The NFL on morals...

"mkbruin, Atlas VP" (mkbruin)
09/09/2014 at 16:54 • Filed to: None

You can kill a man, its ok, just ask Ray Lewis. You can dogfight, its ok, just ask Michael Vick. You can shoot yourself in the leg with an illegally purchased handgun, its ok. But don't hit a lady.

(for the record, none of these are okay. But its nice to know where the NFL sets its boundaries)

DISCUSSION (35)

WRC541 > mkbruin, Atlas VP
09/09/2014 at 16:57

Don't forget Dante Stallworth. Mr I hit a man in a crosswalk and killed him @ 5AM drunk.

28 Days in the clink.

Rest of us. Manslaughter 10-15yrs

ttyymmnn > mkbruin, Atlas VP
09/09/2014 at 16:58

The only reason this is an issue is that there is video of the assault. Very public video. The man should be in jail, but he has beaten his fiancée into submission and she won't testify against him.

Jayhawk Jake > mkbruin, Atlas VP
09/09/2014 at 16:58

Controversial thought: It's not the NFL's morals that are the issue here, it's the public perception.

The public outrage didn't raise until a woman was hit. That's a very broad way of looking at it.

Before you attack me, I don't give a shit about it one way or the other.

Audi-os, Amigos! > mkbruin, Atlas VP
09/09/2014 at 16:59

Ray Lewis actually didn't kill someone.

He made sure that someone who did kill someone got away with it.

There's a difference...I...guess.

blacktruck18 > mkbruin, Atlas VP
09/09/2014 at 17:00

Whoa, whoa, whoa, Ray Lewis killed 2 guys not one.

Yowen - not necessarily not spaghetti and meatballs > mkbruin, Atlas VP
09/09/2014 at 17:00

Yes, and Pot, that's bad too. I really hope they change that, how on earth does that affect how you play the game? Apart from excessive use making a mess of your lungs. (and of course one shouldn't be under the influence of it during a game.

Especially killing someone though, or participating in dogf ighting, that should really get you a life long ban and some serious prison time... As well as beating up wives, or anyone else for that matter.

RamblinRover Luxury-Yacht > WRC541
09/09/2014 at 17:00

28 days in the clink, and a job offer for the Huff Po!

MontegoMan562 is a Capri RS Owner > mkbruin, Atlas VP
09/09/2014 at 17:01

Ben Roethlisberger was accused of sexual assault twice, was suspended but suspiciously no charges filed...hmmmm

DrScientist > mkbruin, Atlas VP
09/09/2014 at 17:05

No, No, No.

its only not ok to hit a lady if it was video taped and said video tape makes it into the mainstream media.

Leadbull > Jayhawk Jake
09/09/2014 at 17:06

There was no outrage until a woman was seen being hit.

And from what I've observed so far, most of the outrage is being channelled towards the NFL and it's handling of the incident, not at Ray Rice himself.

WRC541 > blacktruck18
09/09/2014 at 17:07

Ray they found you in the trunk of a car.

Hmmm. Innocent!

Jayhawk Jake > Leadbull
09/09/2014 at 17:07

My extreme 'don't care haven't read anything' impression was the NFL did nothing and people freaked out that they didn't. I'm probably wrong.

Leadbull > Jayhawk Jake
09/09/2014 at 17:12

No, you're pretty much right.

They may have gone beyond doing nothing though. Some assert that they intentionally screwed with the investigation in order to sweep the incident under the rug (i.e. having Janay testify with Rice sitting right next to her, and (allegedly) purposely not contacting the correct law enforcement agencies when requesting the video).

Jayhawk Jake > Leadbull
09/09/2014 at 17:20

A friend of mine watched the video and said that before he knocked her out she was hitting him.

Not justifying it by any means, but I for one am tired of the double standard. Girl hits man? 'She's so brave, standing up for herself'. Man hits girl? 'OMG MEN ARE DISGUSTING HE SHOULD BE HUNG AND BURNED AT THE STAKE'. Someone steals a dick pick? 'Look! Famous person's penis! It's so exciting!'. Someone steals a famous female's selfie? 'OMG MEN ARE DISGUSTING YOU SICK FUCKS STOP LOOKING AT THESE POOR INNOCENT WOMEN'S BREASTS!'

yamahog > mkbruin, Atlas VP
09/09/2014 at 17:20

Did you miss the part where Goodell gave Rice all of two games before the tape surfaced? Really cracking down on domestic violence there! Pssst, in the meantime, no one look at Ray McDonald!

On top of pleading guilty to obstruction of justice in the criminal case (which is its own pile of worms) and settling a civil case with the deceased's daughter, Ray Lewis was given a $250,000 fine by the NFL, the largest at the time.

Michael Vick was sentenced to 23 months in prison, and was also suspended indefinitely without pay by the NFL.

Plaxico Burress was sentenced to 2 years in prison, on top of being suspended without pay by the Giants.

Let's not act like the special treatment pro football players receive is solely relegated to domestic violence issues.

GhostZ > mkbruin, Atlas VP
09/09/2014 at 17:21

I consider the NFL just slightly better than the Tobacco industry in regards to all the good they do for the world.

yamahog > Jayhawk Jake
09/09/2014 at 17:26

It's so nice to see equal opportunity for both strawmen and straw-women nowadays!

Leadbull > Jayhawk Jake
09/09/2014 at 17:30

You should really watch the video. Kinja won't let me paste a link...

She kind of punch/slaps him, then he hits her twice.

***

I totally agree with your second paragraph. Gawker is much, much worse than most of the people/organizations they bash on.

Lumpy44, Proprietor Of Fine Gif > mkbruin, Atlas VP
09/09/2014 at 17:32

NFL players have hit their wives before, actually lots have, but this season the NFL is going to set a precedence. They have been much too lenient in the past as far as off field incidents have gone, but then again they are not a judicial body. If Ray Rice goes to jail then he will most certainly lose his job whether it is running with a ball or picking fruit. It is not up to the NFL to punish this man for hitting his wife, it is the laws responsibility.

I feel like the NFL is going to accept they were wrong in the past as far as their discipline for people who have committed crimes is concerned, and start to create a system where breaking the law will send you packing.

They will catch a ton of flack for this as far as people like Corey Dillion who beat his wife and had no league discipline. I hope that this year stands as the time when crime gets you kicked out of the league.

Jayhawk Jake > yamahog
09/09/2014 at 17:32

I'm all for equality, but if equality is what you want equality is what you should get. The good and the bad.

Dusty Ventures > mkbruin, Atlas VP
09/09/2014 at 17:33

More accurately: You can do any terrible thing you want, so long as video footage of it isn't released to the public. They didn't care about Ray Rice knocking his wife out until TMZ got the elevator footage.

Except for drugs. They'll go after you for that even if there isn't footage. Because drugs are bad, mmmmmmmkay?

Your boy, BJR > mkbruin, Atlas VP
09/09/2014 at 17:40

in all fairness, shooting oneself in the leg isn't morally wrong. Just kinda dumb. But I don't judge. Shit happens when you tool up.

dogisbadob > mkbruin, Atlas VP
09/09/2014 at 17:45

Doesn't the NFL have some rapists playing for them though?

Just another reason I don't really care for professional sports and the NFL.

And what a shame Rutgers is chasing this shit joining the minor leagues. Maybe they're better off in the Patriot League, or better yet, Division III.

yamahog > Jayhawk Jake
09/09/2014 at 17:52

Yes, that is the point of seeking equality. I (and most people I know) don't believe anyone should be hitting others or stealing private photos, man or woman. In fact, there are plenty of feminists writing and speaking about the many ways patriarchy hurts men as well. This double standard you are referring to is a strawman, which I sarcastically referred to as a strawwoman.

crowmolly > mkbruin, Atlas VP
09/09/2014 at 17:56

If you are talking about Plaxico, he shot himself with a gun he had obtained legally however the paperwork had lapsed and he was unaware that his FL carry permit did not have reciprocity in NY.

Dusty Ventures > Jayhawk Jake
09/09/2014 at 18:08

Watch the video and I think you'll see the only way to claim a "double standard" or to put any guilt/aggression on her part is if you have a bias against her from the start. Before she "hit" him he had her cornered in the elevator from the moment they got in and, to my eyes, he made a move toward her first.

Seriously, this is how he chooses to stand in the elevator:

Kinja'd!!!

He's got her in the corner, giving her no room. It's aggressive, it's controlling, it's trying to exert dominance. And before they even got in the elevator he'd already lunged at her once, which she swung at dismissively.

If you want a full count of who moved at/swung at/hit who it went like this:

*lobby outside elevator*

Ray lunges at Janay

Janay swings (backhand, dismissive, not even enough to make a toddler cry, and no, I'm not exaggerating)

*get on elevator*

Ray corners her

Ray (to my eyes) lunges again, with both standing in the position in the still above (and who knows what he says while doing this). Janay swings at him with the back of her left hand, with rather little force. It was as much a push to get him away from her as it was a swing. He responds immediately by punching her, hard.

Ray steps back toward the other side of the elevator. Stunned and angry Janay steps toward him. He hits her with all the force he can muster, knocking her completely off her feet. She hits her head on the railing and is knocked unconscious.

The doors open and he roughly drags her out of the elevator before dropping her on the floor. He also kicks her a few times (not hard, the same way you'd kick a tire) and steps on her while walking around and stepping over her.

So in my opinion:

1) No, she didn't start it.

2) Even if she did, saying she "hit" him is a gross exaggeration and saying she was "hitting him" (implying she was the aggressor and hitting him repeatedly) is outright bullshit.

3) Even if she properly hit him (which, again, she didn't), it didn't warrant a pair of haymakers from an athlete whose day job is essentially fending off large men.

4) Seriously, fuck that guy and may he never play professional sports again.

Kanaric > mkbruin, Atlas VP
09/09/2014 at 18:27

Ray Lewis didn't kill anyone. Dogfighting doesn't involve people and Vick was put in prison which is kind of the ultimate NFL suspension. Plaxico was banned for two seasons IIRC.

Really this woman spit in his face and he reaction punched her. People are blowing it way out because he knocked her out. She married him after, is defending him, and is attacking the media about it making it clear she is not in an absusive relationship. This is just media sensationalism at it's finest in this modern era.

Dusty Ventures > Lumpy44, Proprietor Of Fine Gif
09/09/2014 at 18:28

On an unrelated note, and I really shouldn't tell you this because you're kicking our butts, but the time is upon us for Fantasy WRC picks

Lumpy44, Proprietor Of Fine Gif > Dusty Ventures
09/09/2014 at 18:37

I didn't see it on The Rally Takeover so I thought you were still working on it!

I try to take it easy this round.

Dusty Ventures > Lumpy44, Proprietor Of Fine Gif
09/09/2014 at 18:38

You're right, I forgot to share it to The Rally Takeover. Oops

norskracer98-ExploringTheOutback > crowmolly
09/09/2014 at 18:44

Wasnt it in NJ?

crowmolly > norskracer98-ExploringTheOutback
09/10/2014 at 08:58

It was at Latin Quarter in NYC

RyanFrew > mkbruin, Atlas VP
09/10/2014 at 12:04

For the record, the Plax incident isn't anything like those others. I would've let him keep playing, too. He did time for shooting himself in the leg. That's plenty of punishment.

yamahog > mkbruin, Atlas VP
09/10/2014 at 12:18

In addition to my previous post, I came across this write up as well, if you still think the NFL really cares about domestic violence: http://sidespin.kinja.com/roger-goodell-…

Shiphro > mkbruin, Atlas VP
09/13/2014 at 13:44

The NFL has made it clear that it is totally OK to hit ladies... as long as it isn't caught on camera and that footage released to the public. I like The Onion's version:

http://www.theonion.com/articles/nfl-a…