Ray Price, pro footballer for the Baltimore Ravens has been the lead news story for the last few days, especially in the world of Television. The news media broke the story of Rice abusing his wife and then published a video showing Price's actions.
The time line of Baltimore and the NFL's response that was taken after the event has been a subject of debate. The Ravens released Rice from the team and the NFL suspended him indefinately. The news media who became outraged over the video show their hypocritical side.
The news media treat pro atheletes as idols and put them up on a pedestal. The players are overpaid and many think they can do any thing they want to do because they are given that status. They do not like to have to answer to anyone. The NFL does the same thing with its advertising in the news media and as a result the Super Bowl has become not a sports game but a game of celebrity.
The players themselves are the blame for their own actions and not the news media or the NFL but the news media and the NFL have set the wrong tone and sent the wrong message. The media never did tell the real story of the Saints bountygate but "Politidose" did. Bountygate was a different kind of story but showed how sports journalists in New Orleans could not bring themselves to report the real story.
Another story about how players think they can do anything they want to do happened only a few weeks ago when Saints tight end Jimmy Graham dunked the football over the goal post after a touchdown not once but twice. That was in violation of NFL rules which Graham was aware of and not only drew a fine from the NFL but his team was penalized on both occassions. Graham is one of a few Saint players that has been given idol status by the press.
Its the dollar sign that rules the NFL, its players, the news media and the franchise owners. Until that changes no one should be shocked when the next episode takes place. And that really says it all.
This commentary written by John Lucia
