Leagues enable domestic-violence abusers.
Domestic violence is a shady sinner. Smiles on the outside hide the inner rage.
It can be a brilliant disguise, but the reveal is quite disturbing. It includes the battered faces of women and men, and of dogs and cats used as collateral damage, a coward’s card of threatening the life of a pet if the victim leaves.
We can add Orlando City midfielder Will Johnson to the unsettling DV conversation, after his arrest on a domestic battery charge early Wednesday morning.
Johnson is accused by his wife Caroline Childs Johnson of tackling her and “wrapping both of his arms completely around her waist” during an argument. The couple can now add this incident to their pressing legal issues, which include divorce.
The courts will decide Johnson’s guilt or innocence, as the Social Media Mob gathers on both sides with pitchforks and computers in hand.
Fortunately, the vast majority of
comments have focused on the current dumpster fire that is Orlando City, a team that now has more arrests (2) than victories (1) since June.
But Team Shaming is rare. Victim Shaming has been the go-to response when it comes to domestic violence. You’ve heard it before: “She deserved it you know, because she was a bad girl.” Excuse me while I puke.
We’ve seen it play out recently in the Ezekiel Elliott case, where Elliott’s legal eagles are claiming that Tiffany Thompson harassed him, hacked into his email with the intent of sharing “untruthful things” to “hurt his image” and threatened to blackmail Elliott with sex tapes of the two of them.
Elliott, a star with the Dallas Cowboys. is fighting the NFL’s six-game suspension through the courts, hoping to circumvent the NFL’s punishment.
And that leads us to the conundrum with this issue. Professional leagues lose control in the courts, where there are more precise standards of justice.
But league officials in the NFL, MLS or elsewhere need not feel powerless.
There is always what you know, and what you can prove. If you are sure you have a domestic abuser on your roster, cut him (or her). Team owners need to stop using the legal system as cover to protect cowards who hit women.
Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones has been particularly vile, enabling players like Greg Hardy and Elliott. Cincinnati Bengals owner Mike Brown has a corner of misfits in his locker room, including rookie Joe Mixon, who punched a woman in the face in college.
We’ll pause here for the reality check. I’m not stupid enough to think this will happen anytime soon, but wouldn’t it be a hoot if sports leagues starting developing a backbone against abusers?
The NFL could easily adopt a standard that holds teams more accountable for taking in a bad egg. If you draft a player linked to domestic violence or other serious crimes, it will cost you an additional draft pick. Put a premium of taking players with shady characters.
Already on your squad? Cut him loose. If a team picks him up off waivers, that team will lose draft picks as well.
The courts can adjudicate the legal standard of guilt or innocence, but should that make everyone else stupid? The prosecution calls O.J. Simpson, Casey Anthony and George Zimmerman to the stand, your honor.
“I think we have to have a different definition of due process,” said Carol Wick, former CEO of Harbor House, a domestic violence shelter in Central Florida. “The league can their have own definition of violence involving conduct. As long as it is tied to the criminal justice system you are going to forever have a lack of accountability.”
The Cowboys definitely have a problem with Elliott, who admits to a party-boy lifestyle, never a good look when you are trying to paint yourself as a victim.
Orlando City may have a problem with Johnson, who is under suspension by the MLS. But it does anyone no good if Johnson is allowed to slide through legal channels if there is strong suspicion that he is an abuser.
Do you want a domestic abuser to stain the brand?
Unfortunately when it comes to professional sports, we know the answer. Don’t ask, don’t tell, play on.