The NFL

It seems that everyone has an opinion with what seems to be an epidemic with players in pro sports, particularly the National Football League. So here is my two cents worth...

Players are being arrested for domestic violence, child abuse, and/or drug and alcohol violations, yet if you murder someone, that is OK. Ray Rice-suspended for spousal abuse, Adrian Peterson- suspended, then not suspended, for whipping a child with a stick, 31 players in 2014 so far for drug/alcohol violations including Wes Welker and Josh Gordon (league standouts). Yet Aaron Hernandez can gun down several people and sit waiting for trial and not be suspended from the NFL. If all charges were dropped against Hernandez today, he could be playing next weekend. Jovan Belcher killed his girlfriend and then turned the gun on himself, I guess saving the NFL from levying sanctions against him (if any).

Lesson and message is...it is ok to kill, just don't abuse.

Now I am against domestic violence, really against child abuse, and think there should be consequences for some drug and alcohol violations. I am also against murder. But should the NFL have its own court and laws for this? Is this not double jeopardy? Are these players being tried and punished twice for the same crime? Shouldn't the NFL wait until courts make a decision before placing their own judgement on the players?

Michael Vick is a good example. He was arrested for abusing animals and did time and paid his debt to society. Many do not like the fact that afterwards he was allowed to return to the league. But as with any criminal, he met his punishment and was deemed rehabilitated, so he should be allowed to return to society as a member. Now once again I do not like what Vick did, and I am against it, but understand that he served his penance, so should be allowed to work, his job and career just happened to be professional football.

Remember that this is the same organization that has ignored head injuries and establishing any kind of protocol for dealing with the long term effects of concussions. This past year they finally passed a poor program offering just financial compensation for former players that have had documented head injuries. May be they need to start looking and supporting research how head injuries effect the cognitive function of players current playing the game and decision making.

Mental illness, both psychological and physically caused, are some of the most under studied and non-addressed health issues facing our society. We witness the mass shootings, the road rage, the suicides, and more, yet we still are afraid to talk about it. We will engage in our own inane way the "Ice Bucket Challenges" to try and cure a genetic disease that affects a very small amount of people, but do nothing about something that is much more treatable and much more widespread. Warped values in my eyes.