The NFL Finally Acts on Ray Rice Incident

 

“I didn’t get it right.” Those five words are what NFL commissioner Roger Goodell stated today in regards to his job of disciplining players for domestic violence.

I think those five words are the biggest understatement I’ve ever heard.

Goodell announced drastic new punishments today for all NFL personnel – not just players – who commit domestic violence offenses. Offenders will be suspended six games on their first offense and an indefinite ban with a minimum of one year for a second offense.

These rules fall under the NFL's Personal Conduct Policy, which means the league can implement the rules without input from the player's union or having to put it into the CBA. 

In the memo Goodell sent out to NFL owners, he specifically mentioned the league’s failure to correctly respond to the Ray Rice incident.

If you remember, Rice was only suspended for two games after he knocked his then fiancée unconscious and was caught on camera dragging her body out of an elevator.

This is the same Ray Rice who was once the face of the NFL’s anti-bullying campaign. The same man who preached to countless little kids about not bullying each other and using peace instead of violence. Pretty ironic, huh?

If you haven’t watched the video, it is one of the most disgusting and shocking pieces of tape you will ever see. Here is the link to the video, so that you can see what you can get away with as a football player and only get a two-game suspension (http://www.tmz.com/videos/0_c5nk3w3n/).

If that was my sister or mother in the video being dragged by her ankles, I couldn’t imagine how I would feel or what I would want to do towards Ray Rice. Honestly, I can tell you one thing. I’d want revenge. Or at least I’d want to see him behind bars for a good portion of his life.

The NFL justified the two-game suspension because the police had dropped the case due to a lack of evidence and because Rice’s wife was unwilling to cooperate with authorities.

Then on May 23, 2014, Ray Rice and his now wife Janay Palmer held a press conference after their meeting with Roger Goodell that resulted in his two-game suspension. Janay Palmer was one of the only females in the room. She was silent until the last 30 seconds and her body language reflected that of a person who had something to say, but was too afraid to say it.

In the press conference, Rice said over and over that he was still the “Same ol’ Ray” and that he hadn’t changed at all. Umm… excuse me? Did I hear that right? You are obviously not the same leader and humanitarian we thought Ray.

Bottom line… the entire sports world was shocked at how easy the NFL took it on Rice. However, sports fans and the media weren’t going to let the NFL off the hook. The story quickly became the biggest news in the country and everyone had their opinion on the case.  

The backlash towards the NFL was so bad after the Rice suspension, that I don’t believe Goodell or the league had a choice but to make the penalties for domestic violence more severe. Yes, it was the right move by the NFL to make this change. But the obvious question is, “Why did it take this long to change something that is so obvious in the first place?”

The NFL couldn’t have been more hypocritical on their stance of domestic violence. The league stated there was no tolerance for domestic violence offenders, yet players who failed drug tests or got caught smoking marijuana were given heavier punishments than those who beat their girlfriends. Just ask Josh Gordon about the hypocrisy.

So go ahead and applaud the NFL if you feel the need to, but please realize something before you do. Realize that the NFL, along with nearly every other sports league and corporation in America, only makes social changes when it stands to lose money.

Sadly, this happens in sports far too often.

The NBA didn’t have a problem letting Donald Sterling be the racist, bigoted owner of the Clippers until TMZ got a sound bite and the entire league was on the verge of boycotting.  

And just like the NBA, the NFL wasn’t going to change anything about their domestic violence policy until the media and critics exposed their hypocrisy and threatened the health of their business.

So don’t walk away from this story and believe that the NFL and Goodell are doing this because they were suddenly “enlightened” and found it in their hearts to make the right decision. Walk away, knowing that the NFL did this to save face and potentially millions of dollars.

Money does make the world go round… and is the underlying cause for social change in this country.

Five Things I’ve Noticed Watching the USA Basketball Team

   1.     Paul George’s injury

• USA Basketball shouldn’t be blamed for George’s gruesome injury because it could have happened anywhere at anytime

o  Don’t forget that many players play in amateur leagues like the Drew League and Pro-Am exhibitions games where the quality of competition and resources aren’t even comparable to USA Basketball

• However, the George injury will undoubtedly discourage superstars from competing in international play when there is no financial incentive

• I don’t believe the PG injury will change the landscape of international basketball, but it definitely has opened up the floor for debate

• Paul George should be able to come back to play after taking this season off as his leg injury was a clean break and doesn’t show structural damage

   2.     Kevin Durant is looking out for himself this offseason

• KD withdrew from Team USA a few days after the Paul George injury, which in my honest opinion was the most selfish act Durant has committed as an athlete

o KD was by far the best player on the roster, yet was the only one to leave after he made the excuse of physical and mental exhaustion

o Clearly, seeing the PG injury left mental scars on Durant and he realized that he was only one unlucky play away from being injured as well

o My rebuttal to KD’s excuse is, “Who isn’t tired and exhausted on the team? You made a commitment, so see it through.”

• KD expressed interest in returning to his hometown of Washington D.C. and playing with the Washington Wizards when he becomes a free agent in 2016

o The rumors look to have some substance to them… Durant is close to signing a $265+ million contract with Under Armour, a company that has its headquarters in D.C.

o Coincidence? I don’t think anything is a coincidence in the NBA anymore

    3. Two Sacramento Kings are competing for a spot on the final roster

• Demarcus Cousins and Rudy Gay are both on the bubble to make the final cuts

o Cousins has been warned that his temperament will be a factor in whether he makes the team or not

o Coach K and Jerry Colangelo have been thrilled with Rudy’s versatility as a two-way player

o I see Rudy playing a role similar to what Andre Iguodala had on the previous Olympic team; a “jack-of-all-trades” type of player who can really be the rock of the team

• Regardless, Kings fans should be ecstatic and proud that two of its players are considered among the best in the world

•  For Cousins to make the team, he needs to shift his focus from a scorer’s mentality to that of a big man willing to do the “dirty work” of rebounding and playing solid post defense

   4.     Team USA doesn’t lack in confidence

• Stephen Curry thinks that he is the best offensive player in the NBA

o Check out the link if you don’t believe me (http://es.pn/1l3R8aB)

o  Best 3-point shooter? Yes!

o  Best offensive player? Not yet. LeBron, KD and Carmelo are still ahead

•  Even more ridiculous, James Harden thinks that he is the best player in the world right now!!!

o What is James Harden smoking? Because Legarrete Blount and Josh Gordon want to know!

o Check out the link (http://ble.ac/1v3f5lz)

   5.      Derrick Rose needs to rest his knees and focus on NBA season

• Rose has only played 10 games in two full seasons with the Bulls

• Rose sat out last night’s game because of knee soreness, which is scaring the hell out of all Bulls’ fans

The Washington (Insert Racist Nickname) Must Change Their Name

Twenty-five years from now, Washington’s football team will not be named the Redskins. So why wait to change the name?

Like all major social issues in America, people who argue against change tend to look foolish. Remember… the civil rights and women’s movements had resistance because conservative-minded people did not want to change.

It’s time for Redskins owner Dan Snyder to throw in the towel and forfeit a battle that he cannot win. The more he argues that the name “Redskin” is a term of endearment, the more he looks like a pulseless robot who has no conscious.

Would you walk up to a person of Native American descent and call them a “redskin” to their face? Of course not!

So why would anyone think it’s alright to call a professional sports franchise after a racial slur?

Obviously the NFL doesn’t deem it offensive enough to take the initiative and force Snyder to make a name change.

Heck, the league didn’t even react after one of its top referees requested to no longer officiate Washington’s games.

Mike Carey, a 19-year veteran referee, told the NFL in 2006 after officiating Washington’s playoff game that he was no longer comfortable being associated with the team because of the racist name.

Carey states, “I was never comfortable with the name. I’ve never said (the team’s name) in my games. But then I realized it wasn’t an option to be part of them anymore. For me, I just knew. I knew that everybody – everybody – deserves a level of respect.”

It’s sad that the NFL’s employees have to stand alone in their stance on equality.

So not only is the NFL directly offending Native Americans and many of its fans, but it is lessening the quality of its product by keeping the name.

At the end of the day, I don’t feel bad or have any real sympathy for the NFL or Snyder because when the name is eventually changed it just means new logos and merchandise which makes both the owner and league richer.

With the Ray Rice domestic assault case leaving a large stain on the “shield” of the NFL, I would hope that the NFL would do the right thing and give Snyder an ultimatum to change the name to something less offensive.

If the NFL was smart, they would realize that being conservative on social issues is bad for business. And isn’t that what the NFL is all about, money?  

I already got a suggestion for the new name change, how about the Washington Warriors?

Football is back... and life is good!

 

Today marks the very first day of actual football! It has been a painful six months of not having the NFL in my life.

As I turn on NBC, I can hear the familiar and comforting voice of Al Michaels following the somewhat annoying voice of Chris Collinsworth. But not even Chris Collinsworth can ruin this day.

We can all rest assured that the next six months of the year will be filled with good football, warm food and cold weather.

Is it sad that football means this much to me? That my life appears to get significantly better just because of a game where grown men wear armor and tackle each other? I don’t believe so because it means so much to not just me, but to our entire country.

When I think of football season I fantasize about the leaves turning colors, the holidays, and the promise of a time where my weekends are set in stone. Friday I might catch a Granite Bay High football game, which is my alma mater and where I played two seasons of football. Saturday to me is all about college football and enjoying the weekend with friends.

But Sunday is a very special day. I never grew up going to church, but Sunday has always been somewhat of a holy day to me.

Every Sunday until February 2015 you’ll know where to find me… on the couch at a buddy’s house with a cold beer in one hand and a handful of chips in the other.

Yes, it is preseason football. However, even preseason seems to be quite a delicious appetizer for the upcoming season.

The New York Giants and Buffalo Bills face off in the Hall of Fame game today at 5 p.m. PT

I don’t really have a big interest in either team, but I’m watching the game because there is something about it that is comforting, familiar, and promising for a better tomorrow.

So sit back and relax football fans… the next six months are going to be amazing!