Tamarick Johnson
Staff Writer
There has been nationwide criticism of the National Football League’s player conduct policy these past couple of weeks and rightfully so. Star running back Ray Rice was suspended only two games after admitting to knocking his wife unconscious, on Feb. 15, 2014 in Atlantic City, N.J.
The two game suspension made by NFL Commissioner Rodger Goodell, have many feeling that the NFL does not take the issue of domestic violence seriously. Recently however, the commissioner realizing his mistake, promises stiffer penalties for this offense.
According to CNN, Goodell said “I didn’t get it right. Simply put, we have to do better. And we will.”
The NFL has now made it an automatic six-game unpaid suspension for a first incident of domestic violence. If a second incident occurs, the player will be banned for life from the NFL.
Bentrell McGee, an athlete and senior mathematics major from New Orleans, La., feels the new policy would have been unwarranted in Rice’s situation.
“Well I think it shouldn’t matter, she didn’t press charges. Had she pressed charges he should have had a fine along with a suspension,” said McGee.
Rice however has acknowledged that he made a big mistake.
“There’s not much that they could have done because they didn’t actually get him on camera hitting her,” said DeShaun Allen, a junior business administration major from Clinton, Miss.
The two-game suspension is all they really could do.”
The NFL has had a lot of issues with players off the field this year. From players facing DUI charges, possession of marijuana charges and just recently Ray McDonald, a San Francisco 49ers player, was also charged with domestic violence against his pregnant fiancé.
How the NFL handles these incidents will be under the microscope as public opinion and NFL officials continue to determine if the punishments handed down fit the crime.
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