Nowadays when we open up Twitter, our feed is littered with negative headlines. Walk by a newspaper stand or the TV in the HUB, chances are the headlines are drawing attention towards an issue. What we read in the news is often negative; however, it draws attention to what needs to be changed now.
Flashback to early September in 2014. Just like today fans are getting excited to cheer on their favorite teams and players in the new football season. Not so fast. Yes, the NFL may be worth over 2.5 billion dollars and attract more than 160 million fans; however, there is a life behind the game itself and these players that many idolize for their performance. In 2014, the feel was different as there was an agenda with stakes higher than who was going to win in week 1.
In February in 2014, a video was released to the public of Baltimore Raven’s running back, Ray Rice, assaulting his wife. The video was spread throughout social media and news outlets igniting a wave promoting change. Despite the disturbing video of his actions, Ray Rice received support from his head coach and was only given a two game suspension by commissioner Roger Goodell.
On September 8th, 2014, a new video was released to the public showing Ray Rice punching his wife in the face. There were rumors stating that the NFL saw the video in April, but kept the original suspension in tact. It was not until it was released to the public that the NFL expelled Rice from employment.
In awareness of the issue, CoverGirl released a timely advertisement displaying their colorful makeup to excite the NFL season. The image shows a woman ready for the new season as she sports CoverGirl’s makeup and a Ravens jersey; however, social media quickly photo shopped the picture by giving the woman a black eye in reference to Ray Rice’s negligence.
The promotion of the image rightfully sticks to the idea that there was more to the game of football than just its pure entertainment. With over 80 million female football fans in the United States, the image emotionally sat in poorly with many fans. Why was a player only suspended for two games when there was video evidence of assault? Does the NFL care just about their employees and not their consumers? Many brands pulled their support of the NFL, but ironically, not CoverGirl. Why? Well the NFL is one of the biggest entertainment entities in the world with one of the best advertisement platforms. Monetary benefits over civic rightfulness is the case at hand.
Despite proof that the NFL domestic violence rates are lower compared to all american’s, one incident is too many, especially when these athletes are getting payed millions to play a game. The era of “guys being guys” is out the window. No matter how much clout a person may have, no one has too much clout to lose respect for others. It’s long overdue to make this country a place of prosperity for all. Our simple respect as people must outweigh the monetary benefits of corporate partnerships.