Stephen A. Smith suspended for domestic violence comments

[spreedom]

Any time a woman is abused by a man, the conversation starts and ends with how big of a piece of shit he is. I take no other factors into consideration, least of which being "she's partially at fault for 'instigating' the confrontation".

And I won't lie or mince words one bit... I will absolutely, 100% think someone is a horrible human being if they ever disagree on that. This is a black and white issue. A huge football player KOed his fiancee (now wife) and dragged her unconscious body down the hallway. He is less than human and so is anyone that puts any part of the blame onto her.

[jay3189]

Originally Posted by spreedom

Any time a woman is abused by a man, the conversation starts and ends with how big of a piece of shit he is. I take no other factors into consideration, least of which being "she's partially at fault for 'instigating' the confrontation".

And I won't lie or mince words one bit... I will absolutely, 100% think someone is a horrible human being if they ever disagree on that. This is a black and white issue. A huge football player KOed his fiancee (now wife) and dragged her unconscious body down the hallway. He is less than human and so is anyone that puts any part of the blame onto her.

So was Solange wrong for doing what she did to Jay-Z in the elevator? We live in a VERY double standard society. The camera caught more of what Solange did to Jay-Z than what Ray Rice did to his girlfriend. I do not condone a man to beat a woman just for the hell of it, but the same goes for a female as well, a female can spit on a man, punch him in the face, kick him in his nuts, and if the man retaliates by slapping her, the news will ignore all of the things the female did prior and just focus on the guy's retaliation. So one sided

[spreedom]

Originally Posted by jay3189

So was Solange wrong for doing what she did to Jay-Z in the elevator? We live in a VERY double standard society. The camera caught more of what Solange did to Jay-Z than what Ray Rice did to his girlfriend. I do not condone a man to beat a woman just for the hell of it, but the same goes for a female as well, a female can spit on a man, punch him in the face, kick him in his nuts, and if the man retaliates by slapping her, the news will ignore all of the things the female did prior and just focus on the guy's retaliation. So one sided

I agree that Solange (ugh) was 100% wrong in attacking Jay-Z, and that every woman that strikes a man for any reason except self defense is wrong too. And if Jay-Z legitimately felt like his well-being was in danger, I think he's well within his rights to defend himself as well. But let's be honest... unless Ray Rice's fiancee/wife had a sledgehammer, there's pretty much no chance she's going to be able to hurt him. He clearly used excessive (and until I see otherwise, I assume physically unprovoked) violence against a helpless woman, considering the size difference between the two of them. He's a gutless coward and deserves every single bit of the criticism he is getting right now, and then some (x100).

I personally don't feel like the two incidents are that similar at all, except that they both featured famous people in elevators.

[Dirkadirkastan]

Originally Posted by spreedom

Any time a woman is abused by a man, the conversation starts and ends with how big of a piece of shit he is. I take no other factors into consideration, least of which being "she's partially at fault for 'instigating' the confrontation".

Since you're speaking in general terms, so will I.

This white-knighting attitude you're displaying is quite common, and has been exploited by many women fabricating domestic violence.

The existence of the resulting corruption in the court system isn't controversial. Unfortunately, many who acknowledge it choose to profit from it rather than fight it. A private investigator featured in that video is caught here giving explicit advice for women seeking divorce by way of a false domestic violence claim. And isn't this picture interesting, given what we (think we) know about her background?

Point is, this kind of issue should be approached with a bit more caution than you're giving it.

Originally Posted by jay3189

So was Solange wrong for doing what she did to Jay-Z in the elevator? We live in a VERY double standard society. The camera caught more of what Solange did to Jay-Z than what Ray Rice did to his girlfriend. I do not condone a man to beat a woman just for the hell of it, but the same goes for a female as well, a female can spit on a man, punch him in the face, kick him in his nuts, and if the man retaliates by slapping her, the news will ignore all of the things the female did prior and just focus on the guy's retaliation. So one sided

The double standard is worse than you're making it out to be, especially when it comes to public reaction. Look at how people reacted to Lorena Bobbitt and Catherine Kieu.

Even better, look at how they reacted to Kiranjit Ahluwalia. They gave her a frickin' bravery award! Her claim that he abused her created an image in people's minds of male-on-female violence, and that apparently is far more serious than the known instance of her carrying out pre-meditated murder while he slept.

[jay3189]

Originally Posted by Dirkadirkastan

Since you're speaking in general terms, so will I.

This white-knighting attitude you're displaying is quite common, and has been exploited by many women fabricating domestic violence.

The existence of the resulting corruption in the court system isn't controversial. Unfortunately, many who acknowledge it choose to profit from it rather than fight it. A private investigator featured in that video is caught here giving explicit advice for women seeking divorce by way of a false domestic violence claim. And isn't this picture interesting, given what we (think we) know about her background?

Point is, this kind of issue should be approached with a bit more caution than you're giving it.



The double standard is worse than you're making it out to be, especially when it comes to public reaction. Look at how people reacted to Lorena Bobbitt and Catherine Kieu.

Even better, look at how they reacted to Kiranjit Ahluwalia. They gave her a frickin' bravery award! Her claim that he abused her created an image in people's minds of male-on-female violence, and that apparently is far more serious than the known instance of her carrying out pre-meditated murder while he slept.

I disagree with that. If Jay-Z would have hit Solange back, there would have been an outcry of rage towards Jigga. People would have said Jay-Z should lose his endorsements, sponsorship, etc.

[spreedom]

[LSMF]

Originally Posted by spreedom

Any time a woman is abused by a man, the conversation starts and ends with how big of a piece of shit he is. I take no other factors into consideration, least of which being "she's partially at fault for 'instigating' the confrontation".

I think that is a highly irrational and irresponsible way of thinking to say the least. I will continue to say that I will never condone violence against women, but for us to sit here and pretend that it's impossible for a woman to put herself in an unfavorable situation is madness. No way in hell am I going to defend Ray Rice's actions, but for people to act like he was just a deranged lunatic who just randomly started doing the shit he did is pretty stupid. It's a pretty simple concept to me: Women shouldn't hit men and men shouldn't hit women. Case closed. This shit should be common sense but I guess it's not.

PS- I keep hearing this "blaming the victim" stuff but in a situation where someone hits you and you hit them back aren't YOU technically the victim? Let me clarify that question by making it clear that I'm NOT saying Rice was the victim. I'm just asking about the technicalities in such a situation.

[Murphy3]

Originally Posted by spreedom

Any time a woman is abused by a man, the conversation starts and ends with how big of a piece of shit he is. I take no other factors into consideration, least of which being "she's partially at fault for 'instigating' the confrontation".

Taking no other factors into account doesn't make you right. It makes you incapable of making an informed decision.

[Jack.Kerr]

Goodell promises to b-slap wife beaters.

Roger Goodell Admits He Was Wrong and Alters N.F.L. Policy on Domestic Violence


By KEN BELSONAUG. 28, 2014

In a rare mea culpa, N.F.L. Commissioner Roger Goodell said Thursday that he had mishandled the Ray Rice case, in which the Baltimore Ravens running back was suspended for two games after being accused of assaulting his fiancée.

The suspension, announced late last month, to an instant and furious uproar from women’s groups, organizations supporting victims of domestic violence, and league players who felt the penalty was too light and inconsistent with punishments for other offenses.

“My disciplinary decision led the public to question our sincerity, our commitment and whether we understood the toll that domestic violence inflicts on so many families,” Goodell said in a statement. “I take responsibility both for the decision and for ensuring that our actions in the future properly reflect our values. I didn’t get it right. Simply put, we have to do better. And we will.”

Goodell said that effective immediately any N.F.L. employee — not only a player — who is found to have engaged in assault, battery, domestic violence or sexual assault that involved physical force will be suspended without pay for six games for a first offense. Second-time offenders will be banished from the league for at least one year.

Goodell said that second-time offenders can petition to be reinstated after one year, but “there will be no presumption or assurance that the petition will be granted.”

The about face by the most powerful executive in American sports was stunning in its earnestness and clarity. The commissioner wrote frequently in the first person and admitted that he had lost sight not only of seriousness of domestic violence, but the league’s role as a leader in the sports world. Coming a month after the suspension of Rice, Goodell’s decision appeared considered, not rushed.

But it also one of the few times during his eight-year tenure that Goodell has publicly admitted to making such a mistake. Since becoming commissioner in 2006, he has grappled with one crisis after another, from players using guns to spying by teams to bullying and the use of homophobic and racist language by players. He has rarely backpedaled on his decisions even in the face of withering criticism.

Perhaps most significantly, Goodell has equivocated on the issue of concussions and their impact on the health of players. For years, Goodell and the league dismissed mounting evidence about the dangers of repeated head hits, including in front of members of Congress.

The league has since changed rules and pledged tens of millions of dollars to study the impact of concussions, but the commissioner has never acknowledged the league’s past role in trying to sidestep the issue.

That evasion may cost the league dearly. Frustration over the league’s stance led nearly 5,000 retired players to sue the N.F.L. and Riddell, a helmet manufacturer, for hiding from them the dangers of concussions. A federal judge has preliminarily approved a landmark 65-year settlement that would award millions of dollars to players with severe neurological disorders, and spend tens of millions more to monitor other players.

Unlike concussions, which have an impact on the game and the finances of the N.F.L., the league’s stance on domestic violence is not purely a pocketbook issue. The league has spent years courting female fans by, among other things, having its players wear pink cleats to raise awareness of breast cancer. Goodell also announced his new policy a week before the start of the regular season and ahead of a three-day weekend, when many people are on vacation.

But in his 2,000-word letter, Goodell said that his decision was based as much on the obligation of the league to be held to a higher standard than other sports leagues and institutions.

“Much of the criticism stemmed from a fundamental recognition that the N.F.L. is a leader, that we do stand for important values, and that we can project those values in ways that have a positive impact beyond professional football,” he wrote.

Groups that criticized Goodell for being insensitive to the issue of domestic abuse took him at his word and applauded him for reversing course.

“This decision by N.F.L. Commissioner Roger Goodell to change the league’s policy on how it disciplines players who beat their wives and girlfriends is a big win, not just for women, but for all N.F.L. players, staff and fans,” said Becky Bond, the political director of Credo, a women’s rights group.

The N.F.L. Players Association, which has often been at loggerheads with the commissioner over his penalties for players, did not endorse Goodell’s tougher stance. In a statement, the union said only that it was informed of the N.F.L.'s decision and that “if we believe that players’ due process rights are infringed upon during the course of discipline, we will assert and defend our members’ rights.”

While other leagues employ an independent arbitrator to hear player appeals, the N.F.L. is essentially the judge and jury in disciplinary cases not covered by the collective bargaining agreement. This led many commentators to compare Rice’s two-game suspension for knocking out his fiancée in an elevator to the four-game suspensions handed out for players who violated the league’s drug policy.

On Wednesday, the league upheld its one-year suspension of Cleveland Browns wide receiver Josh Gordon for violating its substance-abuse policy. Afterward, Gordon criticized the league for not exercising “better discretion and judgment in my case.”

Still, Gordon’s penalty was based on guidelines agreed on between the league and players union, not the commissioner. Goodell’s decision to more severely penalize those who commit domestic violence, on the other hand, has set a precedent.

“This is very rare,” said Marc Ganis, a consultant to several teams. “Goodell’s admission of having erred on something this important to society is very rare and speaks volumes about the confidence the N.F.L. has to admit its mistake.”