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Violence in Sports
women in their lives," writes sports columnist Sally Jenkins, but "what seems plain enough is that some superstar athletes are losing their ability to negotiate ordinary everyday situations and setbacks, whether career or romantic." What these "criminal women bashers" have in common she writes is "that their basic conversational skill and ability to cope in normal adult relationships seem to have withered." And they may have withered, she adds, precisely because they get their way all the time and because they are surrounded by "apologists" who give them permission to behave the way they do. For more, see "It's Their Way Or the Hard Way," Sally Jenkins, The Washington Post, July 29, 2002; Page D01.
Sports columnist Jason Whitlock doesn't think women should count on men to combat the rash of domestic-abuse cases haunting high-profile, influential professional athletes. Nor should they expect the leagues to come up with a strong deterrent. Instead, he thinks women should use their purchasing power to lead the fight. He says a boycott of products that star athletes endorse would send a powerful message to the abusers themselves and his millionaire peers. And it would serve as "a perfect opportunity for a parent to talk with a young boy about the scourge of domestic violence and why it's important to show a spouse or girlfriend respect." See "Women must lead way in fight against domestic violence," Jason Whitlock, The Kansas City Star, July 26, 2002.
Part of the problem with athletes who abuse women close to them, writes Mike Freeman of The New York Times, is they nearly always get a second chance, even if they have been accused previously of attacking women. He suggests leagues and player unions agree to limit second chances with these measures:
1. Suspend players for one-year the first time they plead out or are convicted of violence against a woman. Impose a lifetime ban if he is convicted a second time. In both cases, the accused could appeal a conviction to an arbitrator, approved by the union and the league. If he prevails in arbitration, the suspension would be reversed and the league would pay him compensatory damages.
2. Make the franchises themselves more accountable by imposing $1 million fine and $4 millions salary-cap clip on a team who signs a player with a previous domestic violence conviction or suspension if that player is convicted a second time.
See "Fix Needed for Epidemic of Violence," Mike Freeman, The New York Times, July 26, 2002.
Enough, writes, Gary Shelton of the St. Petersburg Times, with the euphemisms women beaters and their enablers use to deny responsibility or claim self-victimization for their crimes against women. He shows exactly why domestic violence isn't a private matter, and challenges professional sports to take these "more seriously than a public relations distraction." See "Don't let abusers off hook," Gary Shelton, St. Petersburg Times, July 25, 2002.
Detailing statistics of domestic-violence crimes, Newsday's Johnette Howard observes that violence against women is a crime that men, and not just male athletes, commit in epidemic [next page]