It’s been a tough start to the NFL season with so many reports of domestic violence. The story of Ray Rice broke several months ago, but lucky for Goodell and all involved the TMZ waited for week one of the new season to release extended footage of the incident. Their great timing on the release of this video wasn’t to help bring awareness to a bad situation, but rather to shock viewers and create talk. If the TMZ was about bringing awareness rather than increasing ratings, their breaking story wouldn’t hurt the victim. For a victim who was trying to move forward, they yanked the rug right out from her by shining a spotlight on her and saying this is what happened while you were out and it’s for everyone to see. And the hits just keep on coming. Now she’s a victim twice, once by the hands of her husband and once by the hands of the TMZ.
The TMZ was much quicker to release photos of the damage Adrian Peterson did to his son, it could be found on their website along with their segment entitled “The Sperminator.” Child abuse is horrible, and so is media that makes it look like a joke. Once again they took it upon themselves to expose a victim, because the accused is not the only one hurt by their violation of privacy in these domestic matters.
With all the attention the TMZ has brought the NFL since kickoff, some attention from other sources has been focused on the actual topic of domestic abuse. Protecting those who can’t speak for themselves was the message of the Minnesota Vikings message boards when the website's proprietors made the decision to discontinue the board’s forums permanently. Cover girl has also taken a stance against the violence by airbrushing their images to reflect a model with a black eye. Awareness is important when it’s done correctly, and doesn’t do a further injustice against the victims.
Those who continue to wear the jerseys of these ousted players can expect to be asked, “Why do you like them so much?” One must doubt that it’s because they’re in favor of domestic abuse. Some answers have come that while they don’t support the act of abuse, they support the person and the opportunity for second chances. Others view the topic as one that was made public of the player’s personal life, and that it should be kept separate from who this player is on the field.
With all the hate this coverage has stirred up against the abusers, there has also been a great deal of it aimed at the commissioner. Goodell sent a memo to the league Monday about the addition of some new female employees who will be assisting him “on the development and implementation of the league's policies, resources and outreach on issues of domestic violence and sexual assault.” (Martin, 2014) With all the missteps taken by the commissioner, it may be good for these woman to be the decision makers on matters of domestic abuse while Goodell is there only to oversee with a claim of, “I have no responsibilities here whatsoever.”
Currently there is a lot up in the air on both cases, so we’ll have to wait and see what the final fate is of these two men. If it’s a win in the courtroom, should the defendant’s have the opportunity to return to their teams? At this time, the jury is still out on that decision.
Works Cited
Martin, E. C. (2014, 09 16). 4 women to consult NFL commissioner on domestic violence. Retrieved 09 17, 2014, from CNN: http://www.cnn.com/2014/09/15/us/nfl-goodell-domestic-violence/index.html
The TMZ was much quicker to release photos of the damage Adrian Peterson did to his son, it could be found on their website along with their segment entitled “The Sperminator.” Child abuse is horrible, and so is media that makes it look like a joke. Once again they took it upon themselves to expose a victim, because the accused is not the only one hurt by their violation of privacy in these domestic matters.
With all the attention the TMZ has brought the NFL since kickoff, some attention from other sources has been focused on the actual topic of domestic abuse. Protecting those who can’t speak for themselves was the message of the Minnesota Vikings message boards when the website's proprietors made the decision to discontinue the board’s forums permanently. Cover girl has also taken a stance against the violence by airbrushing their images to reflect a model with a black eye. Awareness is important when it’s done correctly, and doesn’t do a further injustice against the victims.
Those who continue to wear the jerseys of these ousted players can expect to be asked, “Why do you like them so much?” One must doubt that it’s because they’re in favor of domestic abuse. Some answers have come that while they don’t support the act of abuse, they support the person and the opportunity for second chances. Others view the topic as one that was made public of the player’s personal life, and that it should be kept separate from who this player is on the field.
With all the hate this coverage has stirred up against the abusers, there has also been a great deal of it aimed at the commissioner. Goodell sent a memo to the league Monday about the addition of some new female employees who will be assisting him “on the development and implementation of the league's policies, resources and outreach on issues of domestic violence and sexual assault.” (Martin, 2014) With all the missteps taken by the commissioner, it may be good for these woman to be the decision makers on matters of domestic abuse while Goodell is there only to oversee with a claim of, “I have no responsibilities here whatsoever.”
Currently there is a lot up in the air on both cases, so we’ll have to wait and see what the final fate is of these two men. If it’s a win in the courtroom, should the defendant’s have the opportunity to return to their teams? At this time, the jury is still out on that decision.
Works Cited
Martin, E. C. (2014, 09 16). 4 women to consult NFL commissioner on domestic violence. Retrieved 09 17, 2014, from CNN: http://www.cnn.com/2014/09/15/us/nfl-goodell-domestic-violence/index.html
