Super Bowl Coverage of Domestic Violence

The coverage of domestic violence leading up to and after the SuperBowl has been disappointing to say the least. I saw one commercial floating around - the one with the lady pretending to order pizza to a 911 operator - prior to the SuperBowl and I was impressed with it. I saw the story of that conversation months prior to the SuperBowl and I was happy that they decided to incorporate it into the SuperBowl, especially given the events happening throughout the NFL this season. The commercial was powerful, poignant and had the capability of silencing everyone in the room.



I was disappointed to see that they cut the commercial from one minute to 30 seconds. I feel that the NFL has some serious work to do when it comes to educating their players, coaches and fans about domestic violence and the many forms it can manifest. The controversy about Ray Rice - and subsequently, Adrian Peterson - came solely from the fact that people everywhere were outraged. If the TMZ tape of Ray Rice didn’t leak, I don’t think Peterson’s punishment would have been so harsh. I seriously doubt certain NFL teams care or take this very common issue seriously. The Ravens, who cut Rice only after the tape leaked, still employ Terrell Suggs, who has been accused of beating and spilling bleach on his girlfriend.



Given how lax Rice’s punishment was to start (for context: Cleveland Browns receiver Josh Gordon was suspended for the 2014 season due to failing a marijuana test, yet Rice originally only got suspended for two games) Those atrocious, embarrassing commercials they’ve been playing all season long embarrass me every single time. Media outlets have praised different NFL players for taking part in a commercial where they cry, act speechless, truly seem to be wrestling with some inner pain before declaring that there should be “no more” domestic violence. Every single time I see praise for those commercials, I am dumbfounded. We often hold our athletes on a pedestal, and sometimes that includes turning another cheek when it comes to breaking the law, and maybe that’s the reason these guys are receiving so much praise for “taking a stand” against domestic violence - even though your average person could probably tell you at age eight that you shouldn’t be violent towards significant others or family members.



I think the media and the NFL could have done a lot more in regards to education on domestic violence. Devote commercials to battered woman syndrome, agencies and shelters for the abused, charity organizations aimed towards helping victims. Mandate that your players and coaches learn about the vicious cycles that take place, and make sure authority figures in the NFL and outside of it do the right thing when it comes to human beings, rather than the sport. Make sure Roger Goodell is doing the right thing for the men - and their families - of the NFL, rather than for the league as a whole. Protecting an abusive athlete just because he earns a lot of money for the league and you want to avoid controversy doesn’t do anything other than encourage the abuse to go on.