Theory on the cause of so much negative NFL news lately

[wnysteel]

Strictly an opinion, no basis in fact.

 

But stepping back and looking at everything in the news, it seems as if all these are "aggression" type of crimes. Anger and heat of the moment situations. I'm wondering if there is some new PED or other drug out that is causing this type of behavior. (look at how quickly synthetic marijuana went around, before laws could restrict it. You could buy it in corner stores).

 

I'm thinking there is something new people are taking (to gain an edge, that drug tests aren't catching), and its causing this type of reaction. It seems as if these are daily occurrences (I realize there are other threads discussing the "whos" and the "whats").

 

Something must be causing it.

[Buftex]

I think what is causing it: social media, and the ease of taking, and distributing videos.

 

NFL players (athletes in all of sports) have been beating their wives for decades, we just didn't hear about it as easily as we do now. NFL teams went out of their way to shield this type of thing from getting to the media, and dealt with it "in-house", if at all.

 

We can never know if there is an increase in incidents from, say, even 10-15 years ago, because things were kept in-house. Women have a way of fighting back now.

 

I remember when OJ Simpson was charged with murdering his wife. Allegations of his history his long history of domestic abuse seemed to shock so many. My father, a police officer, was never an OJ Simpson fan, because he knew of so many of these allegations at the time the events were occurring. We never read about it in the Buffalo News, or the Couriour Express. It just went unreported.

Edited September 18, 2014 by Buftex

[Max997]

i never understood the logic of always trying to find a reason for why someone or some people do the things they do

 

there are just some athletes and people in general who are just idiots

[DrDawkinstein]

I think what is causing it: social media, and the ease of taking, and distributing videos.

 

NFL players (athletes in all of sports) have been beating their wives for decades, we just didn't hear about it as easily as we do now. NFL teams went out of their way to shield this type of thing from getting to the media, and dealt with it "in-house", if at all.

i never understood the logic of always trying to find a reason for why someone or some people do the things they do

 

there are just some athletes and people in general who are just idiots

 

All this. There have been aholes in the NFL since it started. Probably worse in the 70s/80s than now even. The only difference is accessibility and coverage.

[KD in CA]

There's so much negative news lately because now the media is looking for it. It's the legacy of OJ and the advent of the 24x7 news media. Ever since those two things collided in 1994, we have been transformed into an age of short, intense news cycles focusing on sensationalism. The media goes bananas over one story until it plays itself out, even if it is relatively insignificant in national or global context. Most involve either a random crime/accused crime (Chandra Levy, Natalee Holloway, Trayvon Martin, etc), or celebrities. The NFL is a celebrity so here we are. The media will get bored and move on just as soon as there is a big political scandal or some black guy gets shot by a cop.

[Mark80]

Roughly 60 players per team with practice squads, IR guys, etc.. 32 teams. Roughly 2000 active players in the league. They are concentrating on Dwyer, Peterson, McDonald, Hardy, Rice. That's 0.25% of the league's players for this season.

 

I blame the media trying to get ratings and blowing all this crap way out of proportion. To say the NFL has a problem based on the actions of 0.25% of the players is, quite frankly, egregious reporting. It is not the job of the NFL to police its players outside of the game, it's the legal system's job. If people are outraged, they should be contacting their Representatives locally, on the state level, and federally to get them to increase the punishment for such actions. How these guys never (rarely) see jail time should be the focus of the media, not the NFL. But the NFL garners attention and that's how the media spins it. How a journalist can work for a media outlet like ESPN and respect their profession is beyond me. They should be ashamed and embarrassed to be part of it.

 

No one was clamoring for Rice to be suspended indefinitely until the second video came out (although many were saying 2 games was too short, but mostly because the drug suspensions were 4 games and they were comparing the two). No one was saying that Hardy shouldn't be playing for the Panthers week 1 until the Ray Rice thing blew up. Where were these guys before that second video came out? What changed since then except for the ratings covering it? It's such B.S. I can't stand it. The only guy who stood up and has shown in the past he means it, is Herm Edwards. He was on this from the beginning, he cut Larry Johnson immediately when he was a star on his team and he had his issues. Everyone else, just jumping on the bandwagon and saving their arses.

Edited September 18, 2014 by Mark80

[DrDawkinstein]

Roughly 60 players per team with practice squads, IR guys, etc.. 32 teams. Roughly 2000 active players in the league. They are concentrating on Dwyer, Peterson, McDonald, Hardy, Rice. That's 0.25% of the league's players for this season.

 

I blame the media trying to get ratings and blowing all this crap way out of proportion. To say the NFL has a problem based on the actions of 0.25% of the players is, quite frankly, egregious reporting. It is not the job of the NFL to police it's players outside of the game, its the legal systems job. If people are outraged, they should be contacting their Representatives locally, on the state level, and federally to get them to increase the punishment for such actions. How these guys never (rarely) see jail time should be the focus of the media, not the NFL. But the NFL garners attention and that's how the media spins it. How a journalist can work for a media outlet like ESPN and respect their profession is beyond me. They should be ashamed and embarrassed to be part of it.

 

Great point. If you turn on ESPN over the last week, youd think that there is nothing else going on in any sporting league besides this. They've gone full FOX/CNN on us. I usually keep ESPN or ESPN2 on in the background while I work, but have turned it off the last few days.

[Mark80]

Great point. If you turn on ESPN over the last week, youd think that there is nothing else going on in any sporting league besides this. They've gone full FOX/CNN on us. I usually keep ESPN or ESPN2 on in the background while I work, but have turned it off the last few days.

 

Me too man. It used to be CNN as well until that plane disappeared and they covered it non-stop for over a month. A MONTH! With no new news developments the whole time! ESPN news has become the only channel in their family that I can watch anymore. The only one that actually plays highlights of games which is all I really want to see (that and the West Coast late night SportsCenter). Too bad I don't get ESPN news from my cable provider.

[Buftex]

Roughly 60 players per team with practice squads, IR guys, etc.. 32 teams. Roughly 2000 active players in the league. They are concentrating on Dwyer, Peterson, McDonald, Hardy, Rice. That's 0.25% of the league's players for this season.

 

I blame the media trying to get ratings and blowing all this crap way out of proportion. To say the NFL has a problem based on the actions of 0.25% of the players is, quite frankly, egregious reporting. It is not the job of the NFL to police it's players outside of the game, its the legal systems job. If people are outraged, they should be contacting their Representatives locally, on the state level, and federally to get them to increase the punishment for such actions. How these guys never (rarely) see jail time should be the focus of the media, not the NFL. But the NFL garners attention and that's how the media spins it. How a journalist can work for a media outlet like ESPN and respect their profession is beyond me. They should be ashamed and embarrassed to be part of it.

 

No one was clamoring for Rice to be suspended indefinitely until the second video came out (although many were saying 2 games was too short, but mostly because the drug suspensions were 4 games and they were comparing the two). No one was saying that Hardy shouldn't be playing for the Panthers week 1 until the Ray Rice thing blew up. Where were these guys before that second video came out? What changed since then accept for the ratings covering it? It's such B.S. I can't stand it. The only guy who stood up and has shown in the past he means it, is Herm Edwards. He was on this from the beginning, he cut Larry Johnson immediately when he was a star on his team and he had his issues. Everyone else, just jumping on the bandwagon and saving their arses.

 

Your point is taken...but I think the real story is not necessarily the violence itself, but the way the NFL has reacted to it. They are reacting to the reactions to their actions, rather than the crimes themselves. The NFL has been tremendous, and relentless, in marketing itself toward all groups, but it has been pretty clear from their past actions (or in-action) that they have viewed women as second class fans, or commmodities, rather than people. And, now it is catching up to them. Ultimately, as painful as it may be for the league, it was only a matter of time.

 

They did their best to get out front of the concussion story, to try to control it to a degree, and to take steps to rectify it, before they were forced to. You can argue whether their efforts were successful. But the domestic violence issue is one they chose, righth up until a few weeks ago, to try to keep under the rug. Ironically, the thing that got so many fired up about this issue was not even the slap on the wrist that guys like Rice were getting (we were used to that), but the disparity in crimes and punishment levied by the NFL for domestic abuse, and far less serious drug infractions.

[Mr. WEO]

Great point. If you turn on ESPN over the last week, youd think that there is nothing else going on in any sporting league besides this. They've gone full FOX/CNN on us. I usually keep ESPN or ESPN2 on in the background while I work, but have turned it off the last few days.

 

Including this one, there are 7 different threads just on page one of this site right now devoted to this overall topic of player and league troubles.

 

The are just giving us what we want. Wen we stop tuning in they will change the subject. We keep tuning in and this is how they make their money, so....what do you expect?

Edited September 18, 2014 by Mr. WEO

[Over 29 years of fanhood]

I think what is causing it: social media, and the ease of taking, and distributing videos.

 

NFL players (athletes in all of sports) have been beating their wives for decades, we just didn't hear about it as easily as we do now. NFL teams went out of their way to shield this type of thing from getting to the media, and dealt with it "in-house", if at all.

 

We can never know if there is an increase in incidents from, say, even 10-15 years ago, because things were kept in-house. Women have a way of fighting back now.

 

I remember when OJ Simpson was charged with murdering his wife. Allegations of his history his long history of domestic abuse seemed to shock so many. My father, a police officer, was never an OJ Simpson fan, because he knew of so many of these allegations at the time the events were occurring. We never read about it in the Buffalo News, or the Couriour Express. It just went unreported.

 

This. The microscope of the 24 hour news machine has focused in on this.

 

NFL players have been, fighting assaulting, stabbing, shooting, drinking, drugging, banging and behaving recklessly for as long as there has been a league.

 

They are a subset of the population who are compensated for their physical dominance and ability to impose brutal force on others, many come from tough backgrounds, and are in the age group of adolescent males where decision making tends to be poor. Add rediculous disposable income and being surrounded by a bunch of other dudes with the same bent... Well there is no surprise here. Now add in celebrity and all the delusions of omnipotence that brings.

 

It was rumored jimbo had his share of domestic disputes, Rison? Marvin Harrison anyone? Travis Henry fathered 13 kids, hooked up with minors and trafficked cocaine. Remember raplesberger?? LT? Vick and the dogs?

 

I don't condone it and there is no excuse for any of it... But Let's just stop pretending this is new already...

Edited September 18, 2014 by over 20 years of fanhood

[Mr. WEO]

Your point is taken...but I think the real story is not necessarily the violence itself, but the way the NFL has reacted to it. They are reacting to the reactions to their actions, rather than the crimes themselves. The NFL has been tremendous, and relentless, in marketing itself toward all groups, but it has been pretty clear from their past actions (or in-action) that they have viewed women as second class fans, or commmodities, rather than people. And, now it is catching up to them. Ultimately, as painful as it may be for the league, it was only a matter of time.

 

They did their best to get out front of the concussion story, to try to control it to a degree, and to take steps to rectify it, before they were forced to. You can argue whether their efforts were successful. But the domestic violence issue is one they chose, righth up until a few weeks ago, to try to keep under the rug. Ironically, the thing that got so many fired up about this issue was not even the slap on the wrist that guys like Rice were getting (we were used to that), but the disparity in crimes and punishment levied by the NFL for domestic abuse, and far less serious drug infractions.

 

Blame the players and their union for the drug penalties--they all agreed to that penalty schedule in the CBA.

[DrDawkinstein]

Including this one, there are 7 different threads just on page one of this site right now devoted to this overall topic of player and league troubles.

 

The are just giving us what we want. Wen we stop tuning in they will change the subject. We keep tuning in and this is how they make their money, so....what do you expect?

Great point. If you turn on ESPN over the last week, youd think that there is nothing else going on in any sporting league besides this. They've gone full FOX/CNN on us. I usually keep ESPN or ESPN2 on in the background while I work, but have turned it off the last few days.

 

Ive had it off all week. Let me know when they stop talking about it.

[jimmy10]

What I wonder is if there's really an increase in violence and aggression or if it's just being reported and analyzed more. It certainly seems like the bad news keeps hitting Goodell and the Shield over and over again. I'm not saying it's orchestrated, but i can see how some might think but is.

[Formerly Allan in MD]

Perpetrators are getting caught moreso than ever before. The NFL was never a league of choir boys.

[eastonbillsfan]

The niners gotir right. The Vikings got it wrong.

 

Innocent until proven guilty. The burden of proof is not on the accused it's on the accuser. Presumption of innocence not guilt.

 

PC gone awry. Those with political agendas use th media to further their cause.

 

they want to make it untenable for teams to play the naughty boys...once an arrest occurs they play it up and teams know sponsorship $$$ is in jeopardy so they cow tow to the political pressure instead of doing the right thing (letting due process run its course first...getting all the facts first) and then making a decision.

 

Remember Duke lacrosse. Pencil neck, no spine people caving to media, corrupt DA, incompetent cops and political pressure befor the truth is known.

[papazoid]

crime is trending DOWN.

 

feeding the news cycle with fresh content is way UP.

[John Adams]

The niners gotir right. The Vikings got it wrong.

 

Innocent until proven guilty. The burden of proof is not on the accused it's on the accuser. Presumption of innocence not guilt.

 

PC gone awry. Those with political agendas use th media to further their cause.

 

they want to make it untenable for teams to play the naughty boys...once an arrest occurs they play it up and teams know sponsorship $$$ is in jeopardy so they cow tow to the political pressure instead of doing the right thing (letting due process run its course first...getting all the facts first) and then making a decision.

 

Remember Duke lacrosse. Pencil neck, no spine people caving to media, corrupt DA, incompetent cops and political pressure befor the truth is known.

 

Rice knocked out his girlfriend.

 

AP admitted to the beating of a 4 year old.

 

This isn't Duke lacrosse.

[DrDawkinstein]

Rice knocked out his girlfriend.

 

AP admitted to the beating of a 4 year old.

 

This isn't Duke lacrosse.

 

Thank you, I couldnt even respond to that post.

[Mr. WEO]

Ive had it off all week. Let me know when they stop talking about it.

 

You can't escape it at TSW either....