NFL star suspended for two games for knocking wife unconscious

[TitoFan]

I don't think any athletic commission should be acting as a moral authority in the first place, to be honest. If this guy seriously assaulted his wife, it's a criminal matter and he should be tried, possibly serve some time or probation etc, then the NFL can decide how to act based on what is legally pending. What they have to say about it before the fact is and should be completely irrelevant, and it speaks to how silly people are about sports. If one a)believes this guy is guilty as charged, and b) puts their faith in the NFL to determine his punishment, they may as well go knock themselves unconscious imo. How many days of work do you think the average person deserves to miss for assaulting their wife? Not exactly the way things should work.

You raise a good point. But.... is it that clear cut and dry? Can the NFL afford to wait and do nothing while the public outcry increases? True... the NFL, nor any pro league, is a moral authority. But they are held accountable by the public to set an example for society's youth. How would this go down in a regular workplace? A high visibility company exec gets accused of knocking his wife unconscious. Does the company go on "business as usual" until the courts decide? It may not be a similar situation... but the question is still worth asking.


Bottom line... I think it's a tough judgement call sometimes when a high-profile pro athlete commits a crime. How much punishment is enough? Do you carry on while the legal system does its thing? How do you handle the press and the fans? We can all armchair judge it... but until it's one of us in that spot... we can't imagine how difficult it must be to do the "right" thing.

[p4pking]

I don't think any athletic commission should be acting as a moral authority in the first place, to be honest. If this guy seriously assaulted his wife, it's a criminal matter and he should be tried, possibly serve some time or probation etc, then the NFL can decide how to act based on what is legally pending. What they have to say about it before the fact is and should be completely irrelevant, and it speaks to how silly people are about sports. If one a)believes this guy is guilty as charged, and b) puts their faith in the NFL to determine his punishment, they may as well go knock themselves unconscious imo. How many days of work do you think the average person deserves to miss for assaulting their wife? Not exactly the way things should work.

You raise a good point. But.... is it that clear cut and dry? Can the NFL afford to wait and do nothing while the public outcry increases? True... the NFL, nor any pro league, is a moral authority. But they are held accountable by the public to set an example for society's youth. How would this go down in a regular workplace? A high visibility company exec gets accused of knocking his wife unconscious. Does the company go on "business as usual" until the courts decide? It may not be a similar situation... but the question is still worth asking.


Bottom line... I think it's a tough judgement call sometimes when a high-profile pro athlete commits a crime. How much punishment is enough? Do you carry on while the legal system does its thing? How do you handle the press and the fans? We can all armchair judge it... but until it's one of us in that spot... we can't imagine how difficult it must be to do the "right" thing.

Back at you, touche sir. I guess I was being more idealistic with my point, since I don't personally think athletes should have the celebrity status or impact they do away from their sport. If a high profile athlete commits a crime they should face trial the same way any other person who commits crimes SHOULD. Fact is they are unfortunately public figures and role models to many, so the commissions have to act accordingly I'm sure. If this huge man really knocked a woman spark out, then there would be no punishment the NFL could hand out that would be enough in my eyes, is the thing.

As shady as boxing is, I kind of like the way little is made out of fighters actions outside of the ring. Mayweather beats women and goes to jail ever few years for it as he should. It doesn't affect his profession, hopefully in part because people realize he is a very unsavory person to begin with. I'm sure it does have more to do with the sport having no central commission and a much lower profile/smaller youth fanbase though, I do hear ya.

[TitoFan]

I don't think any athletic commission should be acting as a moral authority in the first place, to be honest. If this guy seriously assaulted his wife, it's a criminal matter and he should be tried, possibly serve some time or probation etc, then the NFL can decide how to act based on what is legally pending. What they have to say about it before the fact is and should be completely irrelevant, and it speaks to how silly people are about sports. If one a)believes this guy is guilty as charged, and b) puts their faith in the NFL to determine his punishment, they may as well go knock themselves unconscious imo. How many days of work do you think the average person deserves to miss for assaulting their wife? Not exactly the way things should work.

You raise a good point. But.... is it that clear cut and dry? Can the NFL afford to wait and do nothing while the public outcry increases? True... the NFL, nor any pro league, is a moral authority. But they are held accountable by the public to set an example for society's youth. How would this go down in a regular workplace? A high visibility company exec gets accused of knocking his wife unconscious. Does the company go on "business as usual" until the courts decide? It may not be a similar situation... but the question is still worth asking.


Bottom line... I think it's a tough judgement call sometimes when a high-profile pro athlete commits a crime. How much punishment is enough? Do you carry on while the legal system does its thing? How do you handle the press and the fans? We can all armchair judge it... but until it's one of us in that spot... we can't imagine how difficult it must be to do the "right" thing.

Back at you, touche sir. I guess I was being more idealistic with my point, since I don't personally think athletes should have the celebrity status or impact they do away from their sport. If a high profile athlete commits a crime they should face trial the same way any other person who commits crimes SHOULD. Fact is they are unfortunately public figures and role models to many, so the commissions have to act accordingly I'm sure. If this huge man really knocked a woman spark out, then there would be no punishment the NFL could hand out that would be enough in my eyes, is the thing.

As shady as boxing is, I kind of like the way little is made out of fighters actions outside of the ring. Mayweather beats women and goes to jail ever few years for it as he should. It doesn't affect his profession, hopefully in part because people realize he is a very unsavory person to begin with. I'm sure it does have more to do with the sport having no central commission and a much lower profile/smaller youth fanbase though, I do hear ya.

I think you hit the nail on the head with your comparison of major team sports, like the NFL, to boxing. Mayweather is the poster child for that, as you say. He hits a woman... he does time... he comes out, and resumes his boxing career. No one in their right mind would ever mistake Floyd for a role model.


I really don't know what the right thing for the NFL to do is. Nothing? They'd catch hell for it. Yet... anything they do, if ahead of the legal system, is going to be severely second-guessed. It's a tough position to be in.

[mrbig1]

Un fucking believable. Suspended for 2 games? The NFL had a chance to make a statement and said fuck it. Didn't Michael Vick get 2 years for dog fighting? The NFL has it's head straight up it's ass.