST OFFENSE. HE WAS SUSPENDED TEN GAMES. HOWEVER, THAT WAS THEN REDUCED TO FOUR GAMES. THAT IS UNACCEPTABLE. IT SHOWS OTHER PLAYERS THAT THESE CRIMES WILL BE TOLERATED IN YOUR LEAGUE WITH LITTLE TO NO PUNISHMENT. PUNISHING THE PLAYERS TO EXTREME LENGTHS IS NOT THE SOLUTION, IT IS WHAT YOU CAN OFFER THESE PLAYERS AFTER THEIR SUSPENSION;...
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...occurred in the elevator were initially ambiguous and no charges were immediately filed. Ray Rice and his wife were allowed to go home and after months of arbitration, damage control and lobbying to the commissioner, rice was able to walk away with merely a two-game suspension. The media backlash was immense; the NFL had never seen more scrutiny. The public was simply outraged by the “slap on the wrist ” approach the NFL had taken on its stars. Several fans traded in their Ray Rice jerseys for refunds or other players in a nationwide program hosted by the NFL. This was an issue as serious as domestic violence and the light suspension indicated the lack of seriousness the NFL was giving it. What made the situation worse was that prior to the start of the season the NFL had suspended wide receiver Joshua Gordon for the entire season for Marijuana abuse, which is now legalized in several states and decriminalized in others. Things took a turn for the worse when the video surfaced of the altercation within the elevator, showing an inebriated and enraged Rice spitting on his then fiancé and striking her twice. The question then became about morals. How could the NFL, its commissioner or any one in the league office have been aware of the level of violence that had occurred and only suspended rice for two games. This was unethical behavior at its highest...
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...A highly debated topic that has been talked about for years now is violence in sports. Some question if violence on the field, carries over to violence off the field making it hard for athletes to differentiate game like situations to real life situations. In both professional and collegiate levels people hear many stories about athletes being involved in sexual abuse, physical abuse, harassment, and other violent cases. If this is something that is continuing, what can the professional and collegiate levels do to educate and help put a stop to athletes being involved with violence and criminal law? Looking at sports we see that there is violence on the field, but this is normal, this does not fall into the category of regular violence, but competitive sports. The definition of violence is the use of excessive physical force, which causes or has obvious potential to cause harm or destruction. We then can break violence down into four different categories. The first type is brutal body contact; this is physical practices common in certain sports and accepted by athletes as part of sport participation. The second type is borderline violence; this is practices that violate rules of the game but are accepted by most players and coaches, like players pushing back getting positioning on a rebound. The third type is quasi-criminal violence that violates the rules of the game; examples of this would be cheap shots, late hits, sucker punches, and things of that nature. The...
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...him and to stay with him. These are the resounding questions and statements that one hears when discussing domestic violence. When video broke of NFL player Ray Rice, hitting and knocking out his then girlfriend Janay, those were the types of questions that erupted on social media. Instead the question should have been, “Why did he hit her?”, “Why didn’t he show any emotion or remorse?” “What is wrong with him?” This is known as victim blaming, and it is unfortunately all too prevalent in our society today. Domestic violence is a dirty little secret that no one wants to talk about, but until we do, this epidemic of victim blaming will not go away. Although the topic has been talked about more due to some highly publicized cases, further education, focus on the abuser and not the abused and changing the language we use when discussing domestic violence, and consistent consequences for abusers will any progress be created in this area. Domestic violence and abuse can happen to anyone, regardless of gender, race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, income, or other factors. One in four women will experience domestic violence over their lifetime. Domestic violence is the third leading cause of homelessness among families. (SafeHorizon, ND). These are just some of the many statistics about domestic violence that show how big of a problem this truly is. The problem is domestic violence is a taboo topic that no one really wants to talk about. “The data shows us that conversations about...
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...Ekaterina Sharova Sport Management David Knapp 10/6/13 All persons associated with the NFL are required to avoid «conduct detrimental to the integrity of and public confidence in the National Football League. » This requirement applies to players, coaches, other members of the team, the owners, and officers and games other honor to work in the National Football League. For many years he was well aware of the rules promoting lawful, ethical and responsible conduct serve the interests of the League, its players and fans. Illegal or irresponsible conduct does more than simply tarnish the offender. It puts innocent people at risk, sullies the reputation of others involved in the game, and undermines public respect and support of the NFL. Standard of conduct While criminal activity is clearly outside the scope of permissible conduct, and persons who engage in criminal activity will be subject to disciplinary action, the standard of conduct for persons employed in the NFL is considerably higher. It is not enough simply to avoid being found guilty of a crime. Instead, as an employee of the NFL or a member club, you are held to a higher standard and are expected to behave in a way that is responsible, promotes the values upon kotoryhosnovana League, and is legal. Individuals who are unable to meet this standard of conduct are guilty of conduct detrimental and subject to discipline, even where the conduct itself does not result in conviction of a crime. Discipline may be imposed...
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