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17 Sep 2014

American football: domestic abuse campaigners take on NFL

UK football may have its problems, but they don’t begin to match those confronting its US cousin, the NFL, which has seen 84 of its players facing claims of domestic violence in the last 14 years.

It’s a make-up advert with a makeover – this photo-shopped ad has gone viral, as campaigners demand that the National Football League transforms its attitude to domestic violence, writes Hannah Miller.

The image calls on CoverGirl magazine to boycott its sponsorship of the NFL, amid a domestic abuse scandal that is engulfing the league.

Under the banner #GoodellMustGo, campaigners have gone on the attack, battling to bring down NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell.

They claim he was too soft on Baltimore Ravens star Ray Rice, who was served with a two-game ban after knocking his fiancé (now his wife) unconscious in a lift.

That ban was extended indefinitely after a video emerged showing the full horror of the incident, but the NFL knows it has a long way to go until it reaches the end zone.

‘I didn’t get it right’

Following an admission that he “didn’t get it right” in relation to Rice, Commissioner Goodell has hurried to establish a domestic violence policy.

He scrambled a team of four women to “help lead and shape the NFL’s policies and programs relating to domestic violence and sexual assault”, and brought in former White House official Cynthia C Hogan to drive the project through to completion.

But as the scale of this offensive suggests, domestic violence in the NFL is by no means limited to the case of Ray Rice.

According to the USA Today NFL arrests database, 84 active players have been arrested since 2000 on charges of domestic violence, a phenomenon that embroils 27 of the league’s 32 teams.

Among them is Greg Hardy of the Carolina Panthers, who has been found guilty of assaulting and threatening to kill his girlfriend, but went on to play in his team’s opening match of the season.

Despite the NFL’s claims to demand “ethical and responsible” conduct of its employees, teams have often been left to discipline players themselves, creating inconsistencies and confusion.

Now Commissioner Goodell has set out on a crusade “to make a real difference on these and other issues.” And there are, indeed, a whole host of other issues – child abuse charges, cheerleader pay, and tax exemption, to name but a few.

Marie Claire magazine cover

On domestic violence, Goodell hopes his stronger penalties and mandatory education programmes will contribute to an increased awareness of the issue across society.

Growing influence of women

Amid the crisis, the NFL has a game plan. Appealing to women is very much part of that plan.

Dr C Keith Harrison, author of a report into the experience of women attending games, says the NFL has woken up to the potential purchasing power of women, whose influence “is only going to grow”.

Hence the introduction of women’s apparel, female-only fan groups and sponsored articles in magazines.

While it is unlikely that current controversies will have a major impact on women’s affiliation to the sport, the season has certainly kicked off to a poor start for the NFL. By bringing on board new players in a bid to tackle its problems, the league hopes it can protect its image from further damage.