Arizona Cardinals Running Back Arrested On Aggravated Assault Charges (http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/09/17/jonathan-dwyer-arrested-domestic-violence_n_5839198.html)

The NFL's off-field controversies continued on Wednesday when Arizona Cardinals running back Jonathan Dwyer was arrested on aggravated assault charges.

Citing an unnamed source, Tyler Baldwin of KTVK-3TV first reported that Dwyer was arrested for domestic violence. CBS Evening News and azcentral.com subsequently reported that the 25-year-old was arrested on suspicion of aggravated assault.

CBS Evening News ✔ @CBSEveningNews
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CONFIRMED: AZ Cardinals RB Jonathan Dwyer arrested for domestic violence.
Charges:
-aggravated assault
-preventing someone from calling 911
4:54 PM - 17 Sep 2014

Adrian Peterson, Carolina Panthers defensive end Greg Hardy, Ray McDonald of San Francisco, and Ray Rice of Baltimore are the others that are currently under the cloud of domestic abuse.

I wonder how long it will be before the corporate sponsors step up and address this crap.

https://sp.yimg.com/ib/th?id=HN.608052354472284146&pid=15.1&P=0


finds itself in a state of:



Mea Culpa,


MEA CULPA,


MEA MAXIMA CULPA


through my fault, through my fault, through my most grievous fault...


http://www.thunderfans.com/vforum/images/smilies/okc.gif "Oklahoma City looks oh-so pretty... ...as I get my kicks on Route 66." --Nat King Cole.http://www.thunderfans.com/vforum/images/smilies/okc.gif

nm

Incidents like these (and drug use and general debauchery) were much more prevalent in the 70-80's, it just wasn't considered newsworthy back then. Players could get by with a whole lot more without the tabloid press and media judges all over them.

The NFL's problem is they are so used to running their business like a totalitarian regime and extracting the most money as possible from every revenue stream they have made themselves into a target. The media that builds you up is the same ones that revel in tearing you down and they hate the fact they don't have control over that aspect of their business.

I'm getting tired of this focus on the NFL. Why have we singled this one group of professional athletes to focus on and get outraged about? Are they any different than Grocery Clerks and domestic abuse? Wall Street investment bankers? Dentists? Nobody's bothered to check out the criminal actions of domestic abuse in any other defined sector than the NFL. What gives? There's a problem. There might very well be a problem with the owners and the front offices, too. Has anybody run background checks on all of them?

It just seems strange we are fixated on the abuse by this one, rather isolated and small, group of individuals. It's almost weird. The message seems to be: if you're a football player - don't hit your wife or any other number of things. The NBA is probably as bad - or worse. But again, why the focus on these professional sports clubs? The VAST number of people belong to neither. It's just ---- odd. What about cops? Molecular Biologists?

The reason that we are so fixated on this is because of the prominence of the NFL in our society. Add to this the anti-trust exemption/non profit status of this organization as well as the vast majority of the teams playing in stadiums that were payed for by tax monies and not the owners. The public has a stake in what goes on here. Now it is pretty clear that under Goodell the league is shown to be an enabler in this sort of outlandish behavior.

Roger Goodell is a Domestic Violence Enabler Who Must be Stopped (http://sidespin.kinja.com/roger-goodell-is-a-domestic-violence-enabler-who-must-b-1632385955)



Roger Goodell is a domestic violence enabler who must be stopped.

For our purposes, these instances include only arrest data (but please remember that only about a quarter of physical, domestic assaults are reported), and only include domestic violence that includes an NFL player assaulting or attacking a current or previous romantic partner (as described in reports) or child. Please let me know if I missed anything.

This list would not have been possible without the USA Today NFL Player Arrest Database.

___

2006

Sam Brandon - S - Denver Broncos

Violated the conditions of a restraining order (that came about as a result of previous domestic violence arrests).

Legal punishment: None

NFL punishment: Suspended 2 games.

Markus Curry - CB - San Diego Chargers

Allegedly attacked the mother of his child. He was previously arrested for domestic violence while in college.

Legal punishment: Charges dropped after witnesses failed to cooperate.

NFL punishment: Immediately released from the team.

Robert Reynolds - LB - Tennessee Titans

Shoved his wife, smashed her cell phone, punched a hole in a wall.

Legal punishment: Pleaded guilty. $3,000 fine.

NFL punishment: Suspended 1 game by Jeff Fisher.

Donte Whitner - S - Buffalo Bills

Accused of harassment in a domestic dispute with his girlfriend.

Legal punishment: Charges dropped.

NFL punishment: None

___

2007

Brandon Marshall - WR - Denver Broncos

Charged with false imprisonment in dispute with girlfriend, accused of hitting her car window and blocking her taxi. She later said that Marshall attacked her the day before as well, but that she did not report the attack to the police.

Legal punishment: Charges were dismissed after Marshall completed anger management counseling.

NFL punishment: None

Lionel Gates - RB - Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Assaulted a pregnant woman. From ESPN.com at the time, "Gates kicked in the front door of Peggie Lavender's apartment Thursday night, destroyed two televisions and two doors, put a hole in the bedroom wall and assaulted her, a Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office report said. He was arrested later at his apartment in the same complex."

Legal punishment: Diversion program, anger management, $3,200 in restitution.

NFL punishment: None

AJ Nicholson - LB - Cincinnati Bengals

Accused of punching a woman in the face (she later recanted her statement, though police observed bruising around her eye).

Legal punishment: Diversion program. Charges dropped after 40 hours of community service.

NFL punishment: Released by Bengals three days after arrest.

Claude Wroten - DT - St. Louis Rams

Accused of damaging property on LSU campus in argument with girlfriend, kicking down her door.

Legal punishment: None

NFL punishment: None

Najeh Davenport - RB - Pittsburgh Steelers

Accused of slapping and punching the mother of his child, endangering a child.

Legal punishment: Found not guilty.

NFL punishment: None

Claude Terrell - OG - St. Louis Rams

Charged with assaulting his wife.

Legal punishment: Pleaded guilty, 30 days in jail, deferred adjudication, $1,000 fine.

NFL punishment: Cut by the Rams shortly after charges were filed. Terrell would go on to be charged with rape, aggravated kidnapping, and aggravated sexual assault.

___

2008

Daniel Graham - TE - Denver Broncos

Accused of harassing his ex-girlfriend.

Legal punishment: Charges dropped.

NFL punishment: None

Jerome Mathis - WR - Denver Broncos

Accused of choking his pregnant girlfriend.

Legal punishment: Charges dropped.

NFL punishment: None

Fabian Washington - CB - Oakland Raiders

Accused of domestic battery of girlfriend.

Legal punishment: Diversion program for first-time offenders.

NFL punishment: Suspended 1 game.

Larry Johnson - RB - Kansas City Chief

Accused of shoving a woman in a nightclub. Later accused of spitting on a different woman in a nightclub.

Legal punishment: Pleaded guilty to disturbing the peace for this and another incident (spitting on a woman), given two years of probation, counseling.

NFL punishment: Suspended 1 game. Would go on to continue a long pattern of violence against women.

Brandon Marshall - WR - Denver Broncos

Numerous instances of domestic violence against his girlfriend from February and March of 2008.

Legal punishment: Acquitted.

NFL punishment: Suspended 1 game.

James Harrison - LB - Pittsburgh Steelers

Accused of hitting his girlfriend during argument about whether to baptize his son, simple assault, mischief.

Legal punishment: Charges dropped. Underwent anger counseling.

NFL punishment: None

Cedrick Wilson - WR - Pittsburgh Steelers

Charged with punching his estranged girlfriend in the face at a suburban restaurant.

Legal punishment: Charges dropped. Underwent anger counseling.

NFL punishment: The Steelers released Wilson the day after the incident.

Rocky Bernard - DT - Seattle Seahawks

Accused of punching a woman in the face at a nightclub.

Legal punishment: Diversion program, agreed to have no contact with woman for two years, domestic violence treatment.

NFL punishment: Suspended 1 game.

Kalvin Pearson - S - Detroit Lions

Accused of aggravated battery of pregnant woman, domestic battery by strangulation, obstructing officer in southwest Florida.

Legal punishment: Domestic charges dropped.

NFL punishment: None

Darion Scott - DE - free agent (at the time)

Accused of putting dry-cleaning bag over 2-year-old son's head.

Legal punishment: Pleaded guilty to child endangerment.

NFL punishment: None - later signed with Washington.

Michael Boley - LB - Atlanta Falcons

Arrested after physical altercation with his wife.

Legal punishment: Charges dropped.

NFL punishment: Suspended 1 game.

Willie Andrews - CB - New England Patriots

Allegedly pointed a gun at his girlfriend's head during a physical altercation.

Legal punishment: Undetermined.

NFL punishment: Released by the Patriots later that day.

___

2009

Brandon Marshall - WR - Denver Broncos

Accused of disorderly conduct in confrontation with with fiancee. An off-duty officer saw Marshall and Nogami-Campbell kicking and punching one another on the sidewalk outside a condo building Marshall owned.

Legal punishment: Charges dropped.

NFL punishment: None

Cornell Green - OT - Oakland Raiders

Police say Green slammed the mother of his children into a wall and hit her arm with a mop handle.

Legal punishment: Undetermined.

NFL punishment: None

Quinn Ojinnaka - OT - Atlanta Falcons

Accused of throwing his wife down stairs and out of the house after an argument over Facebook.

Legal punishment: Undetermined.

NFL punishment: Suspended 1 game.

Shawne Merriman - LB - San Diego Chargers


Accused of choking and restraining his then-girlfriend, Tila Tequila.

Legal punishment: Charges dropped.

NFL punishment: None

Richard Quinn - TE - Denver Broncos

Accused of grabbing and shaking his girlfriend.

Legal punishment: Charges dropped.

NFL punishment: None

Will Billingsley - CB - Miami Dolphins

Charged with assaulting his girlfriend.

Legal punishment: Undetermined.

NFL punishment: None

Terrell Suggs - LB - Baltimore Ravens

Allegedly knocked down his fiancee, climbed on top of her, and spilled bleach on her and their 1-year old son.

Legal punishment: None.

NFL punishment: None.

___

2010

Jermaine Phillips - S - Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Charged with trying to choke his wife during an argument.

Legal punishment: Diversion program.

NFL punishment: None

Tony McDaniel - DT - Miami Dolphins

Shoving his girlfriend whose head hit the pavement.

Legal punishment: Pleaded no contest to amended charge of disorderly conduct, six months probation, counseling.

NFL punishment: Suspended 1 game.

Leroy Hill - LB - Seattle Seahawks

Charged with assaulting his girlfriend.

Legal punishment: Diversion program, 18-month probation, treatment program.

NFL punishment: Suspended 1 game.

Phillip Merling - DE - Miami Dolphins

Accused of attacking his pregnant girlfriend.

Legal Punishment: Charges dropped.

NFL Punishment: None

Will Smith - DE - New Orleans Saints

Grabbing his wife by the hair during a verbal dispute outside a nightclub.

Legal punishment: Diversion program. Charges were dropped when Smith completed community service and counseling.

NFL punishment: None

Perrish Cox - CB - Denver Broncos

Accused of raping and impregnating an unconscious woman in his home.

Legal punishment: Acquitted (in spite of DNA evidence).

NFL punishment: None

Kevin Alexander - LB - Denver Broncos

Accused of hitting his girlfriend in the face and shoving her.

Legal punishment: Charges dropped.

NFL punishment: Released by Broncos the day after he was arrested.

___

2011

Brandon Underwood - CB - Green Bay Packers

Accused of pushing wife to the ground and ripping a necklace from her neck.

Legal punishment: Pleaded no contest to disorderly conduct. Paid an undetermined fine.

NFL punishment: None

Ryan McBean - DT - Denver Broncos

Accused of stalking an ex-girlfriend.

Legal punishment: Charges dropped.

NFL punishment: None

Chris Cook - CB - Minnesota Vikings

Accused of domestic assault (felony strangulation) after a neighbor called 911 to report argument.

Legal punishment: Acquitted.

NFL punishment: Suspended for remainder of season by the Vikings.

Erik Walden - LB - Green Bay Packers

Accused assaulting his live-in girlfriend.

Legal punishment: Pleaded no contest. Deferred sentence of 12 months.

NFL punishment: None

2012

Jarriel King - OT - Seattle Seahawks

Charged with having forcible sex with an incapacitated woman.

Legal punishment: Found not guilty.

NFL punishment: Released by the Seahawks immediately following the arrest.

Dez Bryant - WR - Dallas Cowboys


Arrested for assaulting his mother.

Legal punishment: Undetermined.

NFL punishment: None

Chad Johnson - WR - Miami Dolphins


Crime: Accused of head-butting his wife.

Legal punishment: Pleaded no contest to misdemeanor domestic violence, received probation.

NFL punishment: Immediately released by the Dolphins.

Bryan Thomas - LB - New York Jets

Assaulting his wife.

Legal punishment: Probation, pretrial intervention program.

NFL punishment: None

Jovan Belcher - LB - Kansas City Chiefs


Fatally shot his girlfriend (and mother of his child) ten times before killing himself.

Terrell Suggs - LB - Baltimore Ravens

Accused of punching his girlfriend in the neck and dragging her alongside a moving car.

Legal punishment: Temporary restraining order. Suggs was also forced to surrender his guns. No criminal charges.

NFL punishment: None.

___

2013

Robert Sands - S - Cincinnati Bengals

Accused of assaulting his wife who was treated at a local hospital for minor injuries.

Legal punishment: Undetermined.

NFL punishment: None

Chris Rainey - RB - Pittsburgh Steelers

Accused of slapping a woman over a cell phone.

Legal punishment: Charges will be dropped. From ESPN.com, "He was ordered to pay $50 for the cost of prosecution, undergo evaluation and counseling for anger management/domestic violence issues, and either donate $100 to a domestic violence shelter or perform 10 hours of community service."

NFL punishment: Rainey was released by the Steelers the next day. It is worth mentioning that Rainey was previously arrested for domestic violence while in college.

Leroy Hill - LB - Seattle Seahawks

Accused of hitting and restraining his girlfriend.

Legal punishment: Felony charges were dropped.

NFL punishment: Technically none - in spite of this being his second domestic violence arrest (see 2010). Was on a 1-year contract at the time of the arrest, and has not played in the NFL since.

Amari Spievey - S - Detroit Lions

Arrested for third-degree assault and risk of injury to a child, after a domestic dispute over child support with his girlfriend.

Legal punishment: Undetermined.

NFL punishment: None

William Moore - S - Atlanta Falcons

Accused of grabbing a woman during a dispute.

Legal punishment: Undetermined.

NFL punishment: None

Daryl Washington - LB - Arizona Cardinals

Allegedly grabbed his ex-girlfriend by the throat and shoved her to the ground.

Legal punishment: Undetermined.

NFL punishment: None (was suspended 4 games in 2013 for violating the NFL's substance abuse policy)

A.J. Jefferson - CB - Minnesota Vikings

Arrested on probable cause of domestic assault after allegedly choking his girlfriend.

Legal punishment: Undetermined.

NFL punishment: Released by the Vikings immediately following arrest.

___

2014

Ray Rice - RB - Baltimore Ravens


Accused of punching his wife at an Atlantic City casino, rendering her unconscious. Video of Rice dragging his unconscious wife from an elevator emerged.

Legal punishment: Diversion program. Charges will be dismissed.

NFL punishment: Suspended 2 games. After a subsequent video of Rice brutally punching his wife in the face was made available, Rice was released by the Baltimore Ravens 7 months after the incident. The NFL suspended Rice indefinitely.

Greg Hardy - DE - Carolina Panthers

Assaulted and threatened his girlfriend.

Legal punishment: 18 months' probation.

NFL punishment: None (yet?).

Ray McDonald - DE - San Francisco 49ers

Arrested and charged with felony domestic violence for allegedly attacking a pregnant woman.

Legal punishment: Undetermined.

NFL punishment: None (yet?) - McDonald played Week 1.

___

Of the 10 players released, three of them were later picked up by other NFL teams (Curry [practice squad], Rainey, AJ Jefferson).

The NFL does not belong to Roger Goodell. It does not belong to the owners, or the players, or the corporate sponsors. The NFL belongs to the fans. Goodell's face-saving, knee-jerk reactions (creating a new domestic violence policy after being obliterated on social media and sports websites for four weeks, suspending Rice indefinitely after public outcry yesterday) prove as much.

It's time for accountability. It's time for Goodell and the rest of his executives to step down.

I fail to understand why Roger Goodell and the NFL are to be held culpable or should be part of the solution.
If the NFL were taking some action to promote such bad behavior, I'd see why there's such a big stink, but I'm sure that's not the case.
Has the NFL become a law enforcement agency? If the NFL were to reprimand or take some other action against some of the "horrible" people that are suddenly in the news, would it be enough and would it be OK for the real and actual law enforcement agencies to stand down. After all, there's no reason to prosecute criminals if the NFL has slapped their hands, right?
If you were to become accused of some crime, say dog fighting, domestic violence, or the like, would your boss suddenly have to take action to restrict you from the workplace? If he or she didn't, would he or she suddenly be part of the problem? Is it your boss' job to keep you moral and law-abiding outside of the workplace?
I wonder if all of these companies that suddenly think they have to take a public stance against the NFL were to take a look at their employee roster and see what percentage of their employees are guilty of domestic violence, how would that statistic compare to the probably very small percentage of NFL employees who are. I heard on a radio program the other day the Anheuser Busch has issued a press release saying they are concerned (or whatever the euphemism is for not condoning but not wanting to take any real action). Further, I wonder how many of the general populous are really guilty of such crimes but just haven't been subject to the klieg lights of public scrutiny.
Please don't mistake my post as endorsing any of the bad behavior. I'm a huge fan of following laws. Further, I strongly oppose bullying, from the cybersphere to the home and to the workplace. All the same, I think a lot of anger and blame is being misdirected at the NFL and the NFL commissioner.