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The Minnesota Daily

Serving the UMN community since 1900

The Minnesota Daily

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The Minnesota Daily

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Another example of NFL morals

Other problematic instances in the NFL include Carolina Panthers’ defensive end Greg Hardy , who earlier this year was convicted of assaulting and threatening to kill his former girlfriend; former Baltimore Ravens’ running back Ray Rice, who sucker-punched and knocked unconscious his then-fiancée in a hotel elevator; and the NFL’s and Commissioner Roger Goodell’s incompetent handling of the Rice situation.

I am curious if New England Patriots Owner Bob Kraft’s secretary walked out of a staff meeting, or the Patriots’ maintenance supervisor was arrested for marijuana possession, would they still have a job? Why is it that the NFL and its owners insist on giving criminals, and particularly repeat offenders, chance after chance after chance? 

The answer, of course, is that they all want to win the Super Bowl, and nothing else matters. Please understand that this is not a personal indictment of LeGarrette Blount, Adrian Peterson, Hardy or Rice.

Rather, it is an indictment of the NFL, its commissioner and its team owners. The taxpayers and fans are saddled with the huge financial burden of making certain that teams get to play in posh new stadiums, while the commissioner is pulling down compensation in excess of $40,000,000 a year.

Interestingly, the NFL and its owners are currently spending millions of dollars on a publicity campaign that is designed to convince us that the NFL suddenly cares about and will no longer tolerate domestic violence.  

Such a policy would seem to suggest that Peterson, Hardy and Rice will never play another down in the NFL, yet is there any doubt in anyone’s mind that all three of those incredibly talented players will find themselves back on the field soon? After all, owners are so concerned about winning that they repeatedly ignore or excuse the less-than-stellar behavior of talented players. 

Blout is just the most recent example of that unfortunate reality. The simple fact is that until the NFL, its commissioner and the owners stop coddling the millionaire players who break the law, and until they adopt a true zero-tolerance policy, players will continue to engage in bad behavior without fear of retribution. When is enough, enough? Don’t the taxpayers, fans and society as a whole deserve much better?

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