Ray Rice and the disappearance of moral fiber...

Where has the moral fiber of this country gone?  I know, there are many answers to that question. There are many reasons it has degraded.

But in regards to sports teams, where has it gone?

Not everyone in pro sports is corrupt.  Shoot, I don't even believe the ones who are all do it conscientiously either.  I believe many may fall victim to the world of "succeed or else" and it causes them to deviate from their own moral compass.  And I'm not just talking about the millionaire players and billionaire owners of the NFL either. Those folks sometimes look the other way when the offending player is vital to the team. It makes them money. But why are the fans and media caught in this same tolerant behavior?

The fans and media are okay with criminals, dope fiends, and wife beaters so long as it gives their team (of which they have no real connection) a better shot at winning. That's what it seems like.

We don't know for sure who knew what, and when they knew it about the Ray Rice incident. But we did know he hit a woman and knocked her unconscious. And the NFL slapped his wrist. The DA basically gave him a lecture.  Did you know the Raven fans cheered him when he came to practice the first time after the incident?  Cheered him?  For what? See that image to the right?  That man hit his wife and then was cheered when he came to practice.  Unbelievable.

But that all came unglued this morning when the TMZ full video (watch it if you want to be sick to your stomach) was released and no one could hide from how awful an act Ray Rice committed.

Now many are lauding the Ravens and the NFL for their quick action.  The Ravens cut him from the team and the NFL suspended him indefinitely.  Bull Crud! They only acted because it got too big and ugly for them to hide anymore.  And it's quite possible they've been hiding it all along. I find it unimaginable that the DA, the NFL and the Ravens couldn't get that video, but TMZ could. They were covering it up and then the covers blew up.

So why is this behavior tolerated?  And don't tell me it isn't tolerated, and they are just trying to give the players a second chance!

Ya, ya I believe in second chances. So How's this for a second chance. Mr. NFL player you hit your wife (smoked crack, got a DUI, fill in the blank). We aren't going to pay you 9 million dollars. We are going to send you to rehab, pay you the equivalent to someone in the military makes while in you are in rehab, and then help you find a regular job to finish out your life.  You are done with the NFL.  There are over 129 Division I college teams, each with 90 plus players all waiting to take to your place.  We don't need you.  We don't want you.  Have you heard fast food workers are trying to get $15 an hour?  Here's an application.  Good luck.

That is a second chance.

Ray Rice should never take another snap in the  NFL. His second chance is that he's not going to prison.  His second chance is that his wife's father doesn't plant him in the backyard.  Those are his second chances.  He doesn't deserve a second chance to make millions of dollars to play a game.  We need to seriously look at our definition of what a second chance is.

I keep hearing sports announcers say things like "this is bigger than the NFL", "It is a society issue, not just a locker room issue."  News Flash announcers - everything is bigger than the NFL.  It is a game.  Kids all over America play it for free.  They play it for fun.

And the saddest part of all of this is that if TMZ hadn't released the video, Ray would have been on the field playing in a couple of weeks.  No more penalty.  No repercussions. And who knows when it would have happened again - and it still may.

Rob
www.starvt.com