The ever-so-popular sport of football is an extremely violent activity. Playing can result in concussions, brain damage, heat stroke/exhaustion, and several other injuries. Professional football players take safety precautions before they step on the field. However, there are instances when they are not as cautious off the field. According to the NFL Arrests Database in the San Diego News, 40 out of the nearly 1,700 NFL players have been arrested or cited in 2014- and it’s only September! Who knows what could happen within the next few months.
Most recently, the domestic violence incident involving Baltimore Ravens running back, Ray Rice, and his wife, Janay, has sparked tremendous controversy in the league. Staff, players and fans of the NFL are calling for dramatic changes in the way the league handles such cases. Rice has been indefinitely suspended by Commissioner Roger Goodell. This suspension supposedly sends a message to the world that domestic violence is not tolerated in the NFL. Some are angry that the Ravens superstar is being used as an example “just because he’s famous.” Others believe justice is being served.
Another hot topic in NFL news is the Adrian Peterson child abuse case. The Minnesota Vikings running back is reported to have spanked his four-year-old son using a wooden switch leaving numerous bruises on the child. The Vikings do not see Peterson in their future, says ESPN. Many commentators have mentioned that the troubled Viking simply “does not get it.” He seems to view his act as a form of discipline. Apparently, no one taught him the “no television or video games this week” tactic.
Hopefully these NFL abuse cases will come to a halt. We are sick of turning on ESPN and hearing about players’ violent tackles off the field. We want to see game-winning touchdowns instead. Meanwhile, our Bryant Bulldogs consistently make us proud on and off the field.
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