February of 2014 Ray Rice and his then-fiancee Janay Palmer were arrested on a claim of domestic violence. Video surfaced of the Baltimore Ravens running back dragging Palmer's semi-conscious body from an elevator after allegedly punching her with substantial force. Many accusations claim the NFL did indeed obtain information about the criminal situation, yet did little to punish Rice. Perhaps the most important part of the Rice case was the fact that the NFL only took true action in punishing Rice after the video had gone viral. According to accusations, a law official sent the league a copy of the elevator surveillance to which a confirmation voicemail was received in response. The problem with the league's role in this situation was their attempt to hide the truth instead of admitting they were in the wrong. The Rice case is significant because it provides a look into what the league chose as a priority, and in this case it was preserving a star athlete instead of executing what was ethically right. Morality is subject to variations, yet morality is defined as the differentiation of right and wrong depending on intentions, decisions, and actions. Given that endorsing criminal actions is immoral, supporting the NFL -- an industry with a record of enabling disreputable actions -- is immoral. Both the NFL and fans are responsible for the growing acceptance of unethical actions, and in order to preserve respect for the game this must be stopped. 

Human competition has always existed as a dominant source of entertainment. In today's society watching football is arguably America's new pastime, which makes any negative criticism or feedback nearly impossible to defend. However new research and recent scandals compel those who dare to question the ethics of the National Football League. Criminal records, cheating, and financial scams reside as a few topics football fans have become accustom to. "Their [fans] fervor, in part, allows tarnished heroes, fallen by felony and bad behavior, to crawl their way back onto the field and into our hearts." (Wenner). The problem occurs when people acknowledge a scandal or crime as unethical, yet continue to pour money into the exact industry that hold the criminals.

The  NFL succeeds as a superior industry profiting off of the loyalty of the fans nationwide, so it has become all too easy for this industry to feed the public an image they can justify. "The intensity and drama of football can obscure the dangers, decadence and moral ambiguities inherent to the beloved blood sport." (Leibovich). The question is, have fans been blinded by this industry into supporting something unethical? The state of denial can't exempt anyone from committing a crime, and likewise the state of denial can't be an excuse for supporting a corrupt industry. However many sources argue that the denial from fans stems from manipulation of powerful authorities controlling the NFL. Two concepts seem to be the core of the NFL's focus, the Shield and relevance. 

The Shield is a symbol of almost mystical power, and its display seems to be governed by some Constitution-like power, and it stands for big notions, like ''Respect,'' ''Resilience,'' ''Integrity'' and ''Responsibility to Team,'' (Leibovich). The idea of protecting the Shield directly  supports the accusations that authority within the NFL will go to extremes, ethically right or not, to illustrate a respectable image. 

The Ray Rice case in 2014 is an example of how important it is to protect the Shield at all costs. However, we have seen cases like Rice before with perhaps one of the most well known NFL players who disobeyed the law, Michael Vick. He prevailed as the Atlanta Falcons quarterback and ultimately became the face of the team, but criminal charges started rolling in. Vick obtained accusations of animal abuse and sexual crimes, yet the NFL permitted his return to the field. The fact that a violent criminal could be let back into the league is troubling enough, but the fact that the NFL has not learned to better enforce rules and create policies that prevent such actions is even more troubling.  

The word "relevance" has a double meaning for the NFL. Joe Thomas stated, "It's almost like the Kim Kardashian factor  --  that any news is good news when you're in the N.F.L.'' similarly to Jerry Jones who said, ''Make no mistake about it: Legitimate negative criticism does not diminish interest,'' (Leibovich). As Jerry Jones stated, all attention on the league, good or bad, makes them money. The league strives to make a good image for themselves, yet aren't necessarily bothered when they are making headlines, even if it's negative. The idea is relevance provides money, therefore the league shouldn't mind criticism. However the NFL upholding their relevance is a constant balancing act, and critiques as well as fans are starting to catch on to the ongoing cycle. Multiple athletes in the league, past and present, have been accused or convicted of a violence based crime, so the NFL continuously vows to "take action". The problem with this is the actions they take do not seem to be enforced or constructive, and some reports even state rules for unethical situations are just made up on the spot (Silverman). For example, in the 49th Superbowl ads were created to promote the end to domestic violence within the league, and prevent viewers from engaging in such actions as well. The idea of a preventative ad made the NFL look like they were acknowledging the real problem with violence, yet they weren't actually creating new policies or taking true action (Lauricella & Werly). 

Whether people believe in the Shield of the NFL or not there is no escaping the truth that we are all affected by the industry. The Super Bowl exists as the most watched television broadcast in United States history. Recognizing the immense audience the Super Bowl reaches it is notably perceived the NFL is one of the most influential industries of the nation. The fact that football is such a dominant industry means it is not just affecting those who are fans of it. Sports in America have been the guidelines to show kids sportsmanship, responsibility, and work ethic. The NFL provides society with the Shield which showcases the same inspiring characteristics, but with the good comes the bad. If younger fans are watching their favorite superstars get away with crimes it will render the importance of obeying the law. If Tom Brady and the Patriots can get away with cheating and scams, young fans might be encouraged to cheat to get ahead. 

For example, kids all around America have posters of their favorite players and teams plastered on their bedroom walls, and walk around school with the jersey of their favorite player. These players represent their teams, and when they engage in criminal activities the fans wearing their jerseys automatically identify with a criminal. Loyal fans are put into a predicament, either support a beloved superstar, or look past the competition and realize what is ethically right. 

In addition to Ray Rice, former Carolina Panther Greg Hardy has become the face of the domestic violence problem within the NFL. The Hardy case became nationally known in May of 2014, only months after the Rice case. According to reports Hardy's assault consisted of throwing his girlfriend, Nicole Holder, into a bathroom wall before taking her by her hair and forcing her onto a futon with several rifles on it (Braziller). Photo evidence shows bruises covering Holder's body entirely. The significance of the known details in this tragic assault is the approval of Hardy to return to the field. Hardy committed a barbaric crime and yet his disgraceful actions resulted in minimum punishment.  Two serious violent assaults occurred within months of each other and some people still believe the NFL doesn't have a domestic violence problem. Perhaps even more troubling, it is logical to consider that due to the league attempting to prevent these crimes from becoming public, there is a possibility that these are just the cases we know about, there could be more. 

Comparing authorities within the NFL provides insight into the backbone and foundation the league runs on. In the midst of the Greg Hardy case, the Defensive End was a Carolina Panthers player, owned by Jerry Richardson. Despite Hardy having some of the best statistics for the team, Richardson didn't hesitate to come to the conclusion that Hardy needed to leave Carolina. Richardson accepted the criticism from those only looking out for the team's statistics. He kept to his morals when defending his actions saying his opinion of domestic violence was not one of indifference (Florio). While fortunately the league has owners like Richardson, the NFL has their share of money chasers. Jerry Jones, owner of the Dallas Cowboys, is perhaps the most well known owner in the league for his blunt opinions and apparent tunnel vision for advancing his team. When Hardy left the Carolina Panthers it wasn't a shock to see Jones accepted him with open arms. This kind of action is detrimental to any kind of progress the NFL has in becoming a more respectable industry. 

The National Football League breeds some of the most passionate and devoted fans in all of sports, so it isn't at all unrealistic to say fans would rather accept a few bad calls from the league than betray a sport they've invested so much in. This is exactly the reason the NFL and defenders aren't particularly worried about losing any sufficient amount of fans due to recent immoral decisions. It is logical to believe the NFL is such a large industry that the fans who are loyal will continue to be loyal supporters throughout any scandal. Furthermore, any fans who chose to abandon the sport the NFL shouldn't be largely threatened by. "Indeed, for every warning sign, there are several positives that the league can promote," (Willens). However, it is equally as logical to believe that if scandals continue to become worse, fans may slowly start the process of avoiding the purchase of season tickets and influencing their kids to invest in other activities instead of watching football. It comes down to risk and reward, and this isn't a risk the NFL should take.

It is important to consider situations in which loyal fans have betrayed the sport they have loved eminently. In the late 90's the deterioration of baseball's popularity began with the steroid era. Fans were pleased with the incredible talent of the time only to learn of a confirmed steroid problem throughout the sport. Fans felt betrayed, and stakeholders of Major League Baseball handled the situation similar to the way stakeholders of the NFL are handling scandals today. Ultimately some stakeholders in the steroid era attempted to cover up the unethical behavior instead of fixing the problem. Former pitcher Roger Clemens was involved in a perjury case for lying to the Federal Congress about performance enhancing steroid use (Martinez). The steroids era is known for the unacceptable behavior and the failed attempts by the league to recover. Regardless of the situational parallels between the steroid era and the NFL scandal era, the NFL seems to think they are invincible.

Other sports have felt the effect of players betraying what they previously stood for, and it can happen again. After the Tiger Woods scandal, reports claimed ticket sales went down, fewer hospitality tents were sold, and the title sponsor had to be lured with a cut-rate price. (Futterman). Fans of Tiger Woods were so distraught and disgusted with his infidelity they made it their business to halt support for the sport he represented. Children and adults looked up to Woods which contributed to the decline in attendance and ratings. With Woods being the authentic face of golf for so long fans felt an extreme sense they had been lied to. Parents didn't want their children to watch networks that broadcasted the scandal because they didn't want to explain what Woods had done. The Woods scandal proves the theory that dedicated fans would cut ties with a sport from only one persons actions. 

While the fans ultimately control the success of an entertainment industry, other factors contribute greatly. Tiger Woods was held to such high standards as a stand-up man that his scandal shocked the world. Tour sponsors and big time company endorsers were vastly affected. Before the scandal broke news, tour sponsors had the right to use any players photos in their ads, yet most all of them decided to use Tiger Woods. Similarly, companies like Nike and AT&T who endorsed Woods were suddenly faced with a dilemma. The companies who associated themselves with Woods either halted their interactions or dramatically decreased their support for Woods and the sport in general (Futterman). In the entertainment business endorsements contribute to the growing popularity of individuals and the production, so paranoid sponsors can, and will, make a negative impact. When endorsers experience a scandal involving a person they identify with they will be less likely to endorse again. When professional biker, Lance Armstrong, was accused of taking performance enhancing steroids his sponsors and endorsers quickly came to a standstill. If players of the NFL continue to get involved in extremely unethical actions it is inevitable that sponsors will slow, and the popularity will decrease. 

There is hope for the future of this league, but changes and policies need to be made now. The NFL's newest promise to take action consists of a goal to shift to a more professional industry with the help of Lisa Friel, a former leader of the sex crimes unit of the Manhattan District Attorney's office. In an interview Friel says she was hired to lead the "clean up" of the league (Cole).  A video produced by Sports Illustrated shows Tony Richardson praising the newest rule of the NFL which prohibits prospects from attending the NFL combine if they have any record of a violent criminal history. While this may be a step in the right direction, the NFL must know this alone is not strong enough to prevent these individuals from entering the league. On the other hand fans must be aware that while a policy like this may prevent violence to a point, there are many other way for talented, but violent, individuals to enter the league. If the NFL truly wants to clean up the league, this latest preventative policy must be the start of their action, not their only action. 

The NFL certainly can make a change that will benefit their ratings, fan security, and truly "protect the shield" but only if they're willing. There is no question that the league contains men of exceptional conduct, and it is essential the league leans on these players for guidance. Jerry Richardson serves as a leader for authorities, while recipients of the Walter Payton Man of the Year Award serve as leaders for the players. Recently, Running Back Steve Smith vocalized his opinions of the behavior within the league. Smith took to Twitter claiming he is an advocate for the domestic violence situation within the league (Smith). Change must start with the stakeholders, and Steve Smith is an example of what it takes to make a real change. If the NFL doesn't enforce stricter regulations for the individuals who represent the league, it may be too late to recover. The National Football League must begin to assume all responsibility in representing an honest and respectable industry because they truly have everything to lose.

