"Athletes Supporting Activism" Graduate Public Relations
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No More? An analysis of the NFL’s treatment of Ray Rice and Kareem Hunt’s Assault Incidents, and how the NFL has failed at preventing violence against women
16 December 2019
The NFL’s 100-year celebration commenced with the start of the 2019 season.
This yearlong celebration has recognized some of the greatest players to ever strap up
a helmet and shoulder pads on the gridiron. Despite the exponential growth since its
inception in 1920, the NFL has had many bumps in the road when it comes to off-the-
field issues. One of the most prevalent issues is the NFL’s approach to disciplining
players convicted or accused of committing acts of violence against women.
Incidents involving NFL players committing violence against women have made
headlines in recent years. One of the most shocking incidents occurred within the last
six years with the arrest and dismissal of former Baltimore Ravens running back Ray
Rice. Just five years later the sports world was rocked with the news of an altercation
involving former Kansas City Chiefs running back Kareem Hunt. Both incidents had a
similar narrative as they were caught on video committing assault against a woman.
Both incidents would lead to investigations and punishments from the NFL. Rice’s
situation could be considered more significant because it directly led to reform in the
NFL’s personal conduct policy (Goodell, 2014).
Despite making progress towards addressing cases of violence against women,
the NFL has failed to address the root of these issues and discourage players from
committing these acts in the future. Until the NFL evaluates these causes and makes
efforts to discourage this pattern of behavior, these incidents will continue to pop up.
This research paper compares the fallout of both incidents involving Rice and Hunt. This
report is divided into four main sections, with the first taking a closer look at the state of
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the NFL and how they handled violence against women cases prior to Rice. The second
section analyzes the Rice incident and how the team and NFL responded. The third
section reviews Hunt’s incident and compares the NFL’s response with how they
handled Rice just five years before. Lastly, we analyze how the NFL has failed to
address instances of violence against women and offers recommendations for how the
league should address these issues moving forward.
Introduction: The NFL’s Problem with Violence Against Women
Violence against women has been a long documented issue in the NFL. Going
back to the 1990s, one of the most covered scandals of a player committing violence
against women involved former Cincinnati Bengal Dan “Big Daddy” Wilkerson. The
former first round draft pick was accused of striking his pregnant girlfriend. Wilkerson
pled no contest during his trial and received a suspended six-month jail sentence as a
result (Nolan, 1996). Wilkerson’s domestic violence case was a rallying cry for the NFL
to punish players who committed these acts.
ESPN Outside the Lines writers Mark Fainaru-Wada and Steve Fainaru
investigated what led to the NFL’s first personal conduct policy, as well as how the NFL
has been inconsistent in their enforcement of that policy. In a phone interview with
Fainaru-Wada, he cited that the NFL was concerned about ongoing issues of domestic
violence and its impact on future sponsorships and revenues. “There were massive
implications for sponsorships, (and) just from a financial standpoint they realized that
was an issue” Fainaru-Wada said. “Clearly it struck a chord enough with (the NFL) that
they decided to implement some sort of a policy” (Fainaru-Wada, Phone Call with Mark
Fainaru-Wada, 2019).
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Two years after Wilkerson’s incident, the NFL enacted their first personal conduct
policy. The NFL’s creation of the policy didn’t necessarily mean they would enforce it.
Fainaru-Wada and Fainaru reported on the NFL’s hesitancy to enforce their personal
conduct policy until 2000, three years after the policy was enacted. In a case study of 48
players arrested for domestic violence between 2000 to 2014, more than half received
no suspension while only 15 players were suspended for just one game (Fainaru-Wada
& Fainaru, 2014).
The personal conduct policy would undergo another significant change in 2007.
Commissioner Roger Goodell had his powers expanded to hand out “longer
suspensions and larger fines” than what was dictated in the original policy (Janusz,
2012). Prior to Goodell becoming commissioner in 2016, there were 34 suspensions
due to conduct deemed “detrimental to the league” (Zink, 2018). Nearly 15 years after
the first personal conduct policy was created, the NFL confronted a situation that forced
them to reconsider how they weighed consequences for players who committed acts of
violence against women.
Why Ray Rice was a Game Changer
Rice was the lynchpin that caused the NFL to reflect on how they handled
instances of violence against women. Before his infamous altercation in February 2014,
Rice was heralded as one of the best players and a face of the franchise for a Ravens
team that won a Super Bowl the year before. Local reporters like Baltimore Sun beat
writer Childs Walker recalled Rice had an impeccable character leading up to his exile
from the NFL. He was also in good standing with the team and the Baltimore
community. He created his own charitable fund to help underprivileged youth in the
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Baltimore area and led a campaign against cyber-bullying in his hometown of New
Rochelle, NY (Gentile, 2012).
Trouble in Atlantic City
Fast forward to February 2014, and Rice was arrested after an altercation with
his then-fiancée, Janay Palmer, at an Atlantic City casino (Fenton, 2014). Security
camera footage acquired by TMZ showed Rice dragging Palmer out of an elevator. He
was charged with third-degree aggravated assault a month later. Rice also met with
team owner Steve Bisciotti, general manager Ozzie Newsom and NFL commissioner
Roger Goodell to allow himself an opportunity to set the record straight.
When the news of Rice’s altercation with Palmer broke, Bisciotti and Newsome
defended Rice, citing his good character before the incident. “(Bisciotti and Newsome)
decided early on that they were going to stick with Ray, because they believed in Ray.
That led to them not to look into the situation with the detail that they should have…”
(Walker, 2019).
In midst of Rice’s prosecution, Goodell handed Rice a two-game suspension that
would take place at the start of the 2014 season. Newsome called the decision
significant, but fair, and continued to publicly support Rice. “That night was not typical of
the Ray Rice we know and respect,” Newsome said in an official statement (Maine,
2014).
Goodell’s two-game suspension was met with much criticism, mostly because it
paled in comparison to players suspended for drug abuse or taking a banned
substance. Writer Kavitha Davidson commented that “the NFL has sent a really
damaging message to its female fans, to all women - to all victims of domestic abuse”
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when asked about the initial suspension (Davidson, 2014). Davidson also called out
how the NFL was handing out more severe punishments for drug abuse than for cases
of domestic violence. USA Today columnist Chrsitine Brennan said “Frankly it's a
terrible message that the NFL has sent. It was a stunner to me,” on an ABC News
interview (ABC News, 2014). Goodell stood by his two-game suspension, citing it was
consistent with the NFL’s personal conduct policy at the time (ESPN.com News
Services, 2014).
Then, the second video was released.
TMZ released an additional camera view of the altercation from February. The
new footage, this time inside the elevator, showed Rice and Palmer screaming at each
other, followed by Rice knocking out his fiancée with a violent punch. The video ended
with Rice dragging Palmer out of the elevator. In response to the newly released video,
the Ravens dismissed Rice and the NFL handed out an indefinite suspension.
Walker believed the video added a layer to the story that hadn’t been seen in
previous situations involving NFL players who committed domestic violence. “It took the
video coming out for them to realize the mistakes (the Ravens and the NFL) made, and
for a lot of us to realize. We (all realized we) probably didn’t treat the situation with the
gravity it deserved,” he said (Walker, 2019). Fainaru-Wada also agreed the video was
the tipping point in handing Rice the indefinite suspension. “There was no getting
around the video… Camera changes everything for people and their perceptions,” he
commented (Fainaru-Wada, 2019).
Before the second video was released by TMZ, Goodell admitted the NFL fell
short in addressing Rice’s situation in a memo to team owners. “My disciplinary decision
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led the public to question our sincerity, our commitment, and whether we understood
the toll that domestic violence inflicts on so many families,” Goodell wrote. “I take
responsibility both for the decision and for ensuring that our actions in the future
properly reflect our values. I didn't get it right,” (Goodell, 2014). The NFL amended their
personal conduct policy to include a minimum six-game suspension for any violations
including “assault, battery, domestic violence, dating violence, child abuse, other forms
of family violence, or sexual assault, with consideration given to possible mitigating or
aggravating circumstances,” (National Football League, 2014).
Fallout from Ray Rice
The city of Baltimore was rocked to its core. There was no getting around what
the video had shown. ESPN writers Don Van Natta and Kevin Van Valkenburg
described Rice’s impact on the city of Baltimore prior to the February 2014 incident:
No player did more for the community than Rice, and no player on the team embraced the city of Baltimore the way he did. Rice named his daughter, Rayven, after the team's nickname. He had "Baltimore" tattooed on his forearms. He became friends with Baltimore Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake, appearing with her regularly at charity events. He raised millions for sick children, urged the state legislature in Annapolis to pass anti-bullying laws and hosted a football camp for hundreds of disadvantaged kids each year. He even dressed up as Santa Claus at an event hosted by the House of Ruth, a Baltimore shelter for victims of domestic violence. During the week before the Super Bowl this year, two weeks before the incident, Rice appeared on an anti-bullying panel. Perhaps most visibly, Rice was the longtime spokesman for M&T Bank, one of the team's main sponsors and one that has its name on the Ravens' stadium. Practically every time Bisciotti asked Rice to make an appearance on behalf of the team, he'd say yes. (Van Natta Jr. & Van Valkenburg, 2014).
Aside from a press conference alongside his now-wife Janay Rice, Ray
attempted to keep a low profile in the months after his arrest in February 2014. One of
the few communications directly from Rice came in a text message to reporter Rachel
Nichols. When asked to comment on his next move after being released from Baltimore,
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Rice replied, “I'm just holding strong for my wife and kid, that's all I can do right now.”
Shortly after Rice’s suspension was extended indefinitely, Rice filed an appeal with help
from the NFL Players Association. He won his appeal but remains unsigned to this day.
Even with the indefinite suspension and amended personal conduct policy,
Goodell still faced criticism for his handling of the Rice incident. Washington Post
columnist Sally Jenkins questioned the NFL’s decision to hand out an indefinite
suspension until after the full elevator footage was released. “Did Goodell and so many
others in the NFL really need to see the tape before they were properly horrified? It’s
impossible to reread the letter Goodell sent to NFL team owners describing his change
of heart on domestic violence on Aug. 28 with anything but a rueful, bitter hilarity,” she
wrote (Jenkins, 2014). One of the few writers to speak favorably about Goodell’s
decision making was Washington Post columnist Jena McGregor. “By taking personal
responsibility, admitting he got it wrong and recognizing the NFL's leadership role,
Goodell took a stand too. Now he'll just have to be sure he backs it up with real
enforcement,” McGregor wrote (McGregor, 2014).
On top of public criticism, the NFL was also being investigated for their handling
of the Rice case. Former FBI Director (and now famous special counsel) Robert Mueller
investigated the NFL to see if they acquired the TMZ video of the Rice altercation before
it was released to the public in September 2014. The investigation was prompted after
an anonymous law enforcement official sent the elevator tape to the NFL in April 2014
(Spain, 2017). Mueller’s nearly four-month long investigation “found no proof anyone at
the league office received or viewed a video of Rice punching out his then-fiancée at an
Atlantic City Casino until the footage became public” (Spain, 2017).
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The fallout of Ray Rice was also seen as a detriment to the NFL’s attempts to
grow their female fan base. At the time of the Rice incident, women made up nearly 45
percent of the NFL’s fanbase. Female-focused NFL apparel had grown 300 percent
between 2010 and 2014, and female viewership of NFL games had risen from 5.5
million to 6.1 million in that timeframe (Wenger, 2014). Former Baltimore Orioles Vice
President of Marketing Marty Conway thought the Rice incident was damaging enough
to undo all of the NFL’s progress to bring in more female fans. "I believe they completely
misjudged the backlash," Conway said in a Baltimore Sun article. "They do realize their
audience is at risk and all the work they have done in the last five years could be for
naught,” (Wenger, 2014).
Facing a public relations nightmare in the wake of Rice, the NFL launched a
public service campaign titled “No More.” The league partnered with a non-profit
organization of the same name to stand up to domestic violence and sexual assault
(Koblin, 2015). The campaign featured a series of videos featuring past and current NFL
players like Eli Manning, William Gay and Cris Carter. In the 60-second PSA, various
NFL players and alum say, “no more” to phrases such as, “Boys will be Boys,” and “She
was asking for it.” The non-profits website increased web traffic exponentially during the
2014 NFL season, with page views reaching 275,000 in December 2014 (Koblin, 2015).
After Goodell’s apology, his vow to make amends for mishandling the Rice
incident and a successful campaign to address violence against women, it seemed like
the NFL was making better efforts to discourage players from committing these acts.
The league would realize years later they hadn’t learned their lesson.
Lessons Learned? Kareem Hunt and Echoes of Ray Rice
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Five years after Ray Rice was exiled from the NFL, the league faced a similar
situation with allegations of assault from then-Kansas City Chiefs running back Kareem
Hunt. Days after the 2017-18 NFL season concluded, the Cleveland Plain Dealer
reported that a woman, Abigail Ottinger, alleged that Hunt “shoved and pushed” her in a
weekend dispute at a Cleveland hotel (Astolfi, 2018). The Kansas City Star followed up
with a report detailing that Hunt and Ottinger both filed police reports, with both of them
being listed as suspects (Kerkhoff, 2018). Based on a phone interview with Chiefs beat
writer Blair Kerkhoff, the police reports were conflicting in their nature. One report listed
Hunt as a suspect, with the other listing Ottinger as a suspect (Kerkoff, 2018). With no
arrest warrants were issued for either party, this situation was subject to a case of he
said, she said.
Hunt addressed the allegations with executives from the Chiefs, but not to the
NFL. Shortly after the February incident, Hunt was asked to be completely truthful to
team executives about what happened. Hunt complicated the situation by telling team
executives he never left his hotel room (Taylor, 2018) during the night in question.
The Chiefs opted to retain him and did not hand out any in-house suspensions
nor discipline. It seemed like this storyline faded away as the Chiefs season wore along
and rose to become one of the top teams in the AFC. Little did the Chiefs know their
season was about to be turned upside down.
TMZ Strikes Again
Once again, there was video evidence showing the player in question was in the
wrong. Nine months after the original story by the Plain Dealer broke, TMZ revealed a
video showing Hunt shoving and kicking Ottinger in that Cleveland hotel. Kansas City
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was swift to act on Hunt once the video went viral. Kansas City Star beat writer Blair
Kerkhoff recalled his experience at the Chiefs practice facility when the TMZ video went
viral.
The Chiefs locker room closed that day at 1:30. The TMZ report was out about that time. We had all left the Chiefs locker room to head back to the meeting room, and then all of a sudden everyone’s phones were buzzing. (People) were saying ‘look what TMZ is reporting, and they have the video.’ At that point, there was no access to Kareem Hunt and the Chiefs themselves were sort of in a scurrying mode to see what to do. By five or six o’clock that day they dismissed. I’ve never seen disciplinary action that quickly… (Kerkhoff, 2019).
The Chiefs released an official statement hours after the TMZ report was
released. In the official statement, the franchise indicated there were several internal
discussions with Hunt following the events of the altercation in February. “Kareem was
not truthful in those discussions,” according to the official statement (Kansas City
Chiefs, 2018). It was because Hunt’s unwillingness to be completely honest, not the
actual assault itself, that led to the Chiefs dismissing the running back.
The NFL also responded promptly to the TMZ video by placing Hunt on the
Commissioner’s exempt list. Hunt was barred from any team practice or games until the
NFL concluded their investigation of the February assault. When the NFL concluded
their investigation in March 2019 Goodell suspended Hunt for the first eight games of
the 2019 season. Along with the new mandatory six-game suspension for instances of
assault, Hunt was given an additional two games for an additional assault he committed
in the summer of 2018 (Schad, 2019).
Second Chances
Unlike his predecessor, Hunt did not hide from the media firestorm that
enveloped him. Hunt sat down with ESPN reporter Lisa Salters just days after being
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released. “Honestly, I just want to let the world know how sorry I am for my actions. It’s
been a tough time for me. I’m extremely embarrassed because of that video,” Hunt said
at the beginning of his interview (ESPN, 2018). He declined to share much details about
the nature of the February incident, instead repeating his message of how sorry he was
and how it was not indicative of his character.
Team executives assured Hunt that he would not suit up in a Chiefs uniform
again, but they promised they would help him do what it takes to get back on the field.
Chiefs reporter Nate Taylor wrote that team officials encouraged Hunt to seek
counseling services shortly before releasing him. For teams inquiring about Hunt, the
Chiefs would describe him as “compassionate, jovial and proudly involved in community
events” during his time in Kansas City (Taylor, ‘Kareem cut Kareem’: In releasing Hunt,
Chiefs vow to help him remain in NFL if he makes the necessary changes, 2018).
Hunt would get a second chance to live his dream of playing in the NFL. Shortly
after the 2018-19 NFL season concluded, the Cleveland Browns announced they had
signed Kareem Hunt to a one-year contract. When asked about why the Browns pulled
the trigger on signing Hunt, Browns general manager John Dorsey said "I think we're all
appalled by it, but after doing extensive research, analyzing the situation, we came to
the conclusion that I'm willing to help a man from a second chance moving forward to be
a better person. My faith tells me that” (Breech, 2019). Hunt made his debut in week
nine against the Buffalo Bills after fulfilling his eight game suspension.
Fallout from Kareem Hunt
While some lauded the Chiefs’ swift decision, not all writers were in favor of the
motivations behind their decision. The Athletic beat writer Nate Taylor took issue with
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Kansas City releasing Hunt not because of his February altercation, but because he lied
to the organization. “But after much public pressure, the Chiefs did an about-face,
releasing Hunt Friday,” Taylor wrote two days after Hunt was dismissed, “But in doing
so, they didn’t publicly condemn his actions in attacking the woman — which was a
clear assault — instead rationalizing their decision by claiming Hunt to be untruthful”
(Taylor, 2018). A follow up report from Taylor also noted that had Hunt been completely
honest with the Chiefs, team executives would have pursued every option available to
keep Hunt on the active roster (Taylor, ‘Kareem cut Kareem’: In releasing Hunt, Chiefs
vow to help him remain in NFL if he makes the necessary changes, 2018).
The majority of the criticism was once again directed towards the NFL. Ben Volin
of the Boston Globe accused the NFL of not taking the Hunt case seriously. “The league
proved once again this past week that it doesn’t take violence against women seriously
unless there is a video,” he wrote (Volin, 2018). Volin also questioned whether the NFL
attempted to contact Ottinger or any of the witnesses from the February altercation.
Years after the NFL’s due process was investigated for their handling of the Rice
situation, the NFL was once again being questioned on why they weren’t able to access
camera footage of Hunt when a media outlet like TMZ could. An anonymous source
close with NFL executives described how the outlook of the NFL’s handing of Hunt.
“This isn’t as bad as Ray Rice. But it’s arguably the same set of mistakes,” this source
said. “The intentions are 100 percent better. But the process — they may not be
mistakes. But they certainly make the league look bad” (Maske & Kilgore, 2018).
Based on an Outside the Lines report, an NFL source reported that the league
had access to police documents and questioned Hunt’s associates back in February.
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The NFL also requested video footage from the hotel where the incident took place, but
the hotel insisted they would only provide that footage to law enforcement (Van
Valkenburg & Rothstein, 2018). The Cleveland Division of Police contradicted this
statement, saying that the NFL did not submit a request for the official police reports
until after TMZ released the video of Hunt in November (Van Valkenburg & Rothstein,
2018).
Has the NFL done enough to address the issue of violence against women?
Kareem Hunt wasn’t the only NFL player to be accused of violence against a
woman in the years after Ray Rice. Other big name players like Ray McDonald, Ezekiel
Elliott and Reuben Foster also faced allegations involving violence against women. This
issue clearly isn’t going away any time soon. According to a USA Today database
reporting on NFL player arrests since 2000, four players have been arrested for
domestic violence in 2019, with another having a warrant out for arrest (USA Today,
2019).
As mentioned in the introduction, the NFL has had a troubled history of players
committing violent acts against women. According to Children of Domestic Violence
(CDV) founder Brian F. Martin, the NFL hasn’t done enough to research the root of
these issues. More than half of children who live in violent households are raised by
parents who also grew up around domestic violence, according to a 2014 article from
PR Newswire. “How are (the NFL and teams) not asking these young men who come in
if they grew up living with domestic violence? Because growing up in one of these
homes deeply impacts a life,” Martin said (PR Newswire, 2014).
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Why has the NFL continued to fall short on addressing issues of violence against
women? According to attorney Amanda Zink, the problem with the NFL’s struggles with
managing off-the-field issues is twofold. Since the NFL is not part of the legal system,
they are ill equipped to manage misconduct due to varying degrees of “proof and
investigatory challenges, lacking procedural safeguards, and the level of disciplinary
discretion involved in responding to misconduct” (Zink, 2018). The NFL has also tried to
mirror the criminal justice system, which has skewed towards retribution, rather than try
to address the root of these issues with their players (Zink, 2018).
In many cases, the NFL has deferred to law enforcement to handle investigations
involving players accused of violence against women. The only problem is that these
investigations aren’t definitive in determining whether or not a suspect is guilty. Until
very recently with the #MeToo movement, victims of violence against women have been
reluctant to press charges or go public with their accusations. Domestic violence cases
are difficult to win due to the lack of concrete evidence against the accused (Janusz,
2012).
Even if a player is convicted, the majority of these players continue to play in the
NFL. Many victims are reluctant to testify if their case makes it to court or wind up
dropping charges altogether (Crouse, 2014) The NFL has adopted a stance of
innocence until proven guilty to let these players continue to participate until they are
convicted (Crouse, 2014). Rice’s situation was considered an exception to the norm.
So how can the NFL improve their handling of violence against women cases?
Are team owners or the commissioner socially responsible for handling these issues or
not? Seton Hall University law student Suzanne Janusz recommended Goodell strictly
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enforce the NFL’s personal conduct policy. Her argument is that the legal system does
not provide “adequate” for victims of assault from NFL players (Janusz, 2012). Because
of these shortcomings, she recommends Goodell discipline these players to set a
societal standard and protect the integrity of the game (Janusz, 2012).
Rather than increase disciplinary power for Goodell, Zink offers an alternative
approach to combating these issues. She provides these recommendations to the NFL
(Zink, 2018).
1. The NFL – and the players themselves – need to take the lead on addressing violence against women and be advocates for change
2. Work with lawmakers to develop and enforce laws meant to empower women and girls and limit gender inequality.
3. Invest in violence prevention, such as counseling and preventative services for players who may be prone to committing violent acts off the field.
4. Strengthen the role of the health sector like bringing in qualified sports psychologists and mental health practitioners to educate players on issues of violence against women
5. Continue to invest in research for improve treatment and preventative strategies.
Zink realizes this change is systematic and does not happen overnight. That being said
it doesn’t mean the league should not strive to be leaders for change.
Conclusion
NFL players committing violent acts against women has been a long-
documented issue. Despite the various incidents, it took until 1997 for the NFL to adopt
some form of a policy meant to discourage their players from committing these acts.
Even when the NFL enacted their personal conduct policy, the actual enforcement of
said policy was few and far between. When the NFL did punish players convicted of
assault or domestic violence, it was a minimal one or two-game suspension.
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It wasn’t until Ray Rice that the NFL reconsidered how they viewed violence
against women. Rice’s initial two-game suspension for his assault on his then-fiancée
led to criticism towards commissioner Roger Goodell. After Goodell admitted the
sentencing was too light, video footage of Rice assaulting his fiancée led to a swift
dismissal from the Ravens and an indefinite suspension from Goodell. The fallout from
these events made Goodell swear nothing like this would happen again. With a change
in the NFL’s personal conduct policy and partnership with a non-profit meant to say “no
more” to domestic violence, it looked like the NFL was putting the Rice incident in the
rearview mirror.
Four years after Goodell’s promise to do better, the NFL faced a near-identical
situation on their hands with Kareem Hunt shoving and kicking a young woman at a
Cleveland hotel. Months after the narrative seemed to die down, video evidence of Hunt
assaulting the victim brought another PR nightmare to the NFL. Hunt was dismissed
from the Chiefs but found a new home with the Cleveland Browns.
There appears to be no consensus on how to address these issues going
forward. One attorney suggests Goodell should strictly enforce the personal conduct
policy and go so far to punish players who are accused of committing violence against
women. Another competing thought involves focusing more on systemic change, rather
than hand out more severe punishments. Until the NFL makes concerted efforts to
address the cause of these issues, there will be similar narratives that lead to the NFL
cleaning up a mess they have refused to prevent in the first place.
Works Cited
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ABC News. (2014). Ray Rice's Domestic Violence Suspension Criticized. Retrieved from ABCNews.com: https://preview.abcnews.go.com/GMA/video/ray- rices-domestic-violence-suspension-criticized-24725538
This video from ABC News provides details on criticisms pointed towards Goodell and his handling of the Ray Rice incident. USA Today columnist Christine Brennan is interviewed in this spot saying the NFL is turning their back on women affected by player violence. Astolfi, C. (2018, February 12). Kansas, Woman says Kansas City Chiefs player Kareem Hunt "shoved and pushed" her in downtown Cleveland, police say. Retrieved from Cleveland.com: https://www.cleveland.com/metro/2018/02/woman_says_kansas_city_chiefs.html
The original report that started the investigation into Kareem Hunt’s assault on 19-year old Abigail Ottinger. While not much is revealed other than Hunt was a suspect, the Kansas City Star and other major outlets would pick up this story and start a chain of events that led to Hunt’s dismissal from the Chiefs. Axon, R. (2019, September 18). Ray Rice case prompted NFL changes on domestic violence but cases continue to test policy. Retrieved from USA Today: https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/investigations/2019/09/18/nfl-domestic- violence-ray-rice-tyreek-hill-ezekiel-elliott-adrian-peterson/2215187001/
This article provides brief profiles on notable NFL players that underwent the NFL's tweaked personal conduct policy. The NFL tweaked their personal conduct policy after criticism of how the organization handled the investigation and punishment of former running back Ray Rice.
Breech, J. (2019, February 13). Kareem Hunt contract details revealed: Browns might not even have to pay him $1 million in 2019. Retrieved from CBS Sports: https://www.cbssports.com/nfl/news/kareem-hunt-contract-details-revealed- browns-might-not-even-have-to-pay-him-1-million-in-2019/
I used this report from CBS Sports to provide more details on Hunt’s most recent contract with the Cleveland Browns. Hunt was signed to a one-year “prove it” deal well below his actual value. Hunt was signed by the Browns shortly before Commissioner Goodell handed out an eight game suspension. Cole, J. (2015). Dropping the Ball: How the Commissioner's Exercies of His "Best Interests" Authority is Failing the NFL and What Can Be Done About it. Texas Review of Entertainment & Sports Law, 43-71.
This source is useful in my research as I understand commissioner Goodell's role in the handling of the Ray Rice and Kareem Hunt. Cole investigates the role of the NFL commissioner as a judge when determining proper punishments for players who violate the personal conduct policy. He concludes his study by arguing for an independent committee to address player dscipline.
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Crouse, K. (2014, September 11). Ray Rice is an Outlier: Most Domestic Abuse Suspects Play On. Retrieved from The New York Times: https://www.nytimes.com/2014/09/12/sports/football/ray-rice-is-an-outlier-most- domestic-abuse-suspects-play-on.html
Crouse writes about professional sports and their role in the handling of cases concerning violence against women. Common themes are the presumption of innocence and the reluctance of a league to get involved until criminal investigations have concluded. Crouse also argues that the presence of lenient punishment towards players that commit violence against women is a byproduct of society that allows these acts to occur without serious punishment.
Davidson, K. (2014, July 26). NFL Faces Criticism Over Ray Rice Suspension From Ravens. (S. Simon, Interviewer)
This interview between Scott Simon and Kavitha Davidson provides context on why Commissioner Goodell was facing criticism for Ray Rice’s initial two-game suspension. Similar to Brennan’s interview on ABC News, Davidson mentioned that the short suspension sent the wrong message to women who have been affected by players committing these violent acts. ESPN. (2018, December 2). Kareem Hunt addresses TMZ video, being released by Chiefs. Retrieved from YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4bNtVVaA- Dg
This video is the one-on-one interview between Kareem Hunt and ESPN’s Lisa Salters. The interview was recorded just days after Hunt was released by the Chiefs. Breaking from Ray Rice’s strategy of privacy, Hunt did not shy away from his actions and asked that he is given a second chance to play in the NFL. ESPN.com News Services. (2014, August 1). Roger Goodell defends Ray Rice ban. Retrieved from ESPN.com: https://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/11296028/roger-goodell-defends-suspension- ray-rice-baltimore-ravens-running-back
Goodell’s initial response to criticism for his two-game suspension of Ray Rice. The commissioner cited the suspension was in-line with the NFL’s personal conduct policy at the time. He would later regret his initial suspension and vow to do better to address player violence against women. Fainaru-Wada, M. (2019, December 13). Phone Call with Mark Fainaru-Wada. (J. Ayen, Interviewer)
One of my primary sources was ESPN Outside the Lines writer Mark Fainaru-Wada. This interview was an opportunity for him to expand on his 2014 article regarding the origins of the NFL’s personal conduct policy and their inconsistent enforcement of said policy.
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Fainaru-Wada, M., & Fainaru, S. (2014, November 9). OTL: NFL didn't enforce own policies. Retrieved from ESPN: https://www.espn.com/espn/otl/story/_/id/11849798/outside-lines-most-nfl- players-domestic-violence-cases-never-missed-down
This article was primarily used to provide backstory on how the NFL adopted a personal conduct policy. It also provided insight into how the NFL was inconsistent in their enforcement of the policy until the Ray Rice incident. Fenton, J. (2014, February 16). Ravens running back Ray Rice arrested after incident in Atlantic City. Retrieved from The Baltimore Sun: https://www.baltimoresun.com/sports/orioles/bal-ravens-running-back-ray-rice- arrested-after-incident-in-atlantic-city-20140216-story.html
This report from the Baltimore Sun ignited a months-long storyline surrounding Ray Rice an assault on his then-fiancée Janay Palmer. I used this source to provide context on initial details surrounding Rice (and Palmer’s) arrests. Gentile, P. (2012, July 3). Why Ray Rice is the Baltimore Ravens' Most Irreplaceable Player. Retrieved from Bleacher Report: https://bleacherreport.com/articles/1241610-why-ray-rice-is-the-baltimore-ravens- most-irreplaceable-player
Gentile’s piece on Rice was written two years before his assault and dismissal from the Ravens. This piece provides context on how significant Rice was to the Ravens, especially considering the team was looking for a new face of the franchise after Ray Lewis retired. It also provides details on how important Rice was to the Baltimore community with his outreach programs. Goodell, R. (2014, August 28). Roger Goodell letter to NFL owners. Retrieved from ESPN: https://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/11425532/roger-goodell-letter-nfl- teams-domestic-violence-policy
Weeks before TMZ released additional footage of Rice’s assault, Commissioner Roger Goodell sent a memo to NFL owners admitting he “didn’t get it right” with Rice’s two- game suspension. His note lists changes to the NFL’s personal conduct policy in response to public criticism. Janusz, S. (2012). The NFL's Strict Enforcement of its Personal Conduct Policy for Crimes Against Women" A Useful Tool for Combating Violence or an Attempt to Punish Morality? Seton Hall Journal of Sports and Entertainment Law, 93-128.
Janusz's study addresses the flaws of the NFL's personal conduct policy and how it affects how commissioner Goodell has gone about disciplining players accused of domestic violence. Her study also lists recommendations suggesting Goodell strictly adhere to the NFL’s personal conduct policy. This source can also supplement Cole's study on the current policy.
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Jenkins, S. (2014, September 9). Ray Rice domestic violence case shows NFL, Roger Goodell's willful blindness and need to maintain plausible deniability. The Washington Post.
This is an additional source critizing Roger Goodell's handling of the Ray Rice incident. This is more of an editorial take on Goodell and may not be as reliable compared to other articles from the Washington Post and USA Today.
Kansas City Chiefs. (2018, November 30). Kansas City Chiefs Official Twitter. Retrieved from Twitter: https://twitter.com/Chiefs/status/1068684175891488769/photo/1
This tweet from the Chiefs’ official Twitter account announced the release of Kareem Hunt. The organization’s communications staff mentioned Hunt was released because he was “not truthful” when reporting to team officials. Kerkhoff, B. (2018, February 12). Woman says Chiefs' Kareem Hunt shoved her, another police report lists her as a suspect. Retrieved from Kansas City Star: https://www.kansascity.com/sports/nfl/kansas-city-chiefs/article199748694.html
The Kansas City Star’s initial report on Hunt’s assault of Abigail Ottinger. The article mentions conflicting police reports indicating both Hunt and Ottinger were named as a suspect in the investigation. Kerkhoff, B. (2019, December 6). Phone Call with Blair Kerkhoff. (J. Ayen, Interviewer)
One of my primary sources was a phone call with Kansas City Star beat writer Blair Kerkhoff. Kerkhoff was one of the many local reporters covering the Hunt story as it unfolded during the 2018 offseason and into the 2018 NFL regular season. I mainly used Kerkhoff’s account of the day that Hunt was released and how this situation was similar to the Ray Rice incident in 2014. Koblin, J. (2015, January 2). The Team Behind the N.F.L's "No More" Campaign. Retrieved from The New York Times: https://www.nytimes.com/2015/01/04/style/the-team-behind-the-nfls-no-more- campaign.html
One of the NFL’s strategies to quiet criticism over its handling of Ray Rice was to partner with the No More nonprofit organization. This article from The New York Times describes the backstory into how the NFL started this partnership and reveals the success of the No More campaign in the aftermath of Rice. Maine, D. (2014, September 8). A Timeline of the NFL's and Ravens' Reactions to Ray Rice Incident. Retrieved from espnW: https://www.espn.com/espnw/news- commentary/story/_/id/11489146/a-line-nfl-ravens-reactions-ray-rice-incident
This source was used mainly to help to cover all significant events during the Ray Rice investigation and dismissal from the Ravens.
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Maske, M., & Kilgore, A. (2018, December 5). How two cass of player violence against women turned NFL seaon "upside down". Retrieved from The Washington Post: https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/how-two-cases-of- player-violence-against-women-turned-nfl-season-upside- down/2018/12/05/8fd69ed8-f7ea-11e8-8d64-4e79db33382f_story.html
Maske and Kilgore's article details two of the most recent cases of NFL players accused of violence against women, Reuben Foster and Kareem Hunt. The article describes the difference in fallout for both cases, yet points out the flaws of the NFL's most up-to-date form of the personal conduct policy.
McGregor, J. (2014, August 30). With NFL's domestic violence policy, Roger Goodell finally shows the right leadership: After much criticism, the NFL commissioner admits "I didn't get it right" and changes the league's domestic violence policy. Retrieved from The Washington Post: http://ulib.iupui.edu/cgi- bin/proxy.pl?url=http://search.proquest.com.proxy.ulib.uits.iu.edu/docview/15589 85516?accountid=7398
This short editorial breaks from the majority of criticism towards Goodell and his handling of the Ray Rice case. This writer acknowledges Goodell's mistakes and points out how Goodell conceded that the NFL fell short in response to the Ray Rice incident. This source may not be as in depth compared to other articles and journals, but it is one of the only sources to point out Goodell personally acknowleding the mishandling the Ray Rice case.
National Football League. (2014, December 10). NFL Owners Endorse New Personal Conduct Policy. Retrieved from NFL.com: http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap3000000441758/article/nfl-owners-endorse- new-personal-conduct-policy
I used this source primarily to list all of the significant changes made to the NFL’s personal conduct policy following criticism of Ray Rice’s two-game suspension. The NFL would use this revised policy when determining suspensions for other players such as Reuben Foster and Kareem Hunt. Nolan, J. (1996, January 17). Bengals Player Convicted of Domestic Violence Charge. Retrieved from Associated Press: https://apnews.com/5e61410b072ba7b730062bfc162e7af5
This source was used to provide additional details in the arrest of former Cincinnati Bengal Dan Wilkerson. Wilkerson’s assault of his then-pregnant girlfriend prompted the NFL to adopt their first personal conduct policy. PR Newswire. (2014, October 9). The Question Not Asked During NFL Owners Meeting; How Many Players Grew Up With Domestic Violence? Retrieved from PR Newsire: http://ulib.iupui.edu/cgi-
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This article allows readers to reflect on the conditions that many NFL players have grown up in, including witnessing domestic violence on a daily basis. This source can be treated similarly to Christensen, Gill and Perez's study on press coverage of Rice. It may not directly tie into the themes being studied in this paper, but it can provide context on the prevalence of domestic violence for future NFL players during their youth.
Schad, T. (2019, March 15). Kareem Hunt suspended 8 games by NFL for violating conduct policy. Retrieved from USA Today: https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/nfl/browns/2019/03/15/kareem-hunt- suspended-cleveland-browns-nfl/3172956002/
Schad’s report from March provides details into Hunt’s eight game suspension. Hunt received six games for his assault that was caught on video, along with an additional two games for an assault he was connected with during the summer of 2018. Spain, K. (2017, May 17). Before Russia investigation, Robert Mueller oversaw probe into NFL's handling of Ray Rice case. Retrieved from USA Today: https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/nfl/2017/05/17/robert-mueller-ray-rice- russia-investigation/101809590/
Spain’s article provides backstory on the Robert Mueller investigation into the NFL’s handling of Ray Rice back in 2014. Mueller was brought in after an anonymous law enforcement official tipped the Associated Press that the NFL had footage of Rice assaulting Palmer months before TMZ released the video. Mueller’s investigation found no evidence that the NFL had the tapes before they were leaked. Sweeney, K., Schramm-Possinger, M., Gregg, E. A., & Stranahan, H. (2016). Predicting Consumer Commitment: A Case Study of the NFL and Ray Rice. Case Studies in Sport Management, 89-94.
Sweeney, Schramm-Possinger, Gregg and Stranahan provide a different perspective on the Ray Rice case compared to other sources listed. This study investigates fan loyalty to a player accused of domestic violence and its associated team. The study could assist with the paper in constructing an argument that domestic violence cases have a negative or neutral impact on NFL fans.
Taylor, N. (2018, December 1). ‘Kareem cut Kareem’: In releasing Hunt, Chiefs vow to help him remain in NFL if he makes the necessary changes. Retrieved from The Athletic: https://theathletic.com/687823/2018/12/01/in-releasing-kareem- hunt-chiefs-vow-to-help-him-remain-in-nfl-if-he-makes-necessary-changes/
Taylor’s December piece shows an hour-by-hour breakdown of the day that Kareem Hunt was released by the Chiefs. It also reveals that Kansas City was willing to keep Hunt after the news broke in February, provided that Hunt was forthright into what happened during the night in question.
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Taylor, N. (2018, November 30). Taylor: After video surfaced of February incident, the Chiefs did the right thing in releasing Kareem Hunt. Retrieved from The Athletic: https://theathletic.com/686716/2018/11/30/after-video-surfaced-of- february-incident-chiefs-did-the-right-thing-in-releasing-kareem-hunt/
Taylor's analysis argues that the Kansas City Chiefs did the right thing in dismissing Kareem Hunt after video was released of him beating a woman. This article provides context to the Hunt incident and a reasonable take from the Chiefs' beat writer on The Athletic.
USA Today. (2019). NFL Player Arrests. Retrieved from USA Today: https://www.usatoday.com/sports/nfl/arrests/
This database shows recent cases of NFL players charged or convicted of committing various crimes, including domestic violence. This is an excellent source for referencing consequences and fallout of the various NFL players who were at least charged with committing domestic violence.
Van Natta Jr., D., & Van Valkenburg, K. (2014, September 19). Rice case: purposeful misdirection by team, scant investigation by NFL. Retrieved from ESPN Outside the Lines: https://www.espn.com/espn/otl/story/_/id/11551518/how- ray-rice-scandal-unfolded-baltimore-ravens-roger-goodell-nfl
Van Natta and Van Valkenburg’s report sheds light on the NFL’s mishandling of their investigation into Ray Rice in 2014. The report also revealed that despite many public statements from Ravens head coach John Harbaugh supporting Rice, internally he wanted to release him to eliminate the distraction. Van Valkenburg, K., & Rothstein, K. (2018, December 7). A night on the town, and the end of Kareem Hunt's Chiefs career. Retrieved from ESPN Outside the Lines: https://www.espn.com/espn/otl/story/_/id/25471824/how-kareem-hunt-nfl-career- was-put-hold-night-town
Outside the Lines was able to give readers an in-depth look at the investigation into Kareem Hunt’s assault on Abigail Ottinger in February 2018. While the article provides first-hand accounts from the witnesses, I used this source to discuss the discrepancies between what the NFL reported in their investigation and what actually transpired. Volin, B. (2018, December 1). Kareem Hunt incident shows NFL still not taking domestic violence seriously. Retrieved from Boston Globe: https://www.bostonglobe.com/sports/patriots/2018/12/01/kareem-hunt-incident- shows-nfl-still-not-taking-domestic-violence- seriously/AeJFyo0DcuWNkhqS1sFqkJ/story.html
Boston Globe beat writer Ben Volin writes that the NFL has not learned the lessons of their handling of the Ray Rice case. This source is a good reference compare/contrast how the NFL handled the Ray Rice and Kareem Hunt cases.
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Walker, C. (2019, December 11). Phone call with Baltimore Sun writer Childs Walker. (J. Ayen, Interviewer)
My final primary source was a phone call with Baltimore Ravens beat writer Childs Walker. Walker, a 17-year veteran for the Baltimore Sun, gave Wenger, Y. (2014, August 30). NFL's efforts to serve female fan base come under scrutiny. The Baltimore Sun.
Wenger's perspective is unique in that she is writing from the Baltimore Sun, the mainstream paper that covered Ray Rice and the Baltimore Ravens. This could be useful to observe how Wenger went about criticizing the NFL's handling of the Ray Rice situation compared to national papers like USA Today and the New York Times.
Zink, A. (2018). The Suspensions are Killing Me: Why the NFL's Approach to Off- Field Conduct Needs Rehab. Journal of Legal Aspects in Sport, 222-248.
Zink's study provides additional perspective on how the NFL can adjust the personal conduct policy to better evaluate players accused of domestic violence. This is used as an alternative compared to Janusz’s recommendations on how the NFL can combat violence against women.
- ABC News. (2014). Ray Rice's Domestic Violence Suspension Criticized. Retrieved from ABCNews.com: https://preview.abcnews.go.com/GMA/video/ray-rices-domestic-violence-suspension-criticized-24725538