After Season Of NFL Domestic Violence Troubles, Super Bowl To Feature Chilling Anti-Abuse Ad
SAN FRANCISCO (CBS SF/AP/KPIX) -- At several points this season the National Football League was forced to confront issues of domestic violence, now the effort to stop such crimes will be featured during the biggest event of the year, the Super Bowl.
Scheduled to air on Sunday, the ad, sponsored by the NFL, depicts a 911 call of a woman pretending to order a pizza while calling police with her attacker still in the house.
The Super Bowl commercial by No More, the group trying to end domestic violence and sexual assault, is a stark contrast to ads in recent months bringing attention to the issue that has become central for the NFL since Ray Rice was suspended for punching his then-fiancee in a casino elevator.
In the ad, the 911 call is a reenactment inspired by true stories of women using the tactic of disguising their calls while reaching out for help. No actors are seen in the stark ad; video shows only a house where a hole has been smashed in a wall, with books and photos knocked to the floor.
The ad concludes with the phrase: "When it's hard to talk, it's up to us to listen." It had already more than 482,000 views on YouTube by Wednesday.
Vera Ciammetti is the CEO of Ruby's Place in Hayward, a shelter for victims of domestic violence. She got chills when she saw the ad. "Domestic violence and abuse of an intimate partner is the number one reason for charges brought aainst a football player," she says.
Ciammetti says that when the video of NFL player Ray Rice striking his then-fiance in an elevator first appeared months ago, calls to the Ruby's Place hotline spiked 84 percent. Now she's bracing for another wave of calls after Sunday's game.
Ciammetti told KPIX that the NFL has yet to commit to a long-term solution.
"We need the football teams to step up, partner with their communities... adopt a shelter, be present and be a good role model," she said.
The ad will air Sunday just after the second quarter in the game between Seattle and New England.
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