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Societal Issues in The N.F.L.

Vincent Czerniewski
The University of Texas at El Paso
Genre Analysis

Running Header: Societal Issues in the NFL

Societal Issues in the NFL
Introduction
With the publics portrayal of todays National Football League, players from decades
ago may not even be able to recognize the embodiment of their cherished profession. For years,
the NFL served as a vacation on weekends where football fans from across the country could
don their teams colors and cheer on their idols. However, a slow cycle of change crept into the
league, tarnishing both the reputation and value of the league itself. In recent years, numerous
crimes of varying severity committed by NFL players have chipped away at the one stoic
league. Yes, in the past decades, there may have been incidences that occurred sporadically, in
which those players were punished immediately. Recently however, it seems a new case pops up
each week that garners the attention of not only fans of the game, but also many people
internationally. Often occurring too frequently, cases such as the Ray Rice domestic abuse issue,
and Michael Vicks dogfighting case from 2007 call out the issues at hand, which is the
punishment handed down to the players. Due to the fact that the alleged crimes committed
reach a vast audience of people, and yet they are met with minimal suspensions, seemingly swept
under the rug in the court of law. Fans across the world have become disgusted with the acts
being committed by the players who are prominent figures in the game, in addition to the
lackadaisical handling of their punishments by NFL authority. One of the hottest topics sweeping
the nation is the case of domestic abuse involving Ray Rice and his wife, Janay. In February
2014, rice was arrested and short after video surfaced of him dragging his unconscious fianc
from an elevator. Months went by with a number of people vouching for his character, and
owners proclaiming that he will definitely be playing next year. Not until June was he
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suspended a mere 2 games for his crime, an action that can usually call for a trial and jail time.
Fast-forward to September, and full video showing the assault was made public. Rice was then
released by his team and suspended indefinitely by the NFL.
Rhetorical Analysis
Hannah Storm
Acting as a voice for women worldwide, ESPN Anchor Hannah Storm called out the
NFL in a video release, questioning the moral guidelines the league uses to make and enforce
their penalties regarding a variety of off field issues.
Logos
Storm addresses the issue at hand in a punctual quote: What exactly does the NFLs
Zero-Tolerance policy mean? (Storm, 2014) Storms logic is paralleled by many women and
men who are following the Ray Rice saga. She questions the motive behind the way the league
handles off-field issues with its players, ranging from a variety of offenses, but specifically
focusing on Ray Rice and domestic abuse.
Ethos
Storm pointed out that women account for approximately 45% of the NFLs revenues,
and because of this they deserve to be heard when it comes to handling of cases of abuse by NFL
players.(Storm, 2014) Storm also mentioned the fact that she had to discuss the newly
uncovered elevator video with her family, which provided further questions from fans across the
world. Storm shows her ethos from a variety of outlets, as a woman, a mother, and a sports
anchor.
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Pathos
If the commissioner had seen the video before he handed Rice a 2 game
suspension, what does that say about the policy the NFL has in place for situations like
this? Was the suspension increased because of the evident brutality of the video, or
simply because fans across the world had now seen the full story from that night. Storm
brings light to the fact that the NFLs policies over a multitude of various offenses, need
to be reexamined. Her monologue contains heightened emotions regarding the NFLs
handling of these issues, and she uses probing questions such as What exactly does the
NFL stand for?(Storm, 2014) to assert the need for explanation from the league. Storm
highlights the time she spent discussing the incident with her children, which boldly
shows the outspoken role she has accepted towards this issue.
Michael Vick and the NFLPA
A voice from the opposite side of the argument came from both the NFL Players
Association and New York Jets quarterback Michael Vick. Both Vick and the Players
Association side with their comrades, with Vick supporting Commissioner Goodell and the
NFLPA supporting one of its players.
Ethos
Vick was previously suspended by Commissioner Goodell in 2007 after pleading guilty
for federal dog fighting charges. Vick supported the Commissioner, stating that You have to
give the man a chance, you have to him a chance, you have to give everybody a chance to get it
right."(Vick, 2014) Vick also believes Goodell is "doing a great job. Though this opinion may
not be popular among fans worldwide, Vick is speaking from experience, as he too was
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suspended indefinitely from the league, similarly to Ray Rices current situation. However, Vick
may not be alone in his thought process.
Logos
The NFL Players Association displayed its Logos when it released a statement on Rices
behalf noting that Under governing labor law, an employee cannot be punished twice for the
same action when all of the relevant facts were available to the employer at the time of the first
punishment.(NFLPA, 2014) Though socially this view may not appeal to the fan base, the
players association makes a point that due process should be involved when determining
punishments for the players. Furthermore, the players association included that fact that
decisions need to be made based on the relevant information that was available at the time of the
decision. If, in fact, Commissioner Goodell had seen the video of Rices offense before handing
out the punishment, then he would need to publicly address his mistake.
Pathos
Michael Vick exhibits Pathos in various forms. Vick displays his Pathos from the
position he was previously in regarding his suspension, and speaks of how commissioner
Goodell had given him a similar punishment to that which he gave to Ray Rice. However, he
displays Pathos by alluding to the fact that in his situation, after taking time away from the game
and seeking guidance, he was able to work with commissioner Goodell to reenter the league.
Vicks use of stories help to display his emotions towards the NFLs handling of its current
societal issues.
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Conclusion
There are hundreds of additional cases of various crimes, some of which are still pending
criminal investigations, in which the players are still allowed to play while the trial awaits. By
allowing these players to continue to play and act as heroes to numbers of people, what message
is the NFL attempting to send to not only its fans, but other people across the globe? The NFL
may still be extremely popular, and this fact may never change. But, as the Commissioner and
other governing bodies in the NFL continue to take a laid-back approach to punishment of their
employees, more and more of its audience may reach their limit and slowly stop watching the
product that the league is sending out. Until fans across the world voice their displeasure, as
Hannah Storm did in her piece, the powers within the league can continue to carry on as they see
fit, accepting a mediocre punishment system within the league. However, some fans may also
agree with Michael Vick in believing that Commissioner Goodell needs due time to process the
current events. If this is the case, fans will expect to see continuous results with the handling of
these off-field issues, in addition to future incidents that may arise. Currently though, the NFL is
paying no attention to the values of the fans it serves, simply maintaining the status quo. The
league is not as pure as it used to be, and the NFL authorities seem just fine with that, so long as
they continue to benefit from the tainted product they are offering to their fans.



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WORKS CITED

NFLPA Statement on Appeal of Ray Rice Suspension. (2014, September 16). Retrieved
September 23, 2014, from https://www.nflplayers.com/articles/press-releases/nflpa-statement-
on-appeal-of-ray-rice-suspension/

Cimini, R. (2014, September 19). Vick says Goodell 'doing a great job' Retrieved September 23,
2014, from http://espn.go.com/new-york/nfl/story/_/id/11548980/michael-vick-new-york-jets-
roger-goodell-does-not-deserve-lose-job

Rice, L. (2014, September 15). Hannah Storm: 'What Does the NFL Stand For?' Retrieved
September 23, 2014, from http://www.people.com/article/espn-hannah-storm-comments-ray-
rice-nfl-controversy