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| Josh Huff was arrested and subsequently released by the Eagles last week |
On Tuesday, November 1, Philadelphia Eagles receiver Josh Huff was arrested in New Jersey for carrying a 9 mm handgun without a permit (According to ESPN). While the arrest itself wasn't shocking in nature (which is a problem in itself), Huff's ensuing comments were:
"I'm a professional athlete. What professional athlete don't have a gun? I have a wife and son at home. My job is to protect them at all costs."
Huff, 25, went on to claim it was his belief that every NFL player carries a firearm, lawfully or otherwise. Though he later apologized, Huff's initial dismissive comments beg a very serious question. Has illegal gun possession and violent crime, such as domestic abuse, become commonplace in professional sports?
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| Aaron Hernandez has become the poster boy for crime in the NFL |
Those of us who follow sports even remotely are aware of the major offenders over the past decade. Aaron Hernandez (above), former Patriots tight end, was charged with first-degree murder in June of 2013. Former NBA player Gilbert Arenas was charged with a felony following a 2009 incident in which he and teammate Javaris Crittenton allegedly both had guns in the Washington Wizards locker room. Ex-NFL linebacker Greg Hardy was arrested in 2014 for choking then-girlfriend Nicole Holder, and then throwing her onto a couch covered in guns. This last offense combines gun violence with domestic abuse, the two most prevalent and disturbing forms of violent crime we see in professional sports today.
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| Ray Rice still cannot find a job in the NFL |
Does the NFL Continue to Turn a Blind Eye on Domestic Violence?
Two years ago, NFL commissioner Roger Goodell admitted that he "didn't get it right" in the two-game suspension of Baltimore Ravens running back Ray Rice following a felony assault incident (NYP Article). Although the charges were dropped, the league, separate from the court system, was at liberty to dole out any punishment it deemed necessary. Having seen the infamous video of Rice knocking out his then-fiancee (now wife) and dragging her from an elevator, Goodell decided that a two-game suspension was an appropriate sentence. Later recognizing the degree to which he belittled the incident, he issued a statement saying that this behavior has no place in the league, and that a new policy will be implemented in regards to it. The new policy claimed that an initial domestic violence offense will draw an immediate six-week suspension, while a second offense could result in banishment from the league. Yet, even after the Rice debacle, the NFL reduced the aforementioned Hardy's suspension from 10 games to four following an appeal. Are you kidding me? Did the people in charge (namely Goodell) at 345 Park Ave in New York (NFL office) read the police report following Hardy's arrest? Did they see the pictures of Nicole Holder? Did they realize the extent to which guns and weapons were involved? Perhaps not, because no one having done so would have given a maniac like Hardy such a pass in a situation like this.
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| The Giants recently released kicker Josh Brown |
"I have physically, mentally, emotionally and verbally been a repulsive man. I have abused my wife. I viewed myself as God basically and she was my slave."
If this is not an admission of guilt, I don't know what is. Yet, if you were to look up Josh Brown, he is listed as a free agent, ready to play for an organization of his choosing. Whether any team is desperate enough to pick him up remains to be seen, but just the fact that he remains able to play is a conundrum. Where is this new policy? Where is this harder stance?
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| Mets pitcher Jeurys Familia was arrested last week |
Of course, the NFL is not alone in its domestic violence issue. Prominent MLB players such as Cubs closer Aroldis Chapman, Mets infielder Jose Reyes, and most recently Mets closer Jeurys Familia, have all been arrested on similiar charges. While Reyes and Chapman have both served suspensions, the jury is still out on Familia. From the NBA, Sacramento Kings forward Darren Collison was suspended eight games to open the season after assaulting and injuring his wife. If we date back further, the list goes on and on.
Is Violence Actually More Prevalent Among Athletes?
While overall arrest rates among men ages 20-39 are significantly lower among professional athletes, startling statistics come to light when examining violent crime specifically. According to a Huffington Post article (HP Article), researchers identified six years in which the rate of NFL players' violent crime was above the national average at what was considered a "statistically significant" level. Over the span of time between 2000 and 2013, the rate of NFL players arrested for violent crimes was higher than the national average overall. The article classifies violent crime as things such as murder, manslaughter, robbery, aggravated assault, sexual assault, rape, battery, domestic violence, child abuse and kidnapping.
What makes the discrepancy even more alarming is the fact that nearly all those NFL players fall into a high-income group, which is naturally less inclined to commit violent crime. Yet, it is something we see routinely among professional athletes of all sports. While some may argue that we simply hear more about the indiscretions of an athlete due to their high-profile, the routine way these occurrences are viewed is undoubtedly a problem.
In 2015, Bethany P. Withers revisited her 2010 article (Article) reviewing the treatment by three major sports (MLB, NFL, NBA) of athletes accused of domestic violence. She explains the issue lay dormant in 2010, but it had come to the forefront five years later. While she addresses that the leagues have now acknowledged the role they have to play in quelling this type of crime, she also argues they have not done enough. For example, from January 2010 to December 2014, there were 64 incidents of alleged domestic violence or sexual assault, and in only seven of those instances were the offending players punished by their respective league.
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| League officials such as Roger Goodell have a major responsibility |
Maybe this slap-on-wrist mentality plays a major role in the continuation of this behavior. Entitlement has certainly been discussed as a factor, whether as an adult or from a young age. Athletes often develop an ego early on, and some grow to think they are above the law. Maybe it is inherent in their nature, particularly football players, to channel on-the-field aggression elsewhere. Regardless of the plethora of reasons, it is an issue that needs to be heavily scrutinized going forward. Look at Aaron Hernandez, who was due to earn $40 million and was less than a year removed from catching passes in the Super Bowl, and is now a murderer behind bars. The motives of the offenders remains a great mystery, but violent crime is not simply an epidemic among rich professional athletes. It starts with the fact that is has become an epidemic in our country as a whole. Violence has become common, even expected, in 2016, a trend that can and must stop. Perhaps that process begins tonight with the 2016 Presidential Election.
