True to American media style, you spent all week hearing about Ray Rice, whether you wanted to or not. The graphic video of Rice knocking his then-fiancé, Janae, out cold was seared into our brains much like a hot poker on a cow’s rear end. Ah, and then there were the pundits. In how many different ways can they say what poor judgment (gross disregard for human decency) Roger Goodell, the NFL, and the Baltimore Ravens organization exercised in failing to address this situation seriously. Okay, Keith Olbermann’s searing yet succinct address the ol’ commish was on point – as was most of the commentary that followed. But I fear, much with any ultra-sensationalized topic, it will soon be replaced by something else (as the news tends to go). I’ve occasionally witnessed some advocates for domestic violence victims offering their expert opinions on various talk shows, but there is a serious lack of conversation about preventing this type of behavior in the first place, much like most criminal problems in this country.
Once again, the “solution” to a devastating act of violence comes so late that it is rendered obsolete. How many times does something like this have to happen for the NFL to be proactive about ensuring mental health counseling, anger management, and alternative therapy to distinguish between physical interaction on the football field versus physical contact outside of the football spectrum? These men are trained to deal hits on the field and many sustain brain injuries in the process. It would be ignorant to believe that players weren’t also prone to violence off the field.
It wasn’t until I was hired to do some research for a high-profile murder case that I truly understood the impact of traumatic brain injuries (TBI) and repeated physical trauma on the human psyche. It can and does cause post-traumatic stress disorder, as witnessed through thousands of veterans returning from multiple deployments in the Middle East. Though much of the overlap between TBIs and physical violence is not entirely understood, more and more studies show that repeated sustenance of both lead to acts of domestic violence. Now, I am not suggesting that this exculpates Rice from what he did, or even that it would be offered as mitigating evidence had he been charged and the case went to trial. However, since USA Today began collecting information in 2000 about NFL arrests, the rate for domestic violence arrests is more than four times worse than the league’s arrest rate for all offenses (and account for 48% of violent crime arrests, compared to 21% of the general American population). This is not merely an unfortunate coincidence; rather it is an indication that the league is failing its players, their loved ones, and the beleaguered fans. He should be held accountable for what he did, but he certainly is not the only player to engage in DV, nor will he be the last unless the NFL adopts a protocol beyond the punitive.
Last year, ESPN featured a huge spread on the Seattle Seahawks during the preseason. The article focused heavily on the “unusual” techniques the team used to establish a happy, healthy and functional organization. Said techniques include everything from positive and happy reinforcement to “Neurotopia” brain-performance testing that monitors how much sleep a player is getting and how they cope with various sources of stress in their lives. Mention was also given regarding Jovan Belcher, the Kansas City player who shot his girlfriend nine times then committed suicide in the team facility parking lot. The speech given by the director of player personnel for the Chiefs, Chris Ballard, seven months later at the Rookie Symposium? “Nobody cares about your problems. The fans don’t care. The media doesn’t care. And ownership doesn’t care. They care about results.”
This insensitive mentality has been the widely accepted manner to separate the men from the boys in a sport with a no-sissy policy. Not for the Seahawks. Pete Carroll and company were smart enough to realize that macho-ism is sooooooo last millennium, bringing in a whole staff dedicated to ensuring a mentally (in addition to physically) healthy team. Sports psychologist Mike Gervais proudly leads the team in regular meditation sessions. The team is fed local organic meats, fruits and vegetables. And they all do yoga together, because you know what? They liked it so much as an optional workout that the team now makes it mandatory. You know what happened when Chad Ochocinco had to complete anger management counseling for head butting his ex-wife Evelyn Lozada back in 2012? He started going to yoga, and heralded it as a great way to relieve stress and find inner peace when he has moments of uncontrollable anger. Then people made fun of him, mostly behind the veil of a computer screen, but nonetheless using epithets that I will not repeat here.
Every NFL organization, coach, player (hell, even the water boys) should have read that ESPN article. Having such a wealth of knowledge about how the human brain works: how it responds, how it thrives, how it shrinks … it is a crime that any NFL team continues to use the antiquated masculine criticism to motivate their players to succeed. Teams have won Super Bowls before, but when I reflect upon their path they used to get there, it really is easy to see why they were and continue to be the happiest and most harmonious team in the NFL. Hopefully Elevatorgate 2014 will knock some sense into other organizations, nonviolently, of course.
Add The Sports Daily to your Google News Feed!
