The NFL's Double-Standard

""I could understand this decision 20 or 30 years ago when people didn't understand the dynamics of domestic violence. This is a throwback to an earlier era." Judy Kluger, Executive Director of Sanctuary for Families on Ray Rice suspension.

I love professional football. It is by far and away my favorite sport, and I look forward to the fall most during the year in no small part because I know the NFL will be back. But it's far from a perfect, especially in the way it deals with social issues.

This has been a hard week for football fans, especially Christian football fans. Tony Dungy, a great coach and a great man of faith, spent much of the week on the hot seat for answering a question. He said that, as a coach, he would not have drafted Michael Sam because of the distraction.

This caused instant blowback. Sam is the first openly gay player in the National Football League. Given our current cultural climate, you can't really say anything negative because of the national fervor for gay rights. Since Dungy is a Christian, one who has made his feelings on same sex marriage known, many jumped to the conclusion that Dungy was "gay-bashing" and "discriminating," and they condemned him for it.

Dungy sought to clarify his comments, but to no avail. He noted that he answered the question based on the media circus that Sam will bring. That is undeniable -- though many this week denied that very thing. He said he was not making a comment on his right to play or right to live his life. I believe Dungy, but I'm in the minority.

What was even more fascinating is that people pointed to Dungy's advocacy of Michael Vick as evidence of his double-standard. That's preposterous. Vick is a talented player who played fast-and-loose off the field. He committed crimes, was convicted, served a prison sentence, and sought a fresh start. Dungy advocated for Vick's talent, and the ethic that people deserve second chances. Vick remains a polarizing figure, with many still hating him, but I think he's an example of how the Criminal Justice system can, and should, work.

I don't know what that has to do with Michael Sam. A better comparison is Tim Tebow. He's a player that had a lot of attention out of college, and that attention made him a distraction, no matter what you think of his ability to play. He brought cameras, questions, and distractions. And so, too, will Sam. And we don't know if Sam can play. Some said he was rated as a four-round pick, others thought he wasn't good enough to be drafted. You are talking about a player that brings a lot of attention for something other than his play on the field, and you're not sure if he can be a key contributor on the field based on his talent.

That's what Dungy was referring to. That's what many in the NFL think, as Sam was drafted late in the seventh round. Dungy's just the only one to speak it, and he was chided for expressing an honest opinion, based largely on people's assumptions about his personal beliefs.

But the Dungy-Sam mess was only half the week in the NFL. The other half was a two game suspension for Ray Rice after a domestic violence incident. Again, people were outraged. The assumption is that the two game suspension makes a mockery of domestic violence, hardly serves as a deterrent, and shows that the NFL doesn't really care about anything but the play of the field.

That might be partially true. The NFL has a history of celebrating players who have checkered histories off the field. Ray Lewis is praised as a Super Bowl champion, Hall of Fame Player, and great guy. I will never forget that he was complicit in a double murder where no one went to jail. A year later he was shrouded in confetti and holding the Lombardi Trophy. The NFL has had a double standard about player conduct for a long time, and they aren't the only ones.

The NBA, MLB, and NHL have all had players that did bad things off the field of play that were celebrated on it. So, too, have the college ranks. It's not the NFL, but rather our country that has the double standard when it comes to such things. And it doesn't just apply to sports. Those who are wealthy and entitled often receive no punishment, or light punishment, for grave offenses.

What's fascinating to me with that Rice is being singled out so harshly here. Does it make a difference that the woman he assaulted is now his wife and said there is more to the story? Does it make a difference that we don't know what preceded the limited video released to the public?

To many it doesn't, but maybe it should. What's fascinating in both the stories of Rice and Dungy is that no one is given the benefit of the doubt, that is unless you like them or agree with them. Sounds like America to me.