Ray Rice video makes splash, but what about other cases?
The National Football League has been gaining more and more attention this week in the media for all the wrong reasons. A video of former Ravens running back Ray Rice striking his then fiancé in a casino elevator has caused a wildfire of debate and controversy about how the league handles various abuse charges brought against their players. Many are calling for a massive overhaul of the NFL and its policies regarding abuse and also calling for NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell’s job. So now the question has to be asked. Why now? Many know of the leagues past woes with abuse and even other leagues like the NBA, MLB, and the NHL. Why haven’t we called for improved policies before? What is different about the Ray Rice situation than so many cases before it? It’s simple. There is a video.
We as the media and also as consumers of that media saw the actual footage of Ray Rice knocking his then fiancé cold in that elevator and it has made all the difference. Many are applauding that this video has been able to create the firestorm of change that is has, but as we dig deeper we find a troublesome truth of about the media and ourselves that few are talking about. That truth is that if there is not a video that can go viral and be sent around the Internet, there is no change.
Semya Varlamov…Wait who? Semya Varlamov in 2013 was the goalkeeper of the Colorado Avalanche and was charged with assault when he twisted and bent the wrist of his girlfriend and then kicked her in the chest knocking her down as she tried to get him from the room. This incident went practically unknown and is still unknown to many to this day. What is the difference between Ray and Semya? Ray struck his fiancé with his fist and Semya with the bottom of his foot. Both instances are violent and both are abuse, yet one has garnered nationwide attention while Semya’s case and many like it are swept under the rug and forgotten.
If the media and we really cared about making a change, then more would be done for action to take place as soon as the event is reported. How many cases of domestic abuse or other forms of abuse that are even covered by the media don’t make a splash or cause change simply because we do not have video of the abuse? This event is cause for concern because had the video not been posted by TMZ (a sports reporting website) then we all would have continued down our merry paths without a second thought of Ray Rice and the other various abuse charges that have surfaced in major sport leagues.
There needs to be change here. Too many cases of abuse and violence are getting set aside because they don’t have that jaw-drop moment that will get them virally across the nation and its up to us and the media to fix it.
