Domestic abuse seems to be one of the most common ways for NFL players to get into trouble. Sports news headlines in the past few years have been full of allegations of domestic abuse; it seems to be more common than the use of performance-enhancing drugs.
The NFL’s new policies seem more stringent regarding domestic abuse, but the way the NFL actually handles punishments regarding domestic abuse is not so serious. Honestly, it is ridiculous to see that players charged with domestic violence are not given severe punishments. I know that the NFL wants to be fair toward players, but there shouldn’t be any exceptions made.
According to the NFL policy on domestic abuse on its website, the NFL will give “a baseline suspension of six games without pay for violations involving assault, battery, domestic violence, dating violence, child abuse, other forms of family violence or sexual assault, with consideration given to possible mitigating or aggravating circumstances.” The NFL’s policy also states, “If you are convicted of a crime or subject to a disposition of a criminal proceeding, you are subject to discipline. But even if your conduct does not result in a criminal conviction, if the league finds that you have engaged in conduct [prohibited by the policy], you will be subject to discipline.”
Within this policy, there is no set time for the suspension to take place. If the conviction takes place just before or during the NFL season, the NFL will hold it off until the offseason. This is where it gets disappointing because players should be punished right away for the crime they commit. However, NFL players who are charged with domestic violence are still able to play, and those players will also get a chance to appeal their suspension for something they know they did wrong. It really is disappointing that the NFL does not take punishment regarding domestic abuse seriously, despite the policies they put in place.
Something else that is disappointing is that some players can get off easily even though they have had a history of domestic violence. Defensive tackle Greg Hardy has been charged with domestic violence more than once and faced a suspension with pay in 2014. The second time, Hardy was originally suspended for ten games, but the suspension got reduced to four games after his appeal. Hardy should not be playing this year because of his multiple convictions, but he appealed, and now he gets to play. The NFL should not allow players to appeal when they have committed a crime. Players should accept what they did and take the punishment that is given.
The NFL is not firm when it comes to punishments regarding domestic abuse; Hardy easily appealed and still gets to play. However, former running back Ray Rice never had a record of domestic violence, but an altercation with his wife ruined his career. Rice hit his fiancée, now his wife, in an elevator and was terminated by the NFL.
Even though Rice was never officially charged, the NFL still won’t reinstate him. However, Hardy, with his record of multiple convictions, still gets to play. The NFL has let players who are constantly in trouble for domestic abuse still play on the field. But when a player gets convicted once, the NFL bans him indefinitely. The NFL is a joke when it comes to enforcing punishments regarding domestic abuse.
All in all, an NFL player can commit an act of violence and still be able play, while the NFL decides whether or not they will suspend him. When the suspension is given, the player can appeal that suspension to get it reduced or taken away. Some of these NFL players get caught committing a crime and appeal when the evidence says they’re 100 percent guilty.
If the NFL were to punish domestic abusers with a firm hand, they would not be biased when it comes to doling out punishments. The NFL should give out punishments fairly without a chance to appeal so players can accept what they have done and deal with the repercussions. If the NFL keeps letting players get off easy, nothing in the NFL will ever be taken seriously.
