Month: February 2020

How Professional Sports Leagues Are Impacting the World

Sydney Mccarthy 6 Comments

LeBron James and Chris Paul with a Make-A-Wish child before the 2020 NBA All-Star game.

 

With the platforms and money they have, professional athletes can do so much to help strengthen, improve, and aid communities across the world. Many, many, players recognize this power and have done something about it. Whether that is through their own charities or their own endeavors, or through large scale ventures. Players have been doing this on their own for years, however, when a big organization, such as the NFL, MLB, NBA, or NHL steps in, the narrative shifts and even more work can be done. 

 

Organizations, like the NFL, have really taken note of these players wishes of activism and philanthropy and have implemented outlets for them to express these concerns and promote whatever they wish to draw attention to. One of the ways the NFL has done this is through the My Cause My Cleats campaign where players design cleats with an organization of their choice, or for a movement that they are most fond of.

Highly Recommended (cute dog): See some of the My Cause My Cleats from 2019 here.

 

A very relevant example of this, especially with THON taking place this past weekend, is Trace McSorley (a current Quarterback for the Ravens who left Penn State last year to pursue a professional football career) who designed his cleats in honor of THON. 

 

Another way the NFL is encouraging its players to be involved with their communities and encourage their charitable nature is through recognizing them for all they have done. One such way they have recognized their players is through the Walter Payton Man of the Year award which is annually awarded to the NFL player who has displayed “excellence on and off the field… Each team nominates one player who has had a significant positive impact on his community.” Beyond recognition and a trophy, the winner earns “$250,000 donated to the charity of his choice,” and, “all other 31 nominees will receive a $50,000 donation in their name donated to their charity of choice.”

 

The NFL isn’t the only major sports league that has created such an incentive. The MLB established a relationship with the Boys & Girls Clubs Of America (BGCA) in 1997 and has been strengthening this relationship ever since. Throughout this time, the MLB has supported programs which encourage children of all ages to get active and explore the wonderful sport that is baseball (not to mention all the benefits that come with it). The MLB has been a constant support factor for the BGCA and has committed to helping the Clubs grow, develop, and improve throughout the years. 

 

The NBA has their own foundation known as NBA Cares through which they are constantly recognizing players for all their charitable acts, helping the players and teams find ways to reach out, and through sponsoring and HOSTING events for various foundations (such as the Special Olympics and the Make A Wish Foundation). 

 

This video demonstrates one of the events held by NBA Cares as they brought in students from some of the after school programs in Chicago to have a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to meet some of the NBA greats, and their heroes. The video also shows how through these programs between charities or foundations have not only impacted the communities, but they have also impacted the players who get a first hand look at what their contributions have done, and what they mean to their fans (especially the young children).

 

The NHL created its own charity, as well, called Hockey Is For Everybody. Through this foundation, the NHL has drawn attention to a wide variety of issues. It does this through promoting its message that hockey unites groups and that anyone can play if they want to. They have created an awareness through promoting and celebrating “Black Hockey History,” “Pride,” and “Girls and Women in Hockey.”

 

Through these charitable endeavors, professional sports leagues have made such an impact on their own communities, and communities across the world. Through giving players an outlet where they can be ensured that their time and money is going to the right place, and have a way to promote their actions to the greater community (and indirectly encourage more people to take action), professional sports leagues are making a valuable difference across the world. 

Domestic Violence Issues in Professional Sports

Sydney Mccarthy 5 Comments

Warning: Some of the videos linked in this post contain violent footage, viewer discretion advised.

 

So, by now you’ve probably heard about the Kansas City Chiefs winning Super Bowl LIX last Sunday, February 2nd. The game was hard fought and had all the elements that make a great football game, great. However, this was not to say there was no controversies; and no, I’m not talking about JLo’s controversial halftime performance, but rather about some of the members of the Kansas City Chiefs (KCC).

 

Professional sports leagues, especially the NFL, have had major issues with players being accused of committing domestic violence. Since the topic is so expansive, I will try to narrow it down to share a few stories to exemplify the issues professional sports are having.

 

Several of the KCC players, including star running back Tyreek Hill who was instrumental to the team’s Super Bowl victory, have been accused of domestic violence toward their wives/girlfriends, or –as in Hill’s case– their children.

 

Another troubling issue is the fact that in the wake of the Chiefs’ win, these players, and their troublesome history, has been neglected and hardly discussed by the media. I understand that we need to give time and credit to the Chiefs –and their organization–, Andy Reid, and the KCC fanbase, for their victory, and allow them time to celebrate. That being said, not mentioning these players whatsoever is, to an extent, allowing people to overlook the real issues, and overlook the women, children, and families who have been affected by these players.

Tyreek Hill – Running back for the Kansas City Chiefs

I will first discuss the situation involving Hill. In 2019, sound of Hill’s girlfriend, Crystal Espinal, interrogating  Hill about their son’s broken arm. She asks Hill way their son keeps telling people that his dad (Tyreek) broke it. This recording sparked an investigation of child abuse/endangerment, with Hill and Espinal at the center of it.

However, nothing would come of the case as:

‘”local law enforcement authorities have publicly advised that the available evidence does not permit them to determine who caused the child’s injuries,’ the statement reads. ‘Similarly, based on the evidence presently available, the NFL cannot conclude that Mr. Hill violated the Personal Conduct Policy. Accordingly, he may attend Kansas City’s training camp and participate in all club activities,’ the statement continues.”

It has been widely debated about whether or not Hill’s fiancée’s story is believable, with her recording being heavily scrutinized. This is not the first time Hill has had issues with violence as he pleaded guilty to charges of battery while he was attending Oklahoma State in 2014. However, this too seems debatable after hearing the tape recording.

 

Ray Rice while playing for the Baltimore Ravens

Ray Rice and wife Janay Rice

The whole domestic violence in professional sports became really spotlighted after the incident involving then Baltimore Ravens’ running back, Ray Rice. This incident would lead to the NFL to change their domestic violence policy in hopes of preventing a situation, like this one, to occur again.

In April of 2014, video footage of Rice dragging an unconscious Janay Palmer (his then girlfriend, now wife), out of an elevator at a casino in New Jersey. ).The situation was heavily investigated, and (luckily) Rice would never play in the NFL again. After more time passed, a second video was released which recorded the moments inside the elevator prior to Rice dragging Janay out. (WARNING: Graphic footage) The video shows Rice punching his girlfriend in the head, leaving her to hit the elevator wall before falling to the ground unconscious.

It was after this jaw dropping footage was released to the public that people’s eyes were truly open to the horror of domestic violence.

 

However, this new domestic violence policy did not end the assaults, nor did it end the criticism of the NFL as “the NFL is still criticized for a domestic violence policy that is inconsistent, seeming to depend on the cooperation of the women allegedly abused or existence of irrefutable proof.”

 

A similar story occurred a few years later in 2018 where video footage (WARNING: Graphic) was released of Kar

eem Hunt, repeatedly kicking, punching, and harming several young women.

 

 

 

Another example of domestic violence in professional sports comes from MLB player, Odúbel Herrera, who was arrested for leaving his “girlfriend” with “visible arm and neck injuries but refused medical treatment. The woman, described as Herrera’s girlfriend, was talking with security guards when police arrived.”

Although the charges were dismissed, Herrera eventually owned up to his actions and stated “’I acted in an unacceptable manner and am terribly disappointed in myself,’ Herrera said in a statement released by the players’ union. ‘I alone am to blame for my actions.’”

Herrera while playing for the Philadelphia Phillies

 

Herrera was suspended for the remainder of the MLB season and was finally cut by the Philadelphia Phillies this past January. However, that is not to say that another MLB team will not pick him up.

 

These players, though not officially proven, are suspended due to their respective league’s policies related to domestic violence. For the NFL, for example, being proven by the law is not a requirement for the player to be suspended. The policy states:

It is not enough simply to avoid being found guilty of a crime. We are all held to a higher standard and must conduct ourselves in a way that is responsible, promotes the values of the NFL, and is lawful.

Players convicted of a crime or subject to a disposition of a criminal proceeding (as defined in this Policy) are subject to discipline. But even if the conduct does not result in a criminal conviction, players found to have engaged in any of the following conduct will be subject to discipline. Prohibited conduct includes but is not limited to the following:

  • Actual or threatened physical violence against another person, including dating violence, domestic violence, child abuse, and other forms of family violence…

  • Assault and/or battery, including sexual assault or other sex offenses…

  • Violent or threatening behavior toward another employee or a third party in any workplace setting…

  • Disorderly conduct…

  • Conduct that poses a genuine danger to the safety and well-being of another person

To read more: https://nflcommunications.com/Documents/2018%20Policies/2018%20Personal%20Conduct%20Policy.pdf

 

 

However, there is an argument to be made for why these players should be allowed to play for (or return to play for) the NFL as most all of these players have been accused, but not proven guilty (of a serious enough crime) by a court. If we are to cut them without having been proven guilty, then where can we draw the line? Or in other words if a completely innocent player is simply accused of doing something, however nothing can be proven for or against, then is he too supposed to be suspended? Just because the story, or evidence, is being perceived, one way or another, by society, should they be judged accordingly? When put in this manner, you are probably saying “no,” but who’s to say this is not what is happening to these players? Whether you look at it from an innocent perspective, or if the players are almost indisputably guilty, it does not make a difference either way unless it is proven, particularly through a trial.

 

I’m not saying that I agree or disagree with the way these players and their eligibility is being handled, but it is something that needs to be discussed.

 

 

So what should, or could, be done? Can the NFL do anything else to prevent these domestic violence cases? Are they doing enough? What would you suggest?