This was in my newspaper this week. Here are some of the tough questions Dave Hyde asks in his column:"Once upon a time, the antidote for such ugliness was to escape to the games. Enjoy Sunday. Soak up the fun. But now? Is it just me who's having trouble seeing the fun and games as just fun and games anymore?Can you enjoy football the same way when even the NFL testified in federal court one in every three players will suffer mental problems in their retirement?
What does it say that America's biggest game not only cripples players during them but increasingly leaves them with mental problems for life? Or can you set that aside to enjoy your football weekend?"
I hate the thought of Mark Cuban being right (again). Remember when he predicted the demise of the NFL in May? His rationale was not based on the bad PR of wife and child abusers, rather the gluttony of the owners who will fill every night with football.
Kind of like when ABC saturated prime time with "Who Wants to be a Millionaire?" in 2000. I still remember my friend Matt Zelkind, the news director at WKRN, initially giddy at the early ratings and then moaning in anguish when the network gurus considered the show like crack or heroin and gave us three doses per week.
The Incognito saga was shameful and I hated that it involved the team I am trying to love. Then along came Ray Rice. And Adrian Peterson. And a host of other less-famous accused abusers.
Domestic violence accounts for 85 of the 713 arrests of NFL players since 2000 in a database compiled by USA Today.
On the way home from work Friday, I listened to Dan Le Betard interview Don Van Natta, the author of an unfolding story detailing how the Ravens tried to cover up the whole mess.
"The NFL's billionaire owners, who pay Goodell more than $44 million a year, are said to be supporting him as he navigates the worst crisis in NFL history and as some league sponsors, most notably Anheuser-Busch, are jittery. Carolina Panthers owner Jerry Richardson is asking the owners to sign a petition of support for Goodell; at least three have apparently done so. For his part, Goodell has told friends he'd never resign, and he said he's confident his job is not in jeopardy."Get this fixed, Goodell. Or get out.
