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‘Personal conduct policy’ unfairly demonizes vast majority of NFL players who don’t hit ‘Personal conduct policy’ unfairly demonizes vast majority of NFL players who don’t hit
(about 1 hour later)
It’s possible to be repelled by the slug-fisted Ray Rice, and the whip-handed Adrian Peterson, yet have an uneasy sense that NFL players are being unfairly judged. Every morning this week, roughly 1,700 men in the league woke up, rose from their beds, and went to work after kissing their wives, hugging their girlfriends, and taking their children to school. The majority of them acted as loving husbands, good fathers, and stand-up citizens. “But we don’t have the video on that,” sports attorney David Cornwell says. When Roger Goodell took over as NFL commissioner in 2006, he declared a new NFL “personal conduct policy,” contending that players needed to be held “to a higher standard” to protect the image and integrity of the league. The scandals now engulfing the league can be traced to a single source: the supercilious arrogance of a commissioner who thought that the deepest societal ills — domestic abuse, sexual violence, drug use — could be handled with a morals clause.
The blows struck by Rice and Peterson are deplorable, yet posterizing the NFL for violence creates a misleading perspective. Most players demonstrate an exquisite personal control over their fists despite taking repeated blows. Meanwhile, CEOs and hedge funders also strike wives and children, but are seldom exposed for their personal viciousness or raging narcissism because they occupy executive suites. The statistics say one in four women are hit, and between 30 to 60 percent of abusers also hit a child. Which means some of those blows are issued by men who work at white-collar addresses like, say, 345 Park Avenue, where Roger Goodell earns more than any NFL player, without breaking a sweat.
In 2006, Goodell declared a new NFL “personal conduct policy” when he took over as commissioner, contending that players needed to be held “to a higher standard” to protect the image and integrity of the league. The scandals now engulfing the league can be traced to a single source: the supercilious arrogance of a commissioner who thought that the deepest societal ills — domestic abuse, sexual violence, drug use — could be handled with a morals clause.
The irony of Goodell’s “policy” is that it actually was an implicit slur on the league, a questioning of the character of all players. It stereotyped them as potential wanton marauders incapable of self-governance. And positioned them as guilty boys standing before the schoolmaster with a stick.The irony of Goodell’s “policy” is that it actually was an implicit slur on the league, a questioning of the character of all players. It stereotyped them as potential wanton marauders incapable of self-governance. And positioned them as guilty boys standing before the schoolmaster with a stick.
The nasty little secret of the NFL is that the men who run the game don’t think very highly of the men who play it. That’s the real underpinning of all of Goodell’s posturing about discipline and talk about “due process”: It’s all a cover for fear and guilt on the executive suite level, because so many NFL teams have fielded players despite knowing they had serious issues. Some teams even sought out these players, because they saw those issues as assets on the field. Andrew Brandt, who spent a decade in the front office of the Green Bay Packers, remembers an occasion when the team considered signing a player with a rap sheet as long as a city block.The nasty little secret of the NFL is that the men who run the game don’t think very highly of the men who play it. That’s the real underpinning of all of Goodell’s posturing about discipline and talk about “due process”: It’s all a cover for fear and guilt on the executive suite level, because so many NFL teams have fielded players despite knowing they had serious issues. Some teams even sought out these players, because they saw those issues as assets on the field. Andrew Brandt, who spent a decade in the front office of the Green Bay Packers, remembers an occasion when the team considered signing a player with a rap sheet as long as a city block.
Brandt said, “I just don’t feel good about bringing this guy in.” To which another team official replied: “What do you think we’re asking these guys to do? We want this guy to get into 75 street fights every game, and win ’em. We’re not asking him to lead a boys choir.”Brandt said, “I just don’t feel good about bringing this guy in.” To which another team official replied: “What do you think we’re asking these guys to do? We want this guy to get into 75 street fights every game, and win ’em. We’re not asking him to lead a boys choir.”
The conversation, Brandt says, “always struck me.” The other exec’s underlying assumption was that a certain amount of uncurbed, foaming brutality was not just tolerable, but desirable — any spillover was worth the exchange. The assumption is that you can’t expect a T-Rex to have table manners.The conversation, Brandt says, “always struck me.” The other exec’s underlying assumption was that a certain amount of uncurbed, foaming brutality was not just tolerable, but desirable — any spillover was worth the exchange. The assumption is that you can’t expect a T-Rex to have table manners.
Ray Rice roundhouses his future wife in an elevator. Ray McDonald is accused of hitting his pregnant fiancee. Greg Hardy was not only convicted of beating his girlfriend but of throwing her on a bed with 10 semi-automatic weapons, threatening to kill her, and dragging her around by her hair. Adrian Peterson whipped a 4-year-old with a switch until he cut him.Ray Rice roundhouses his future wife in an elevator. Ray McDonald is accused of hitting his pregnant fiancee. Greg Hardy was not only convicted of beating his girlfriend but of throwing her on a bed with 10 semi-automatic weapons, threatening to kill her, and dragging her around by her hair. Adrian Peterson whipped a 4-year-old with a switch until he cut him.
These are not failures of “personal conduct.” They are not lapses. They are serious problems stemming from deep damage.These are not failures of “personal conduct.” They are not lapses. They are serious problems stemming from deep damage.
And they have utterly exposed Goodell’s paternal “higher standard” talk, his “protect the shield and the integrity of the game” nonsense as the archaic fantasy-peddling that it is. America quit asking actors, musicians and politicians to live up to morals clauses a long time ago, for the simple reason that reality overtook naive hero-worshipping. The audience came to a more human, if disappointed, understanding. It’s time to do the same with athletes.And they have utterly exposed Goodell’s paternal “higher standard” talk, his “protect the shield and the integrity of the game” nonsense as the archaic fantasy-peddling that it is. America quit asking actors, musicians and politicians to live up to morals clauses a long time ago, for the simple reason that reality overtook naive hero-worshipping. The audience came to a more human, if disappointed, understanding. It’s time to do the same with athletes.
The NFL does not perpetually rise to a “higher standard,” or descend to a lower one either. The truth of the league is more complicated than that. It’s populated by 1,600 to 1,800 young men between the ages of 20 and 40, with the attendant stresses and problems of that population, compounded by high pain levels and little job security, alternating with elements of wealth and entitlement.The NFL does not perpetually rise to a “higher standard,” or descend to a lower one either. The truth of the league is more complicated than that. It’s populated by 1,600 to 1,800 young men between the ages of 20 and 40, with the attendant stresses and problems of that population, compounded by high pain levels and little job security, alternating with elements of wealth and entitlement.
Various publications from USA Today (which maintains an NFL arrest database) to the Web site FiveThirtyEight have crunched numbers trying to discern whether the league has a spillover assault problem. They’ve found that, in general, NFL players are arrested at a lower rate than the national average, and they commit fewer domestic assaults. But the real bottom line is that it’s dangerous to judge players as a group: Some locker rooms have a much higher arrest rate and some have almost none. The Minnesota Vikings, for instance, have had four times as many arrests as the St. Louis Rams since 2000.Various publications from USA Today (which maintains an NFL arrest database) to the Web site FiveThirtyEight have crunched numbers trying to discern whether the league has a spillover assault problem. They’ve found that, in general, NFL players are arrested at a lower rate than the national average, and they commit fewer domestic assaults. But the real bottom line is that it’s dangerous to judge players as a group: Some locker rooms have a much higher arrest rate and some have almost none. The Minnesota Vikings, for instance, have had four times as many arrests as the St. Louis Rams since 2000.
Also, it’s important to bear in mind that domestic assault stats are notoriously unclear; higher income women, for instance, may be seriously underreporting abuse, according to researcher Susan Weitzman in her book “Not To People Like Us.”Also, it’s important to bear in mind that domestic assault stats are notoriously unclear; higher income women, for instance, may be seriously underreporting abuse, according to researcher Susan Weitzman in her book “Not To People Like Us.”
All Goodell’s superficial concern about “the shield” is mere branding, a policy of steadfastly ignoring unpleasant or confusing truths, in favor of pat hero-narratives. He ceaselessly intoned that playing in the NFL was a “privilege” and focused on HGH testing and marijuana suspensions, which conveniently obscured the narcotic overprescriptions by NFL doctors, and data that shows NFL vets have a 30 percent chance of developing Alzheimer’s.All Goodell’s superficial concern about “the shield” is mere branding, a policy of steadfastly ignoring unpleasant or confusing truths, in favor of pat hero-narratives. He ceaselessly intoned that playing in the NFL was a “privilege” and focused on HGH testing and marijuana suspensions, which conveniently obscured the narcotic overprescriptions by NFL doctors, and data that shows NFL vets have a 30 percent chance of developing Alzheimer’s.
On Monday, Goodell hired three women to “advise” him on domestic violence. He also appointed a female in-house executive his “vice president of social responsibility.” Wonderful. A vice president of social responsibility, that’ll fix it. Meanwhile, everyone from Keith Olbermann, Anheuser-Busch, Radisson and Sen. Al Franken (D) to the governor of Minnesota is trying to do the job Goodell wouldn’t, making it all but impossible for a player to get a fair hearing amid the high-volume distortion.On Monday, Goodell hired three women to “advise” him on domestic violence. He also appointed a female in-house executive his “vice president of social responsibility.” Wonderful. A vice president of social responsibility, that’ll fix it. Meanwhile, everyone from Keith Olbermann, Anheuser-Busch, Radisson and Sen. Al Franken (D) to the governor of Minnesota is trying to do the job Goodell wouldn’t, making it all but impossible for a player to get a fair hearing amid the high-volume distortion.
“The NFL has become a laboratory,” Cornwell says. “A laboratory for addressing broader issues in our country. That’s it. It’s unfortunate we don’t have similar outcry about players going broke . . . or a similar outcry when athletes get hurt and their earnings are capped for the rest of their lives.”“The NFL has become a laboratory,” Cornwell says. “A laboratory for addressing broader issues in our country. That’s it. It’s unfortunate we don’t have similar outcry about players going broke . . . or a similar outcry when athletes get hurt and their earnings are capped for the rest of their lives.”
Goodell’s “personal conduct policy” is a failure for many reasons, not the least of which is the fact that in making “player discipline” such a self-congratulating and high-profile priority, he invited the current scrutiny and distortion. As former linebacker James Harrison tweeted, “Ain’t no fun when the rabbit got the gun, huh?” But mainly, Goodell’s policy is a failure because it stigmatizes players while failing to address the fundamental, profound reality that there are some ills that get the best of people.Goodell’s “personal conduct policy” is a failure for many reasons, not the least of which is the fact that in making “player discipline” such a self-congratulating and high-profile priority, he invited the current scrutiny and distortion. As former linebacker James Harrison tweeted, “Ain’t no fun when the rabbit got the gun, huh?” But mainly, Goodell’s policy is a failure because it stigmatizes players while failing to address the fundamental, profound reality that there are some ills that get the best of people.
For more by Sally Jenkins, visit washingtonpost.com/jenkins.For more by Sally Jenkins, visit washingtonpost.com/jenkins.