Ray Rice. Greg Hardy. Most recently, NY Giants kicker Josh Brown. Over the past 2 years, domestic abuse stands as one of the most pressing issues facing the National Football League.
With imposed suspensions for “deflated footballs” being longer than those for individuals who abuse their partners, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell sets a tone of leniency concerning the NFL’s policy on domestic abuse – a tone that runs the risk of alienating one of the NFL’s fasting growing fan bases – women.
According to the Washington Post, women make up 45 percent of the more than 150 million American NFL fans. Roger Goodell needs to just come out and say it – to women, to all NFL fans, to the players, to the organizations in the league – domestic abuse is a zero tolerance issue.
Committing domestic violence should cost players their privilege to play in the NFL, and the teams these individuals play for, the ability to benefit from the player’s talent. Instead of handing out short suspensions that often cost players very little, the NFL must suspend offenders reinstating them only with the completion of proper rehabilitation programs.
Repeat offenders should face a lifetime ban from the privilege of playing the game of professional football. With this stricter policy, team organizations will be forced to confront their responsibility in aiding players through rehabilitation – or risk losing potentially valuable, contributing members of their squads.
The NY Giants courageously and correctly set the precedent (which as a New England Patriots fan is hard to say). The Giants stepped in front of the domestic violence issue with Josh Brown, placing the kicker on paid leave after the NFL suspended Brown for only one game. More members of the NFL community, Roger Goodell included, must step up to do the same, setting a new tone consistent with the seriousness of the issue of domestic violence.
In changing the domestic abuse policy in professional football, the NFL can proactively take charge to do the morally correct thing and the most advantageous thing to correct their negative public perception all at the same time.
Â
Â
Â
Â
Â