Remember when the NFL used to offer an escape?
Now it requires one.
Instead of spending time talking about offense and defense, a lot of people are turning their conversations to policy and procedures related to everything from head trauma cases to domestic violence reports.
College of Charleston communication professor Vince Benigni says the negative press surrounding the NFL in recent months could have an impact on their fan base.
RELATED: CNN reports on the NFL’s public relations nightmare.
Communication Professor Vince Benigni
“The NFL has been negligent in addressing many social issues, including domestic violence,” Benigni notes. “The concussion lawsuits (from former players) have coincided with a significant drop in youth football participation. The Washington Redskins/nickname controversy lingers on. The NFL remains an economic and social monolith, but the public will not tolerate a continued pattern of scandals and the perception of ‘protecting the shield’ versus being transparent and socially aware.”
He says it is unbelievable that the National Football League could make such a big public relations mistake.
“For a multi-billion dollar corporation with considerable investigative reach to not have access to a video that an entertainment web site bids on and airs, it was a colossal failure by the league. To believe that two games would be an adequate punishment, based on the first video evidence, is stupefying. Commissioners should take the lead of the NBA’s (recently appointed) Adam Silver in meting punishments, not based on potential legal ramifications, but instead on what is the right thing to do.”
Since 45 percent of the NFL fan base is female, there has been speculation that the NFL may lose women viewers. College of Charleston communication professor (and die-hard Denver Bronco fan) Laurie Lattimore-Volkmann says she doesn’t think that there will be a mass exodus from female fans.
RELATED: Read how communication professor’s letter to Peyton Manning goes viral.
“If women are true football fans, they’ll stick with the sport no matter what,” says Lattimore-Volkmann. “They may become disenchanted with players or teams or (NFL Commissioner) Roger Goodell and the organization, but I can’t see women just giving up on watching the sport because one guy – or even several guys – beat up their wives and girlfriends and kids. Plus, that behavior isn’t unique to football or sports.”
RELATED: AdWeek says NFL needs to go big to restore brand with women.
Communication Professor Laurie Lattimore-Volkmann and her family with Denver Bronco quarterback Peyton Manning.
The NFL has seen its fair share of domestic violence cases. According to a study by USA TODAY, since January 2000, the league has had 89 players arrested for domestic violence charges. Of the cases that have been resolved, about 60 percent of the cases result in diversionary programs or convictions. However, the report shows that the NFL rarely punished such players with a suspension of more than one or two games — a policy that Goodell has changed to a six-game suspension for first-time offenders.
Lattimore-Volkmann says the ad hoc way that the NFL issues punishments needs to be addressed.
“I think the (Ray) Rice incident, along with all the recent suspensions, highlights the NFL’s inconsistency in doling out punishment for players who screw up. I am in favor of strong punishments for players who break the rules, but I’d like them to be consistent too. A two-game suspension to Rice for dragging his wife out of an elevator (even before the recent tape exposed the entire incident) seems completely out of whack, especially when compared to four-game suspensions for guys who take party drugs.”
Lattimore-Volkmann would prefer the NFL have tougher penalties for all first-time and subsequent violations across the board, and she advocates a ban from the sport for athletes found guilty of crimes involving hurting others – child abuse, domestic violence, etc.
“The league should send a strong message of no-tolerance for violence to others,” she said.
Benigni says if the NFL wants to see how scandal can impact a sport, all they have to do is look at Major League Baseball.
“If the league takes aggressive stances against domestic violence, even above the recent announcement of six games for first offense and lifetime ban for second, then the Rice incident may be a watershed moment for the league. It took baseball decades to aggressively test for PEDs (performance-enhancing drugs), and while the public generally supports such measures, the recent declining offensive numbers in the sport are cause for concern.”
