Everybody has an opinion on Michael Vick, and nobody is shy about voicing it. Blogs, message boards and AM radio callers can’t stop talking about whether or not they think he should be allowed to play in the NFL again.
Rumors are swirling that MLB Commissioner is considering lifting Pete Rose’s lifetime ban from the game for gambling.
Everyone has an opinion on that too.
Meanwhile, two other stories are brewing in the NFL:
Everyone wants to know if disgruntled Broncos’ wide receiver Brandon Marshall is going to demand a trade.
And Pro Football Hall of Famer Warren Moon is promoting his new book “Never Give Up On Your Dream: My Journey.”
Both of these men have an ugly history of alleged domestic violence. And while teams are certainly wary of taking a chance on Marshall, it seems to be more because he is a risky investment than the moral implications of signing a guy who trouble follows wherever he happens to be. And a lot of that trouble stems from allegations that he beats his wife.
Moon was arrested in 1995 for allegedly choking his wife into unconsciousness in their Houston home. While Moon’s wife, Felicia, did not press charge and Moon was ultimately acquitted, he expressed remorse for a “tremendous mistake” he made during a “heated argument.”
The issue was subsequently swept under the rug, and Moon was a first-ballot Hall of Famer. Nobody ever suggested he shouldn’t be.
Now there will be those that say he and Marshall were never convicted of a crime. Neither was “Shoeless” Joe Jackson. But he was banned from Cooperstown for allegedly throwing the 1919 World Series. He was even acquitted by a jury. And there is substantial evidence that he may have actually have been innocent.
Why after nearly 100 years, is Jackson’s names still tainted, but Jason Kidd’s career never missed a beat after he pled guilty to domestic abuse in 2001? Kidd represented the United States in Beijing in 2008 and won a gold medal with the “Redeem Team.” Just last month, he signed another multi-million dollar contract with the Dallas Mavericks. He will be a first-ballot Hall of Famer. And nobody is standing up and saying he shouldn’t be.
Why is this?
Narissa Adams is the Director of External Communications at SafePlace in Austin, Texas. Safe Place is a nationally recognized agency which works to build a community free of rape, sexual abuse and domestic violence. Adams explained that part of the problem is many people view the victims to be partially culpable in the crime.
“Survivors of domestic violence are not always viewed as innocents; our society still participates in a level of ‘victim blaming’,” she said. “One of the things that isn’t always recognized about domestic and sexual violence is that these are not crimes about sex, family or relationships. They are crimes rooted in power and control. The abuser holding power and control over their victim… similar in some ways to how a person has control over their animal or pet.”
And she theorized that there is a disconnect between people and animals that allows people to condemn Vick in one breath and hope to see Marshall catching touchdowns for their favorite team in the next.
“There is also an argument to be made that dogs are cute and seen as defenseless,” she said. “It is harder to see people as not having that free will. It is almost too personal to see that someone who looks like me could be treated like that.”
And she added that is why so many men are able to get away with it. She explained why it is so hard for a woman to see criminal charges through to the end when sometimes it feels like society itself wants her to drop them.
“A survivor believes they have lost their power and control, someone else exerts power and control over them and we still engage in a level of victim blaming,” she said. “None of these create a place that feels safe for a survivor. If there are children, while this is often when a survivor decides to leave, it also creates the question of ‘How do they care for their family and themselves?’”
And the spectre of domestic violence in sports is nothing new. This 1995 Sports Illustrated article delves into the issue of what it calls “Sports’ Dirty Secret.” The piece seems to have been inspired by the Warren Moon incident, but it gets into many more examples. It paints a particular horrifying picture of the abuse former Celtic Robert Parish allegedly subjected his ex-wife to for many years. Parish is in the Hall of Fame.
And I would like to be clear, I am not trying to put myself above anyone. I have certainly heard allegations of many types of crimes concerning many players and thought to myself, “I really don’t care as long as he performs on the field.”
I think it is time we reexamined that attitude.
Why do we care so much if a man gambles or hurts animals, but we, as a society, don’t seem to give a damn if he beats on a woman?
At least, not enough to even raise the possibility of a lifetime ban or exclusion from any of the various Halls of Fame.
Why do you think that is?
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Mason Lerner
Mason Lerner is a freelance writer and stand-up comedian in Austin, TX. His works has appeared in the Houston Chronicle, ESPN the Magazine and many other publications. Lerner is a graduate of the University of Texas at Austin with a degree in Anthropology. ...
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Raheem says:
I think a lot of it has to do with the media. ESPN didn't event want to COVER the accusations against Ben Roethlisberger. I am not saying he did it, but the fact that they didn't even want to mention it goes a long way toward answering your question.
Jodi says:
This is great, Mason. Thanks for addressing the domestic violence. It's a breath of fresh air to see a sports reporter seriously discussing this important issue where more often than not, the victim is blamed. It is sad that we feel more for animals than for humans sometimes.
Ilyse says:
This really is a sad truth. Thanks for bringing it to light.
SusieBear says:
It is about time that domestic abuse stop being dismissed in the "manly" sports world. I hope your readers take notice of your article. The dismissal of domestic abuse is another of the injustices in this world when do care more "if a man gambles or hurts animals, but we, as a society, don’t seem to give a damn if he beats on a woman?" That line says it all. Thanks for taking this on.
Melissa says:
It's truly unfortunate how we put professional sports players on a pedestal thinking they can "do no wrong". If they commit such acts of domestic violence seems to blow over in about a week and then people focus on how they are such heroes on the field. This needs to stop.
Thanks for bringing an awareness to this very important issue and diving into the heart of it.
Rachel says:
Thank you for addressing this extremely serious issue. The more people verbally speak out against domestic violence, the more society will hold abusers accountable for their actions.
Chad says:
IT goes further than sports. Bing Crosby, James Brown, Ryan O'Neal.
We look at fame as if it's a virtue in and of itself and somehow balances the heinous violence; turning their monstrous behavior into footnote foibles.
Jodi says:
Great article. I really hope that your readers read this, think about it and share with others. It is only until people really begin to talk about these issues that others begin to know how important and serious it is.
It is also "funny" to note that animal rights groups, shelters and other animal welfare organizations have many more donors and volunteers than domestic violence organizations...sad truth, animals are cute and cuddly, survivors of violence...if we ignore it maybe it goes away.
Nicole says:
Thank you for writing this. Physically harming another living being is the worst thing that a person can do in this world. I have to admit that as an animal lover I am glad that the brutality of dogfighting has gained some ground in the public's awareness as a result of the Michael Vick saga. Yet, not nearly enough protest has been made about the "dirty secret" of domestic violence perpetrated by professional athletes.
I think that the lack of attention paid to this issue has much to do with the feeling, still prominent in our supposedly progressive country, that what takes place at a person's private residence is private business. It was only 30 or so years ago that our legislatures began to enact measures to prevent child abuse. There is also a mentality of "it takes 2 to tangle." And as Chad above me mentioned, this issue is hardly limited to sports: Sean Penn, Chris Brown, James Brown, etc.
I just hope that it doesn't take another OJ Simpson trial before we as a nation decide to condemn celebrities for this behavior.
ScotDanc16 says:
As they say, there's no such thing as bad PR and that's what sells, and that's what makes the world go round. Sad day, but America loves controversy.