Another centipede shoe drops, per SBNation…
Arizona Cardinals running back Jonathan Dwyer was arrested on Wednesday on aggravated assault allegations, according to azcentral sports. According to a police spokesman, Dwyer was arrested on suspicion of aggravated assault. An NFL spokesperson said the league is looking into the arrest and the Cardinals have deactivated Dwyer, according to Jane McManus…
The combination of these stories has shone a spotlight on NFL commissioner Roger Goodell, who has seen prominent media members and women’s advocacy groups call for his resignation. However, Goodell reportedly has no plans to leave his post in the face of criticism…
… which reminded me, I meant to introduce you guys to this most excellent SB Nation rant from Spencer Hall:
Remember now what a blank social boffin the NFL strapped to its face to begin with: a Senator’s son from a safety school who quite literally never worked anywhere else but in the sports job he got directly out of college. Roger Goodell’s resume is a hollow blandishment of institutional servitude. He fought in the arbitration wars; he coordinated the events. Calendars were heroically arranged.
That is who the NFL owners put in charge of their promotional arm and public face. That is not who the NFL owners are, a grab bag of the rich, idle rich, and charismatic psychopaths who end up with the kind of money to purchase an NFL franchise. There are familial dynasties like the Rooneys and Maras. There are lunatic confidence men like Jerry Jones who literally struck it rich, and workaholic basement millionaires like Steve Bisciotti. Capture them and place them in a habitat, and you would have a pretty good exhibition of the diverse ways to become wealthy and totally unaccountable to anyone…
So the first mistake you made in considering any of this was thinking of the NFL as something designed to create accountability. It is not. It is a non-profit(no, really) corporation designed to market the NFL and serve as a bargaining front for the league’s franchises, the ones which are themselves giant shields with animal and cartoon faces for logos. Roger Goodell was not playing serious courtmaster from the start. He is, by design, a talking PR and marketing piñata. Get angry and hit him, and he belches out caramels and suspensions until your anger is appeased. Two games? The sound of hitting, and more belching of caramels. How about six games? Hold the stick, and think you’ve done something in the effort…
JPL
Why call it domestic violence, if it occurred outside, it would be attempted murder. I really don’t understand the difference. Can we just do away with the term domestic violence.
Violet
So some of the of young athletic men, in top physical condition, who play a violent game for a living are also violent outside of work. This is not a surprise.
Lee
That is best description of Jerry Jones I have read.
trollhattan
Suspect (heh) we’re seeing just the first of what will be many layers of the league’s domestic violence onion peeled away. What I’m trying to say is a shitton of this has been going on all along, only to be successfully hidden from the public eye. Good luck with that now, NFL (and don’t for a second think it’s limited to them).
Some owners with actual, as opposed to theoretical balls are going to have to deal with it, aggressively and irrevocably.
JPL
Greg Hardy had a trial and the judge found him guilty but because of NC law, he gets a do over. He played the first week but now in shame, the Panthers are letting him sit. Really? He was choking his girlfriend but he gets a do over.
also, too.. .that is not domestic violence… it is attempted murder
John Cole +0
Former Steeler.
Corner Stone
@JPL: Maybe she should have thought twice before doing whatever she did that deserved her ending up lounging on a bed of delightful accoutrements.
mikefromArlington
I always do feel privaleged to have been at TMP when Idiotic would post “This is excellent news!! For John McCain!!!” Was anyone else here at TMP back then in 2008?
Iowa Old Lady
@JPL: Sing it. It’s like sticking the term “domestic” on in front makes violence less illegal.
Corner Stone
I made the mistake of reading through the whole Zoe Quinn thingie today. That ex is a complete POS. What a tool to think he had any standing to demand she complete the steps of contrition he thought were “healthy” for her and/or their “relationship”. What a scumbag.
JPL
@Corner Stone: Somehow I think when all the pussies wear pink next month, most females will turn off the tv. It really is a problem that needs to be addressed. Btw.. anyone who needs to use violence to express their feelings is a pussy.
JPL
@Corner Stone: haha .. my reply is in moderation. I blame Goodell. …
also, too.. it might be cuz I called them kitty cats..
hells littlest angel
@Violet: Not to mention that these men are routinely subjecting each other to concussions, ie brain damage.
I blame every doofus in America who finds this brutal spectacle entertaining. Get off the couch, go outside and get some exercise, ya dummies.
srv
Why don’t we have half-time smack offs?
Condi Rice is the answer.
Corner Stone
@srv: She’s the one keeping me from seeing each team’s Captain Squad from playing hand slap to determine possession?
JPL
@Iowa Old Lady: That irritates me because it sounds like someone grabbed your arm. Hardy was choking his girlfriend. That is not domestic violence. It is attempted murder and although he didn’t like the first verdict , the second one will be the same.
jl
One thing NFL has to consider now, is that their corporate sponsors settle things with cash too. We will see how serious these corporate sponsors are. I will gladly boycott the major breweries (not that they would notice the approximate 1 sixpack a year sales that they would lose)
The line about the Paul Tagliabue’s personal physician, and rheumatologist being a hack fake expert on traumatic brain injury and concussions is a cheap shot, though.
When I have serious trauma injuries, I always go to a rheumatologist, just like if I came down with diabetes I would go to a surgeon unless I needed an foot amputation, in which case I would go to a endocrinologist. Podiatrist for my rectal exams, and a pharmacist for dental surgery. Sports writers don’t know much about healthcare and they shouldn’t try to write about it. (Edit: Insurance Oligarch Richard Mayhew is into sports and healthcare, he maybe should write a post backing me up on this.)
JPL
Next month the pink arm bands and sneakers will have a new meaning. imo..
JPL
I’m still in moderation and can’t figure out why … this is what I wrote
Somehow I think when all the pu ss ies wear pink next month, most females will turn off the tv. It really is a problem that needs to be addressed. Btw.. anyone who needs to use vio lence to express their feelings is a pu.. ssy.
Roger Moore
@Violet:
To you. It apparently is a surprise to the NFL, or Goodell wouldn’t have been completely blindsided by the issue. That’s actually a bit unfair. The NFL has known about player violence off the field for a long time, but they’ve been reasonably successful at sweeping most of it under the rug and dealing with the rest of it ad hoc. The big surprise is that approach is no longer working.
p.a.
Wait for the Aaron Hernandez trial. What didn’t the Patriots know and when did they know they didn’t want to know? Hernandez may have enough cash to be able to afford a good defense. And there are rumors the local yokel police screwed the pooch procedurally, including Miranda.
JPL
@p.a.: Even if they screwed the pooch, so to speak, the problem Hernandez had was he killed to many. They had to charge him with something.
btw why can we say pooch and not another name for kitty kat.
btw.. I hope you are wrong.
Anoniminous
@Roger Moore:
The change is the 24/7 Infotainment machine must be fed.
skerry
@JPL: I would put you in moderation for using a slang term for female genitalia to demean batters of women. Your vocabulary is lacking.
Roger Moore
@JPL:
Because the nickname for kitty kat is also a nickname for a part of a woman’s anatomy that is popular among spammers.
drkrick
@JPL: Anybody who uses a term for female genitalia as an insult needs to work on some things his own self. Especially when you’re so determined to get it out there. I’m kind of fond of them, myself.
JPL
@skerry: Actually that is not what I was thinking but I understand your concern. I do think that someone is a coward that has to use violence.
jl
And always best to consult a pathologist to review your prescriptions and self-prescriptions, both formal and informal, especially if you have not moved in a few days. Definitely the most qualified for that job. Which is another problem professional sports has.
trollhattan
@skerry:
Kitty Cat Riot on line 4 wanted to let us know the cossacks just bought new whips.
Hal
@Violet:
So are these normal kids/teens whose need for aggression on the field as a necessity for the game mean that they can become more aggressive in their private lives with their spouses/partners and children? Or are some of these men part of a cycle of violence, growing up in abusive homes or the victims of abuse themselves, or are they just abusive as a result of being pampered athletes used to getting what they want?
Corner Stone
JPL, you have been skooled!
skerry
My mohs surgery on my nose was yesterday. It hurts today and is quite swollen. It is not easy to ice the nose. I am using frozen peas. I am really worried about what it will look like when I remove the bandages tomorrow. I don’t do well with medical stuff. There are good reasons that I am an engineer.
I’m glad to hear that jacy’s surgery went well and she is terrorizing the hospital staff.
JPL
@drkrick: I certainly didn’t mean it as a term for a part of the female body. I have never used it that way and personally never understood that use.. imo…
now I have used it in the term of being cowards..
and as Corner Stone said.. I’ve been skooled.
The Thin Black Duke
@Hal: All of them, Katie.
Schlemazel
@Violet:
I am not fan of the NFL or football, I am increasingly becoming a non-fan of all organized sports but saying the game is violent & suggesting that causes the violence is an excuse. Thousands play the game without violent outbursts. As many scummy, self-indulgent, awful people as the NFL and D-I harbor it is not the games fault. It is more the fault of the people who allow the worst angles think they can do no wrong. But ultimately it is the fault of the thugs and goons and psychopaths who commit the violence.
Omnes Omnibus (the first of his name)
@Hal: I never played sports at the level that these guys do, but I know that, during the time I was playing rugby, I used up any anger and excess aggression during practices and games. I was a pretty relaxed and easy going guy off the pitch during the season.
jl
@JPL: OK, but, dude, people normally do not expect others to understand their private understanding of words. That is not how language as a tool of communication works.
Schlemazel
@srv:
Condi is the reason we don’t have half time smack off?!?
There was a suggestion a few years back to hold fist fights between periods of NHL games. As if they are not already needlessly violent, as if the mouth-breathing morons in the stands need more blood.
Smiling Mortician
@JPL:
That’s sort of like saying that it’s OK to call something “gay” because you find it ridiculous — and then claiming you’ve never heard that “gay” means homosexual.
Schlemazel
@JPL:
Maybe later this year the teams can wear black and blue gear to support family violence.
Joel
@srv: trolling again?
Hal
Meant to edit my comment above, but ran out of time:
http://jezebel.com/5839795/the-link-between-athletes-and-domestic-violence
But:
Joel
No one knows how to sweep scandal under the rug like two-time US congressman Tom Osborne (R-University of Nebraska). Maybe he should be the next commissioner.
jl
BTW, just got an email from some Democratic outfit informing me that Rush is ‘helping’ again. Said that sometimes ‘no’ means ‘yes’.
I guess if the deserved reaction to his crud materializes he will say he was joking, or talking about Sinatra and Bacall type action, as if even then what he said would be true.
But, he was referring to a debate over policies for HS and college students, amirite? More boycott time for Rush, IMHO.
JPL
@Smiling Mortician: Nope.. I think it is not okay to call a va.g.in.a a pussy.. I don’t think it is okay to call something gay in a derogatory manner. Granted you can say I used a word wrong in order to call someone a coward but I didn’t mean it in the way some interpreted .. They are still cowards.
I’ve been skooled. Thanks though.
Schlemazel
They just had a blip from Jonathan Alter discussing FDRs inauguration speech. I would gladly strangle that useless sack of shit with his own large intestine. He tried to make the point that FDR was foolish for “The only thing we have to fear is fear itself!”. He attempted to make some point that if you were worried about where you next meal was coming from you had fears other than fear itself. Way to totally miss the point asshole! The nation was fearful & that was preventing recovery. Stop being afraid and start acting like there would be a recovery and it would happen. Is he really that stupid or is a bought and paid for whore just not able to get off his knees even for a historical documentary?
JPL
@Smiling Mortician: ugh. .reply in moderation.. this is what I said..
Nope.. I think it is not okay to call a va.g.in.a a pu s sy.. I don’t think it is okay to call something gay in a derogatory manner. Granted you can say I used a word wrong in order to call someone a coward but I didn’t mean it in the way some interpreted .. They are still cowards.
I’ve been skooled. Thanks though.
Schlemazel
@Hal:
Justice is blind but she can smell money
Chris Rock did a great bit that if instead of OJ SImpson the running back it was Orenthal the bus driver he would be on death row right now, known as Orenthal the murderin bus driver.
notoriousJRT
@Hal:
These are all important questions, and obviously the answers will be different among individuals. But, with all this attention on the trunk (NFL) and the branches (the various franchises) of the tree that produces sometimes poisonous fruit, at what point do we take time to examine the roots (college football)? I know the university whose teams I follow has looked the other way at criminal or near criminal behavior. And don’t get me started on those without whom the tree does not grow at all – the gardeners – the fans, of which I am one. I watch college sports while compartmentalizing the dark underbelly.
Roger Moore
@Schlemazel:
It’s also questionable whether there is some kind of terrible wave of violence among the players. I remember seeing an analysis that showed professional athletes are actually less likely to be arrested than average men of their age, even for the kinds of violent crimes people are freaking out about here. There’s probably some advantage to their wealth, and they were closer to their peers on violent crimes than non-violent ones, but even given that, there’s no sign that professional athletes are especially prone to violence.
a hip hop artist from Idaho (fka Bella Q)
@drkrick: Hear hear. It’s too often used to mean female genitalia, and using as an insult at best a microagression toward women. So those of you who insist on doing so, please stop. It’s offensive. kthxbai
Schlemazel
@Roger Moore:
I’m not convinced that coaches, cops, principals, deads, ADs, NFL owners & commissioners and a wad of other people hide some amount of the damage players do. The result is the worst of the worst feel an air of entitlement and invincibility. That is the first thing needs to change. Then, when the bad actors are identified they can be weeded out, diverted to some sort of recovery group. Once the kids see this sort of shit as a one-way ticket OUT of the pros there is a chance some will figure it out.
Suzanne
Nothing will change in the NFL until there is a financial motive to change. How do y’all propose giving the NFL a financial notice to change?
scav
@Roger Moore: I rather suspect there might be a sudden rise in reporting both for admirable (they, both mothers and partners, learn they’re not alone but more likely might possibly actually be believed) and dubious-admirable (leverage etc might be better now) reasons. No real reason whatsoever to doubt there are likely de facto and semi-official efforts cobbled together to at least tidy things away. Why the hell else do the NFL have a position where hunting down in-casino videos and liaising with police forces is a part of the job-description?
trollhattan
@Suzanne:
Three things control the NFL:
Sponsorships
Broadcast
Branding
The owners love the income but I would guess probably gain most from the franchise value gain. If those three financial legs crumble, so do the franchise values. We learned a bit from the Donald Sterling fiasco, when he was forced to choke on his zillion-percent ROI while selling the shitty Clipper franchise for a mere two billion.
Omnes Omnibus (the first of his name)
@Suzanne: Well, I will point out that fan outcry and sponsor cancellations caused the Vikings to rethink their reinstatement of Adrian Peterson. And it happened quite quickly.
Suzanne
@efgoldman: No, I don’t see that happening. I wish that it was reasonable to expect that fans cared about the behavior of the players and the C suite, but I realize that expecting people to give up watching football is worse than asking them to donate a kidney.
Suzanne
@Omnes Omnibus (the first of his name): Cutting his own kid’s scrotum wasn’t enough to get the dude fired. He’ll be back ASAP, unless all of a sudden there’s a groundswell of public pressure. Which I expect about two weeks from never.
jake the antisoshul soshulist
@JPL:
What do you have against cats,or possibly vaginas?
Men who perform acts like that ate people with impulse control issues who resort with violence in stressful situations. They need to ne treated if possible, and their victims and potential victims need to be protected from them.
billb
So many years ago someone I know, who worked for the local government, counseling youth who had broken the law, was given a case. As part of the kid’s sentence, he was assigned to ‘help’ a big hi-school BBall Star. The youngster was poor but because of his great talent, treated like a king before he went off to a big college, and then NBA career. He was instructed to take it easy on the boy, who already had his ticket punched for the big time at 17. Boys like this are pampered and shielded their whole life by grown-ups, and they have the idea that they can break the law, and someone will fix it, they always do.
Omnes Omnibus (the first of his name)
@Suzanne: There was a groundswell of public pressure when the team decided to reinstate him.
@efgoldman: I would not be surprised if he never plays again.
Suzanne
@Omnes Omnibus (the first of his name): If it came out in public, absolutely. Without question.
Omnes Omnibus (the first of his name)
@Suzanne: Noting that you responded before I made the change to my post. You don’t have a union that requires due process protections. AP does. And, like I said, I would not be surprised if he never plays again.
Suzanne
Here’s an essay opposing an NFL boycott. I don’t agree with her conclusion, but it’s at least a serious engagement with the idea and some critical thinking, rather than the typical excuse-making I hear (i.e. “But the money has been spent already!”).
jake the antisoshul soshulist
Actually, I would think that calling someone a p***y to indicate cowardice or weakness would be even more offensive to women than using it to refer to a vagina. But then, I usually think of my penis as my dick. Though I can’t speak for anyone else. I suppose that I am just a vulgar person.
Omnes Omnibus (the first of his name)
@Suzanne: We talked about this last night. Boycott vs engagement.
Just for the record, if the NFL and the sport of football disappeared tomorrow, would you care at all?
Suzanne
@Omnes Omnibus (the first of his name): Why does it matter how I personally feel about football? Does that make my reasoning sound or unsound? Or is it really an attempt to discount/dismiss my opinion?
Suzanne
@Omnes Omnibus (the first of his name): Also, the writer actually listed some specific ways to engage the NFL on the issue, as opposed to throwing up one’s hands, saying there’s no power in a boycott, and then settling into the couch on Sunday afternoon.
divF
@skerry: We used to keep a couple of bags of frozen peas around just for icing down knees, ankles, etc. Not so much anymore, since we found at a medical supply store reuseable soft blue ice packs that fit into a wraparound velcro pouch.
I could see how that might not work so well on the face, though.
Omnes Omnibus (the first of his name)
@Suzanne: If you don’t see any value in the sport, it affects your opinion. Just like someone who has no appreciation for gymnastics might see the training as abusive. Or someone who doesn’t like classical music might well have an opinion about subsidizing it.
Where you stand sometimes depends on where you sit. I like the game. I would like to see bad things removed from it. What is your position?
Omnes Omnibus (the first of his name)
@Suzanne: I read the article. And last night, I talked about engagement. How is this article disagreeing in any way with what I said? And, to the extent that you suggest that I am in favor of throwing up my hands and settling on a couch, I take personal offense.
Suzanne
@Omnes Omnibus (the first of his name): My position is that I am a feminist and I will oppose elements of culture that support the patriarchy. The best strategy for effective opposition is up for debate. I dislike some elements of sports culture, including the desire to win at the expense of players’ health, and the glorification of what is essentially mere entertainment and distraction. I have no position on the merits of the game of football itself.
mai naem
@mikefromArlington: I thought it was a DK thing.
I’m just wondering now that Arizona has their NFL domestic abuser in the ring, where the hell is Floriduh’s? We are never in the cray cray without Floriduh standing strong right next to us.
Suzanne
@Omnes Omnibus (the first of his name): I didn’t say that you weren’t engaged. The vast majority of NFL viewers are not engaged, though, which is why I am skeptical that engagement is a valid tactic and not a way for people who don’t want to stop watching football to stop feeling guilty. Like, is there a letter-writing campaign? Or even some hashtag activism?
Violet
@Omnes Omnibus (the first of his name): No matter whether you like or don’t like football the NFL has a significant place in our culture. It’s pervasive in the fall with games throughout the week. Winter brings playoffs. The Super Bowl gets the biggest TV audience every year and dominates the discussion for the weeks leading up to it. Large corporations pay lots of money to sponsor the NFL or at least specific teams. Co-workers and friends play fantasy football. It’s just a huge cultural thing. It a big deal for half the year at least.
Whether you like or don’t like the game, whether you watch or not, you can’t really escape the NFL. You go to the supermarket, there are cardboard cut outs of players and tie-ins for various products. Fast food companies, sporting stores, beer, whatever. It’s all tied into it. TV commercials even on shows unrelated to football. Few other things are that pervasive in American society.
Being a non-fan is just as valid a position to come from as that of a fan because of the pervasiveness of the NFL in our society. If you were talking about professional track and field I’d say a non-fan’s opinion might be less relevant because they probably don’t understand it very well. But the NFL? It’s everywhere. Even if we don’t want to interact with it we still do.
Omnes Omnibus (the first of his name)
@Suzanne: Honestly, I don’t think that you believe that the best strategy is up for debate. Based on your arguments here, I think that that you believe that anything less than a boycott is ineffective. You posted a different view, but you noted that you disagreed with it. Nothing personal, these are just my observations based on your comments. If I am wrong, please tell me.
Suzanne
@Omnes Omnibus (the first of his name): Well, I haven’t seen any activism from within up to this point that I find convincing. But I believe that organizations can and do change from within. I would be thrilled to have my mind changed. I would love to see NFL fans all of a sudden start writing to the owners and the commissioner about the importance of good character, and for the NFL to change their rules so that any sort of violent crime is the end of a pro career. Right now, I think a boycott is more likely to be effective because I haven’t seen much organized give-a-damn from the fans. But I will change my opinion if the evidence suggests it.
Wag
A question. Who h came first, calling wimpy men p u s s I e s, or women’s v a g I n a s? I’m serious. I think p u s s y is a really nice, happy word, and is a friendly nick name for a v a g I n a. It’s a much nicer word than c u n t, and I would like to see a groundswell of BJ support to reclaim it as the nick name of choice for the female gentiles.
Violet
@Suzanne: I think fans are a little behind the rest of what’s going on. Women’s groups have been pretty vocal and there was a bit uproar when Peterson was reinstated. The Vikings had to apologize today and change their minds. That didn’t come out of nowhere. People got upset about it–it was all over social media. So much so that Radisson pulled their sponsorship. Again–didn’t come out of nothing.
I’m not sure that’s an organized letter writing campaign but social media has kind of changed that anyway. People have been upset about it, Twitter has been relentless on some of it, and the NFL can’t seem to escape it. Hence, change.
I caught something on the news tonight that other corporations have “warned” the NFL that they need to get their act together or they’ll pull their sponsorship. So there may be consequences. Money talks and the corporations don’t want to be associated with abusive players or the incompetent NFL because it’ll hurt their brand and their bottom line. So the pressure is coming from other places as well, not just fans.
Omnes Omnibus (the first of his name)
@Suzanne: Well you didn’t watch the past couple of days. What happened with Adrian Peterson? Did you pay any attention to it? I doubt it. From what I have seen, you have your view, and nothing else matters. How does that affect girls with tattoos or perspired tongues? People will make judgements about them….
Suzanne
@Violet: If it keeps up, AWESOME. I am skeptical, because I have heard that AP is likely to play again soon. And the horrible shit we learn about CTE and how the NFL has known for a long time and has done nothing is really, really awful. But maybe this will be a sea change.
Suzanne
@Omnes Omnibus (the first of his name): Believe what you want. I’ve been following this story. My opinion differs from yours, and it’s somewhat insulting that you think I shouldn’t have one. And what this has to do with people with piercings is……?
Omnes Omnibus (the first of his name)
@Suzanne: People develop views that seem to be locked on stone. i have seen it regarding football players and girls with tattoos and piercings. I don’t think that judgments about either are right.
I don’t think that you shouldn’t have an opinion. I just disagree with it. And I think that what you have expressed ignores what has happened in the past few days. YMMV.
Suzanne
@Omnes Omnibus (the first of his name): The difference is that my views on what is the most effective course of action will change if the fans continue to lean on the NFL and its sponsors, and the NFL continues to act swiftly and decisively. But I’ve heard a lot more statements like efgoldman’s, saying that they expect AP to be playing again as soon as this episode falls out of the news. But hey, if I’m wrong, I will be the first to admit it.
I’m actually more more of a basketball fan, and I admired the Phoenix Suns’ leadership when I was a teenager, because they were known for trading or firing players if they didn’t behave well, even if they were good. I would love to see that ethos in all of pro sports.
trollhattan
Sweet Ronny Reagan on a Ritz.
gian
@JPL:
what would the FSU QB say?@Omnes Omnibus (the first of his name):
we all have our biases. be they against football players, or cops. None of us are immune. The thing is to realize they exist and try to compensate without over compensating.
but then the whole NFL media whine fest about due process has me wondering why the due process apologists for making a 4 year olds scrotum bleed with a stick aren’t yelling about how Aaron Hernandez is in jail and not playing. I mean for fuck’s sake, is the NFL line drawn at more than one murder?
edit to clarify, neither one is convicted yet. the make the scrotum bleed beater was reinstated and then un-reinstated. the other guy is awaiting trial.
Bonnie
I wonder how Pete Rozelle would have handled this situation. Do you think he is rolling in his grave? Or, is every one at the website too young to even know who Pete Rozelle was?
glocksman
@Bonnie:
Rozelle and Tagliabue would have both blown their stacks, though for different reasons.
That said, both men learned the lesson from the Tylenol murders of the 1980’s, which is be proactive when a crisis threatens your ‘brand’.
Odd that Goodell, who has said his job is to ‘protect the shield’, doesn’t see it that way and prefers to bury his head in the sand.