Sketchbook: NFL and Misogyny
Or not.
The big news in sports this week is the NFL’s indefinite dismissal of Ray Rice, following publication of a video that showed Rice brutally beating his fianceé, Janay. Rice had previously received a two-week suspension related to this violence, but most people with a sense of justice or compassion considered this an inadequate response, to say the least. Only after the video appeared on TMZ did Roger Goodell et al. realize that a man beating a woman unconscious is a poor representative of the league. Rice’s dismissal is long overdue, and reflects a culture of tolerance of all sorts of violence against women, dogs or anyone who appears weak and vulnerable. Hence why Michael Sam, the first openly gay football player in the league, has had such a hard time getting on the field, despite a stellar collegiate record. Gayz are still considered “less than” properly male in the typical locker room mentality of the sport.
Disgusting, but not surprising. Not if you have been paying attention since high school. Thankfully more people now are less willing to let this shit slide.
