Big Blitz Posted September 18, 2014 Posted September 18, 2014 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. *stands and applauds*
BillsFan-4-Ever Posted September 18, 2014 Posted September 18, 2014 its called stupidity. IF over 50% of the people around you have recording devices and instant uploads ... you have to think about what you are doing!!!
NoSaint Posted September 18, 2014 Posted September 18, 2014 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. and to be honest, those are spread out incidents across the year. before the rice outcry, peterson wouldve been a footnote based on him being a star and the others would hardly register as a blip on the radar. not sure its anything new, as much as being covered differently.
PS 56 Posted September 18, 2014 Posted September 18, 2014 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. I would add its not just the media. There are individuals and groups that see an opportunity to further their agendas (be they good or bad) and are jumping on the bandwagon. The NFL, because of its high profile, is a plump and easy target.
A Dog Named Kelso Posted September 18, 2014 Posted September 18, 2014 (edited) 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 am not disagreeing with your premise; however, to believe those are the only players with incidents is somewhat naive. There are certainly cases going unreported or ones that have come and gone without the media highlighting it. That said, I am sure it is inline or lower in percentage than the general population. Edited September 18, 2014 by A Dog Named Kelso
PS 56 Posted September 18, 2014 Posted September 18, 2014 I just saw this posted not he web site "Real Clear Science". http://www.realclearscience.com/blog/2014/09/domestic_violence_crime_much_lower_among_nfl_players.html It just goes to show you that things are never what they appear to be...
Dorkington Posted September 18, 2014 Posted September 18, 2014 I, as well, am under the impression that the actions of players haven't gotten any worse, but the ability for us to find out about it, has increased a hundred fold. Multiply that by the need to be outraged, and we have our current situation. Abusers need to be punished, so I'm not offended that they are being outed, but I'm not about to act like it's a new thing.
The Big Cat Posted September 18, 2014 Posted September 18, 2014 They're violent men who play a violent sport. There are 1696 of them on game day rosters. One incident a week seems like an avalanche of torrid behavior, but that's due in large part to the 24/7 echo chamber that amplifies it. In reality, even if it was one incident a week (which it's not, really), that's still less than one tenth of one percent of large, violent men being violent.
A Dog Named Kelso Posted September 18, 2014 Posted September 18, 2014 (edited) 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. Well in fairness the NFL decided to institute its own punishment system so that they could control the reputation of the league. It is their job to mete out punishment based on acts it believe are harmful to the leagues status in the public eye. It is incumbent on them to get it right as far as the duration and severity. Especially when those players confess to the incidents. In the cases of Rice and Peterson the both have admitted to the charges. Also, the question I would be asking is why, if it has been an option in the past, player haven't been put on this "exempt" list more often? Edited September 18, 2014 by A Dog Named Kelso
Mayhem Posted September 18, 2014 Posted September 18, 2014 It seems as if it is a problem with the NFL way more than any other league. You don't constantly read about NHL or MLB or NBA players being suspended for DWI or Domestic Violence etc. Why do you think that is? Do the other leagues not discipline players for the same actions or do these things occur much more often among football players.
Mark80 Posted September 18, 2014 Posted September 18, 2014 (edited) Well in fairness the NFL decided to institute its own punishment system so that they could control the reputation of the league. It is their job to mete out punishment based on acts it believe are harmful to the leagues status in the public eye. It is incumbent on them to get it right as far as the duration and severity. Especially when those players confess to the incidents. In the cases of Rice and Peterson the both have admitted to the charges. Also, the question I would be asking is why, if it has been an option in the past, player haven't been put on this "exempt" list more often? I think you are completely missing the point. The point is, where is all the outrage for Ray Rice not seeing a single day in the slammer after his conviction? This is especially true seeing as it was reported that less than 1% of similar cases in NJ end with just probation. How in the world can Hardy request a trial by judge and then ask for a trial by jury after he is found guilty by the judge? I mean, it's not even an appeal as far as I know, just a separate new trial. Where is the media (professional and social) outrage on this? Yes it's the NFL's job to maintain a positive public image, just as it is any corporation. But the short comings here go way beyond the NFL in my opinion. Edited September 18, 2014 by Mark80
BillsVet Posted September 18, 2014 Posted September 18, 2014 The NFL is a "non-profit" and their commissioner earned 105M in 5 years. The media has it out for both he and the NFL in many respects. Not surprising that articles like this magically appear at a time like this: http://money.cnn.com/2014/09/12/news/companies/goodell-pay/
RyanC883 Posted September 18, 2014 Posted September 18, 2014 24/7 NFL News Coverage is the reason. And nothing better to jack up the ratings than negative news. Personally, I'm sick of it (the over-saturation of the negative news). People comparing the AP incident to the Ray Rice incident for example, ridiculous. But the media wants to lump them all together to sell their product. I, as well, am under the impression that the actions of players haven't gotten any worse, but the ability for us to find out about it, has increased a hundred fold. Multiply that by the need to be outraged, and we have our current situation. Abusers need to be punished, so I'm not offended that they are being outed, but I'm not about to act like it's a new thing. which is the difference between you and the vast majority of the minions who watch the news reports and are like, "wow, this is new, awful behavior, and it's all the same."
Snorom Posted September 18, 2014 Posted September 18, 2014 (edited) they're are also mostly young 20 somethings who are still making mistakes and learning from them. unlike most of us they are scrutinized publicly Edited September 18, 2014 by Snorom
boyst Posted September 18, 2014 Posted September 18, 2014 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. I can ignore all the nonsense in your post, mostly because you probably don't read past a headline or follow up past the initial Nancy Grace screaming rant. But, to bring bovines in to this? I'll have you know, cattle are not towing livestock. Oxen, those are the ones that tow plows, logs, etc.
Malazan Posted September 18, 2014 Posted September 18, 2014 I think it's simple. The players have much more free time on their hands in the offseason and the prevalence of recording equipment and easy distribution of information.
A Dog Named Kelso Posted September 18, 2014 Posted September 18, 2014 (edited) I think you are completely missing the point. The point is, where is all the outrage for Ray Rice not seeing a single day in the slammer after his conviction? This is especially true seeing as it was reported that less than 1% of similar cases in NJ end with just probation. How in the world can Hardy request a trial by judge and then ask for a trial by jury after he is found guilty by the judge? I mean, it's not even an appeal as far as I know, just a separate new trial. Where is the media (professional and social) outrage on this? Yes it's the NFL's job to maintain a positive public image, just as it is any corporation. But the short comings here go way beyond the NFL in my opinion. I am not missing the point I was commenting on one of several aspects of your post. I agree that most of this is false outrage and mostly misdirected. However; when the entity in question "The NFL" wants to use its morals to punish players for whatever the incident is to show the public it is in control; it can't be then dismissed because it not the lawful entity at other times. It either meters out punishment or it doesn't. It put itself in a position to be criticized by having its own internal "justice" system. Edited September 18, 2014 by A Dog Named Kelso
Buftex Posted September 18, 2014 Posted September 18, 2014 (edited) It seems as if it is a problem with the NFL way more than any other league. You don't constantly read about NHL or MLB or NBA players being suspended for DWI or Domestic Violence etc. Why do you think that is? Do the other leagues not discipline players for the same actions or do these things occur much more often among football players. Well, there are roughly 2.5 to 3 times as many NFL players on active rosters than any other sport. I love football as much as anyone, but those of you who are trying to minimize this (not saying you Mayhem) are coming off as tone-deaf as the NFL. Why does it upset you so much that there is a call to stop this bs from going on? Because you have to hear about it too much, and it makes you feel guilty for supporting the league? Does it mess up your Fantasy Football roster? Poor you... what many of you are failing to acknowledge is that Ray Rice and Adrian Peterson have not denied the crimes they are being accused of. That isn't even open for debate. There is nobody trying to extort them or press bogus charges agaist them..they have admitted it. Why are you so bummed that they are getting punished for it? Or do you think that punching your woman out, or beating your infant child are just "no big deal", or just "things that just happen"? Blame the media all you want...but I would contend, this is one of the rare instances as of late, where the media is doing its' job. Edited September 18, 2014 by Buftex
Ohiostyle Posted September 18, 2014 Posted September 18, 2014 Deadspin reposted an article from '86 about Jim Brown. There were many references to domestic violence in his past. I firmly believe that when the media wants to push an agenda, these things are easy to get, because they are always there (and always have been).
IDBillzFan Posted September 18, 2014 Posted September 18, 2014 I think what is causing it: social media, and the ease of taking, and distributing videos. Yep. Oddly for me, the Ray Rice video was one thing, but the Adrian Peterson photos were a completely more jolting truth, so in these cases, I think social media has been very helpful. What I mean is, we saw Rice drag his girlfriend from the elevator, so you knew what happened, but the idea that Peterson used a switch on his kid had me thinking, "Big deal, my dad used a belt on me," but when I saw all the bruises, it completely changed everything in my mind. I don't know if, 15 years ago, these stories get the play they're getting now.
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