@firefly,
firefly wrote:
I don't think we can compare professional athletes to factory workers, or salesmen, or to the average working Joe. These people are celebrities, and part of their celebrity involves a loss of privacy in their private lives, particularly when it involves criminal transgressions that receive wide attention in the media. That is the price of fame.
I understand that, but there are approximately 1600 pro football players. How many can you name? I can probably name 10. That is not very famous. The reason people think you cannot compare them to factory workers is because they get paid more, not because they are really all that famous. There is a belief out there that people who are "blessed" with these very high paying jobs better toe the line because we'll happily bring them down otherwise. The question remains, do you help the situation by firing someone who commits a non-work related crime? I don't see it. Rice now has no incentive to work on his problem. He has his money and is denied his career no matter how exemplary he behaves going forward. Compare to
Michael Vick. Vick served his time (for running dog fighting rings), was rehabilitated, is back in the NFL and campaigns against animal cruelty. In my opinion, the NFL is better off with Vick playing and rehabilitated than banned forever even though there are a lot of people who would prefer the latter.
firefly wrote:Rice not only has a personal image to protect, an image that helps to get sponsors and endorsements, and to sell merchandise and autographs that bear his name, his image and brand also reflects on, and affects, his team, and the NFL as a whole. And anything he does to tarnish his personal image, as he has done, has a ripple effect that damages the business interests of his team and the NFL. That's also the price of fame.
I agree in part but I think this is way overstated. Rice is one small cog in a very large machine. I doubt significant number of people will stop watching football if Rice continued to play. More likely that more would watch to root against him. If sales of his merchandise falls off, then give him a smaller contract deal.
firefly wrote:There may be many other NFL players who engage in domestic abuse, but they do so undetected, in a private situation, and they don't have the irrefutable evidence of their criminal violence recorded on a surveillance video that the media replays constantly, and that will forever remain accessible on the internet.
That's an amazing excuse for domestic violence, but if you want to go that way, most people would think if they were alone in an elevator that they were in private as well. I wonder how many investment bankers make millions then go home and abuse their families? I doubt very much that if one got busted, their Wall Street firm would fire them.
firefly wrote:It is difficult to see how Rice is not a major liability to the NFL right now, particularly since they seem plagued with continuing instances of domestic abuse among players. Right now, I think they are dealing with 4 cases, including Adrian Peterson's child abuse allegations. Given that irrefutable, and extremely disturbing, video evidence, how could the NFL not make a strong example of Rice by doling out the harshest punishment possible?
I think the NFL has brought this upon themselves by effectively saying they are responsible for their players' conduct. I don't know of many employers who feel they need to comment on their players' off the field behavior.
firefly wrote:I don't think the criminal justice system handled this case well--an assault this serious should not have merited the leniency of a pre-trial diversion program, which is little more than a slap on the wrist, and which will leave Rice able to have the entire incident expunged from his record.
Of course, you are entitled to that opinion, but at the same time you should recognize that the court had all the information, the statements from both participants and a lot of experience in seeing domestic violence cases day in and day out. You and I have only what the press thinks will be juicy enough to get a reaction in a few column inches or a thirty second video segment.
firefly wrote:I'm not worried about Rice being unemployed, he's already been paid $22 million for the portion of his contract when he was playing, so he won't be applying for food stamps anytime soon. I'm more concerned about possible undetected brain damage his partner might have sustained when he knocked her out cold.
What is going to stop him from doing it again now that he has no job, plenty of money and the hatred of the entire country? Is this a better place for the victim or would continued pressure to improve so he could have a chance to salvage his career been a better choice?
