(A version
of this essay appeared in New York Times: Room for Debate)
As a microcosm of our society, sports often reflect and
reinforce inequalities and behaviors that are endemic at the macro-level of our
society. In contact sports especially, where there is a premium placed on
aggression and violent behavior, a culture exists where athletes are rewarded
from a very young age for expressing these behaviors. What we are witnessing at
the professional level is a culture that condones, promote, and reward
aggressive and violent behaviors, where some players are not psychologically
equipped to compartmentalize these behaviors to the field or arena. Because
this has been their way of life since youth sports, and now it is their
livelihood, these athletes are expressing accumulated years of character “underdevelopment”.
These behaviors carryover into their personal lives ultimately harming the
lives of those close to them or within their proximity.
The practice of distancing oneself from these athletes, in
the case of some leagues behaviors (e.g., the NFL New England Patriots releasing
Aaron Hernandez; Adam “Pacman” Jones released by the Titans, Chris Henry
released by the Bengals, or Tank Jones released by the Bears), can only protect
their profit margins, the Shield, or their brand for only so long. Recent occurrences in the banking industry
inform us that no corporation is too big to fail or self-destruct. Confronting the culture of violence inherent
in sports and developing sound programs to address the character of “underdevelopment”
these leagues are inheriting conveys the corporate responsibility needed in
professional leagues like the NFL. Especially
since sport has been lauded as a means of character and social development, and
many youth look to these athletes as role models.
With the prevalence of gun violence in our culture, the ease
of access to guns, professional sport leagues are presented with an opportunity
to be leaders in the fight against gun violence. Not with an ephemeral press conferences or
public service announcements, but with substantive practices that consistently discourages
gun ownership among its players, and in the case of the NFL High School
Character Development program, a curriculum that addresses anger management and
conflict resolution. Youth level coaches
and administrators must also be aware of how they may be contributing to the
compression of developmental stages of youth when aggression and violence is
promoted over character development.
Ultimately, as a nation we will have to determine whether
our favorite sport pastimes are more valuable to cheer and their athletes more
important to idolize where we turn a deaf ear and continually support senseless
violence unbecoming of a civilized nation, rather than take a stand to STOP THE VIOLENCE.
