I'm so disappointed

I'm so disappointed in Adrian Peterson.  I can't even say anything more right now.

I Would Take Full Credit

...for Ray Rice's contract termination and indefinite NFL suspension, but we all know that TMZ is who REALLY deserves the credit here.

Insert thought - if the Atlantic City police had this video (and it certainly seems they did) then how the HELL did this not get made public, or at least available to the NFL before now?

Thank you, TMZ.  (That's one sentence I thought I'd never type!)

Insert thought - isn't the timing of Roger Goodell's announcement that Ray Rice is suspended indefinitely occurring mere minutes after the Ravens announce his contract termination so serendiptious??

A very large thank-you must also go to Adam Schefter who has from first to last been a voice of reason in this shameful debacle and showed his worth to equality advocates today when he publically called out the NFL as soon as he became aware of the video TMZ released at 6 this morning.

Insert thought - what the hell is the NCAA thinking, reinstating Penn State's postseason eligibility effective immediately, with 85 scholarships in 2015-16 right now?  Did they say, "OH HUGE SCANDAL!  LET'S TAKE ADVANTAGE!!"  If so, shame on you, NCAA!

Still, there are some questions left to be answered.

1) Did the NFL reps/brass SEE this second video before 6 a.m. ET today?

2) If not, did they TRY to find any footage mysteriously not provided by the Atlantic City police?

3) What the heck were the Atlantic City police thinking when they either suppressed or ignored this tape?  Do they really not know the lengths TMZ will go for a scoop?

4) Will Roger Goodell pay for his callous, inept handling of this situation?

5) Do I now fulfill my half-promise to Goodell, drink less beer, and buy that Harrison Smith jersey I've been coveting?

EDIT - One last thing.  In all that furor it's easy to forget the important things, and the biggest thing everyone is forgetting right now is that there is a culture of domestic abuse (heck, just violence in general) in the NFL and our first priority really ought be the victims.  So if you CAN donate, to this or any other charity, with time or with money, please do.

 

http://cawc.org/

More About Ray Rice (and What I Think the NFL Should Do)

First, I would like you to read this article: (don't worry, it's not long)

http://ftw.usatoday.com/2014/09/nfl-player-reaction-ray-rice

I only just found this article, and my general reaction was: woah.  I still have no intention of watching that video (I would say I'm sorry that I'm not into sado-masochism...but I'm really not), but this makes me feel a little angrier at the NFL.  Is Ray Rice really the horn on which Roger Goodell is going to impale himself?  Is beating a woman senseless really so meaningless to the big brass compared to smoking pot?

The "new domestic violence policy" which was recently implemented is a good one - if the NFL decides to follow it.

Here's the gist of it, as released by Goodell some weeks ago:

First, we will continue our work with leading experts to expand the scope of our education on domestic violence and sexual assault for all NFL personnel - players and non-players. This will include enhanced training for entering players through the Rookie Symposium and Rookie Success Program, as well as new programs designed for veteran players and other NFL personnel. All NFL personnel - players and non-players - will receive information about available league resources and local support and advocacy groups in their community.

Second, our club Player Engagement Directors, Human Resource Executives, and other appropriate team personnel will undergo comprehensive training to help them understand and identify risk factors associated with domestic violence and sexual assault. Any person identified as being at risk will be afforded private, confidential assistance. Persons who decline this assistance will be held accountable for that decision in determining discipline for any subsequent act of domestic violence or sexual assault. This is a complicated matter and must be approached with care. We will work with experts to identify strategies based on the most reliable research, recognizing that violence can and does take different forms but generally involves a pattern of coercive behavior.

Third, we will ensure that the NFL LifeLine and NFL Total Wellness Program are staffed with personnel trained to provide prompt and confidential assistance to anyone at risk of domestic violence or sexual assault - whether as a victim or potential aggressor. Information regarding these resources will be furnished to all NFL personnel and their families. Our Player Engagement Directors and Human Resource Executives will meet with team spouses and significant others to ensure that they are aware of the resources available to them as NFL family members, including the ability to seek confidential assistance through independent local resources, as well as through the club or the NFL Total Wellness Program. In this respect, we will utilize our existing, established telephone and on-line programs, and will communicate the full range of available services to all NFL personnel and their families.

Fourth, the outside groups we met with have emphasized that the NFL can play an important role in communities throughout the nation. Consistent with that advice, we will expand the educational components in our college, high school and youth football programs that address domestic violence and sexual assault. We will seek to create and promote programs that develop the character of the young men who play, coach or manage our game, emphasizing respect for women and appropriate ways to resolve conflicts. Outreach efforts embodied in these programs will help young people recognize, establish and maintain healthy relationships. In our earliest contact with young men, we can communicate our expectations, establish NFL standards of conduct, and stress the responsibility that all men have to adhere to those standards.

Fifth, we recognize that domestic violence and sexual assault are broad social issues, affecting millions of people. We want our public role to be both constructive and effective. In the coming months, we will explore meaningful ways to incorporate domestic violence and sexual assault awareness and prevention into our public service work. We will do this with the assistance of responsible outside organizations and the potential participation of current and former players, coaches and families who have been affected and are willing to speak out. Actions we take in this respect will be sensitive, thoughtful and will recognize the positive role models and high character presented by so many men in the NFL.

Finally, and consistent with our Personal Conduct Policy, our own response to domestic violence or sexual assault incidents by NFL personnel will include new elements of evaluation, treatment and family support, as well as enhanced discipline. We will address these issues fairly and thoughtfully, respecting the rights of all involved and giving proper deference to law enforcement and the courts. If someone is charged with domestic violence or sexual assault, there will be a mandatory evaluation and, where professionally indicated, counseling or other specialized services. Effective immediately, violations of the Personal Conduct Policy regarding assault, battery, domestic violence or sexual assault that involve physical force will be subject to a suspension without pay of six games for a first offense, with consideration given to mitigating factors, as well as a longer suspension when circumstances warrant. Among the circumstances that would merit a more severe penalty would be a prior incident before joining the NFL, or violence involving a weapon, choking, repeated striking, or when the act is committed against a pregnant woman or in the presence of a child. A second offense will result in banishment from the NFL; while an individual may petition for reinstatement after one year, there will be no presumption or assurance that the petition will be granted. These disciplinary standards will apply to all NFL personnel.

With very few exceptions, NFL personnel conduct themselves in an exemplary way. But even one case of domestic violence or sexual assault is unacceptable. The reality is that domestic violence and sexual assault are often hidden crimes, ones that are under-reported and under-acknowledged. The steps we are taking will reinforce our commitment to address this issue constructively.

In addition to focusing on domestic violence and sexual assault, we will continue to maintain strong policies regarding weapons offenses. We are similarly working to strengthen our response to impaired driving. We have sought - unsuccessfully - for several years to obtain the NFLPA's agreement to more stringent discipline for DUI, including mandatory deactivation for the game immediately following an arrest and a minimum two-game suspension for a first violation of law. We will continue to press our position on this issue in the hope of securing the union's agreement.

There are three steps that each club should take promptly: first, post and distribute the attached "Memorandum to All NFL Personnel" to every player under contract to your club; second, ensure that your head coach reviews the information in that notice with his staff and with all your players; and third, share this letter and the attached Memorandum with all members of your organization, including your team president, General Manager, Human Resources Executive, Security Director, and Player Engagement Director.

 

If you really, truly believe that "even one case of domestic violence...is unacceptable" Roger Goodell, do the right thing now, reevaluate your "punishment" (what a mockery that word is here), and remove Rice for six games.  At minimum.

 

I really don't need a new Vikings jersey.  But if you're a good boy and do the right thing, I might just spend a little less on beer and buy one.

"Supporting" the NFL as a Woman

http://jezebel.com/if-you-care-about-women-and-still-support-the-nfl-you-1631903485/+tcraggs22

So, being not only a giant football fan, but also a follower of Chris Kluwe (@ChrisWarcraft) on twitter, I found the above-posted Jezebel article this morning and read it.

The crux of the article is, given the NFL's abominably weak stance on womens' rights, if you're a supporter of women or feminism, you should hit 'em where it hurts and stop watching, supporting, and buying merchandise. Also, if you boycott other products because of cruelty or some similar social injustice, you're a hypocrite for not giving up the NFL also.

And I completely respect that argument. But I'm not going to agree with it.

I already do not shop at Chik Fil A (partially because I'm vehemently against the glorification of bad grammar/poor spelling), Hobby Lobby, and Carl's Jr, I change the radio whenever I hear Chris Brown or Robin Thicke, I buy cage-free vegetarian eggs, I buy as much fair trade clothing from H&M as possible etc etc.

However, I am a graduate student carrying literally tens of thousands of dollars of debt, and earning a mere $12,000 for nine months' work at my graduate assistantship (causing me to have to borrow money every month from my parents to make both ends meet, and again in the summer so I can pay to attend field schools to get experience), which severely limits my spending power. I do not have a great deal of money for myself, and even less for entertainment. Football - the NFL - is one of my favorite diversions from the backbreaking grind of graduate study.

Which brings me to my main point - how much is too much? Having given up what I have, limiting my clothing purchases whenever possible to garments I believe have not been made by bloody-fingered seven year olds in Bangledesh, changing my food purchases to obtain fresh and local as often as possible, boycotting fast food restaurants and craft chains I enjoyed, when can I draw my line and say, "I've had enough"?

If I dressed myself in sackcloth and ashes, if I limited my diet to a few hundred calories a day of local organic produce, if I lived without electricity and halved my monthly use of water, rejected anything plastic and all televison, I could not begin to set right all the wrongs in the world. Each individual certainly has a responsibility to the world, and to the societies that "raised" us, but how much responsibility can any one individual take on?

I concede that supporting the NFL - that is, watching it, and sighing over over-priced jerseys I cannot afford - while it continues to flout the women from whence flow at least 50% of their security, is both dangerous and foolish.

Jezebel's article has one crucial failure - it doesn't state what must happen before we can enjoy football from a stand of moral equality again. Must Goodell be fired? (I would love that.) Must Ray Rice be banned for life? (Not having seen the video, I can't say.) Must whoever tweeted for the Ravens that "Janay Rice deeply regrets" be sent to have their head examined? (Magic 8 Ball says: "Yes")

But I am drawing my line in the turf. I have before tweeted, emailed, and blogged about how I feel about how the NFL treats women, and I will continue to do so in the hopes that one day they will realize that women buy half their stuff, and pay half the household's cable bills, and it's about time to start punishing their players for violence against women. However, football provides me with so much relief from what I endure on a weekly basis, I refuse to make my life - a woman's life - harder because Ray Rice is a colossal douche, and Roger Goodell is a bigger one.


P.S. Has anyone ever wondered why so many football players love their mothers - say that they're doing this for their mother (or their grandmother) and once they "make it" buy them houses and cars...and yet, still treat women in general like shit?