Sunday Morning

​Nancy Giles: NFL's defense weak on domestic violence

/ CBS News

Today is another big game day for the NFL . . . whose recent domestic violence revelations have prompted these thoughts from contributor Nancy Giles:

Full disclosure: I love football! I will yell and scream and pound the sofa when my guy sacks their quarterback, or another guy makes the hit and stops a play at the line of scrimmage, or a different guy fakes his way around a defensive dude and gets off a glorious pass.

But when a player limps off the field or is carried out on a stretcher, I wince. I don't want anyone to get hurt, really. And that doesn't make sense. The game is violent.

Having said that -- let's go to the videotape!

It started with this: A hit that eclipsed any of Ray Rice's accomplishments as a running back for the Baltimore Ravens. A knockout punch, to the face of Janay Palmer, the woman he would later marry.

The hit sparked another messy, but necessary, national dialogue -- this time about domestic violence.

And the outrage generated by that tape shamed the NFL and its Commissioner, Roger Goodell, into a series of weak responses, double-talk and, finally, penalties and an indefinite suspension for Rice and other players arrested for domestic violence.

And pn Friday Goodell admitted to blowing it:

"I got it wrong in the handling of the Ray Rice matter. And I am sorry of that."

And though many people questioned her judgment, Janay Palmer Rice helped to shine a much-needed light on the complicated issues of why people stay in abusive relationships.

The Twitter hashtag #WhyIStayed drew an outpouring of responses from women sharing their stories; their reasons are truly eye-opening to anyone who might think walking away is the obvious solution. It's not -- it's complicated.

But the hits keep coming. Last week Minnesota Vikings running back Adrian Peterson was indicted for felony child abuse, injuring his son with a tree branch after the boy pushed his brother. Peterson is 6'1" and weighs in at 217 pounds. His son is four years old.

Football, hockey, boxing -- these are contact sports that involve a kind of hand-to-hand combat. The best players are awarded with fame, championships and big paychecks sometimes based on the pain and injuries they inflict on their opponents. That's the job.

But you know what, guys? You have the money and the means to sit down with a shrink or a pastor or a 12-step group and establish some boundaries.

Your job is to hit someone? Fine. Do your job.

But when you're off the field, be honorable. Fans look up to you, teams and sponsors pay you, so your behavior off the field counts.

You don't hit your partner, you don't hit your kids. It doesn't matter how you were raised.

And if you can't control your impulse, get help. How's that?


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