Due to high player visibility, there is a perception that players in the National Football League (NFL) have a higher arrest rate than the general population. Furthermore, NFL players are often active members of their respective communities and are held to a higher level of conduct. Most importantly, children often view NFL players as role models for this reason a higher level of scrutiny is received. For years 2000 thru 2013, the overall arrest history for the general population was one and half to two times as high as the overall rate for NFL players (Strachan, 2015). Based on this statistic alone, one could say the perception that NFL players get is totally unwarranted. However, there was another study that broke down arrest into three
The writer makes excellent use of statistics and graphs numerous times throughout the article. “One N.F.L. player in 40 is arrested in a given year.” (Irwin 181) Neil Irwin starts off in his body paragraphs by giving the reader a sense of scale upon which the rest of the essay is built. His statistics also have a strong credibility to them, since they come from USA Today a well known and respected newspaper. “Some 28 percent of the arrests in the database were for driving under the influence, with 202 incidents. Other frequent categories of charges include assault and battery (88 cases) and drug-related offenses (82).” (Irwin 182) Here the writer also covers the amount of players arrested by crime, placing strong emphasis on the number of driving while intoxicated charges. In doing this, he breaks it down in a way which shows not all of these arrest are as serious as others. “The number of arrests by team range from a low of 11 (tie between the
The national football league has stiffened its policy on legal hits. The hit zone has shrunk, while player frustrations have grown. The policy is enacted in an effort to reduce the number of concussions in the game of football. The enforcement of these rules has strayed away from being all about safety. The policy on hits has created a divide among its players and fans alike. The policy of hits being enforced so strictly has had a significant impact on the sport. The sociology of the NFL and the rule itself drive this argument. By stepping on the field as an NFL football player, it is accepted that it is very dangerous. The players make enough money to make the concussions worth it. Profiting from the fine money for these hits has caused the NFL to be enforcing these rules unethically, the rules and the impact they have had on the sport have been detrimental to football.
Millions of kids watch NFL games. They also follow them outside of playing football. NFL players should remember that children hold these players to a higher standard. For instance, “Janay Rice sat next to her husband during the press conference, though simple assault charges against her were eventually dropped. Footage from the night showed Rice dragging his wife's unconscious body from an elevator” (Craggs). Ray Rice is a popular player in the NFL, with millions of fans. Hearing the news, I found it to be extremely disappointing. Ray Rice had too much to drink that night, and in the elevator he punched his wife, Janay, in the face multiple times and knocked her out. The NFL fined Ray Rice millions of dollars, he lost his job and endorsements. Other than losing money, he lost his fan base, including kids who looked up to him as an amazing running back.
The spectator of this sport has an obligation to the players of the sport, to make sure that the organization is protecting and looking out for them. Yet not only should the viewer be held accountable for the lack of communication in consequences between the player and the pro scene, but the organization of the NFL needs to make sure that their players have a full understanding of what is going on and how they need to protect the players. The current situation that is understood, contents contain implied knowledge that all parties of this table are in uniform knowledge and agreement to what comes of playing football. Finally, this should also happen at the youth level when kids are just getting into the sport, as it would better inform the parents and the kid if they understood the full
An increasingly popular topic in the realm of sports fans has begun to unravel. The National Football League recently has begun to introduce new rules and regulations for their athletes to start abiding by to ensure the continued safety of the player’s health. Although most find this change in the game of professional football as a positive step forward, others see this as a diminishment of the sanctity of NFL football. New rules and regulations that have been introduced into NFL are vital to athletes involved in the sport and help them to play with lowered risks of long term injuries that could possibly affect not only them but also the league in the future as well. The reasons for these
Russell Wilson was born on November 29, 1988, in Cincinnati Ohio. Russell Wilson played a lot of sports back in high school, and was a star in all the sports he played in. Russell Wilson only being 5’11” and being a star back in high school and college he was considered to small to play in the NFL. When Russell Wilson was drafted in the 3rd round 75 pick overall the Seattle Seahawks won a super bowl two years later with Russell Wilson being there quarterback. Russell Wilson isn’t only a star quarterback with the Seattle Seahawks he is also a role model outside the field of play Russell Wilson is a role model through his actions of visiting a children’s hospital every week, running a camp for kids to promote
The lack of knowledge that the majority of athletes enter the league with causes experts on the NFL’s policies to believe that the front office does not see the injury as a serious problem in the game today. “With the subsequent deaths of several relatively young retired NFL players, the autopsies of their brains, and the newly minted diagnosis chronic traumatic encephalopathy, we know the problem is real” (Carroll). This quotation intensifies the emphasis on the true problem the National Football League seems to be avoiding. Every injury, no matter how small or seemingly unimportant, needs to be addressed. “Even the only game that matters doesn't matter as much as your brain” (Flynn). There is nothing wrong with a person participating in the sport he loves, but when a blow to the head occurs, quick and efficient action must be taken to address the situation at hand. The National Football League and its policies do not suffice in relation to this area of concern. The fact of the matter is that no game, activity, or sport is worth a person’s
Football is America’s go to entertainment sport. The NFL hit its peak in 2015, with an average of 114.1 million television viewers throughout the year (“Statista,” 2017). This sport is loved by all, the players, parents, coaches, and fans. But, is football merely entertainment? Is it just a simple game, teaching young boys the value of teamwork, dedication, and discipline? Are parents spending their Friday nights to support their boys, or is there something bigger happening? In H.G Bissinger’s novel, Friday Night Lights, one can see the true effects of this toxic drug through the mindset of the players and the actions of the coaches. While society sees football as entertainment, it actually functions more like a drug.
Many people believe that professional athletes are “above the law”. In reality, they are human beings like you and me who, no matter what the circumstances, can and will be charged like an average person. The offense of the crime can certainly come into play on whether or not a professional athlete who commits a crime should be allowed to play again.
Just imagine being 21-year-old making millions of dollars, many athletes can not handle the amount of money that comes their way. These young athletes spend their money on drugs and alcohol. Look at Johnny Manziel a 23-year-old football player. When the money came his way, he became a notorious partier, drugs, alcohol and parties took over his life. His lifestyle caused the Cleveland Browns to release him. Many athletes’ careers are ruined because of their lifestyle; Drugs, alcohol and parties take over their lives. This bad lifestyle all starts off in college where binge drinking, drug use are the norms for an athlete. Many college sports teams and many fraternities and sororities team up and throw wild parties every weekend. “It is reported that up to 70% of college athletes take part in binge drinking and 47% smoke cannabis.” (Verger,2003). Last season the NFL suspended 26 players for abusing the substance abuse policy, of the twenty-six twenty-five were suspended for smoking marijuana. The average age of the players was 24.6 years old. Most players leave college to play in the NFL when they're 20-22 years old. This means that bad lifestyle habits are in fact carrying over into the NFL from college, It is not only from college I would have to worry about the lifestyle, many ex-NFL players are addicted to painkillers and other drugs to cope with the pain from playing. “Up to 70% of players have taken opium or another pain killer without a prescription to deal with the physical pain from playing.” (Strain, 2011) Many players develop a dependence on opioid once their careers are over to cope with the pain. The combination of numerous hits to the body and post career drug use means that the average lifespan of an NFL player is “55 years,”(Maki, 2012) while the average life expectancy in Canada is 81 years. Every hit adds up. To have a long
0 football players arrested. How about college football’s gold standard, Alabama? The Crimson Tide have had five players arrested in 2015’s offseason (so far). Steve Spurrier’s old team and Georgia’s bitter rival, Florida, has had two players arrested. In fact, using statistics from Arrest Nation, there have been 95 college football arrests this offseason and, again, not one of them hailed from the University of
One reason I would not let my son play football is because it promotes violence. “I hate to say it, but no “heads up” campaign or the threat of a penalty or a fine will reduce football’s inherent violence” (Fujita 3) Some people go into football not knowing the violence and pain that come with it. Professional football players were unaware of the dangers that concussions can cause, while the NFL knows about the consequences that can happen when a player get concussed. “In August , ESPN pulled its name and logo from the “League of Denial,” a “Frontline” documentary about how the N.F.L., handled -or, more appropriately mishandled - the concussion crisis among its players.” (Sandomir 1) Violence is praised through the stands when someone gets pushed to the floor and seriously hurt. Football players are unaware of the dangers that come with getting a concussion, but the NFL knows all and lets them get into this danger for the sake of entertainment. The NFL hides the truth and mishandled cases of players, because they know the consequences and don’t want to be charged for it, leaving the players clueless for what could happen next.
Athletes should not be role models because of the things they do off the court or field. They do way too many bad things that youth hear about which might make them want to follow the same path. According to Gary Sailes in his essay "Professional Athletes: Cultural Icons or Social Anomalies:" 16 players from the 2001 Super Bowl were involved in a crime one way or another. Those crimes range from drunk driving to assault to murder threats. These are things that everyone hears about. A child may not be a fan of a football but sooner or later he/she is going to turn the TV and notice a player going to jail. If athletes are supposed to be role models, going to jail is not a good thing. Society can't say professional athletes should be role
Football is a rough sport. Many fans of the game watch it for the hard hits. These hard hits and the potential for injury is part of what makes the game so exciting. Some people say that football is too brutal and should be banned. Parents all over the United States don’t allow their children to play because of the risk of head injuries. Others allow their sons, and every now and then their daughters, to play and risk injury for a chance to earn a college scholarship and for a small percentage of players, the chance to play in the National Football League (NFL).
Though this NFL conduct is in the light, it is unnecessary because the U.S. criminal justice system has the ability to end the professional sports careers of society’s worst criminals. Everyone asked themselves how could such a successful, talented person throw their opportunity away like this? Crimes from the past always catch up and come to light in the justice system. The NFL from now on is trying to prevent incidents like this from happening from making their off field standards stronger, and making consequences stronger that come with