NFL - Do they care?

**DISCLAIMER**  This post is not in direct relation to athletic training, but it is a current topic and an interesting one to talk about.

So it has been brought to light the many NFL players that have participated in a domestic violence crime.  Most recently, my NY Giants kicker, Josh Brown, has been brought to the spotlight with his ex-wife stating that he had been violent with her.  It also happens that he had emails and journal entries admitting the events that took place.  At first, I was in disbelief.  Someone that I really enjoyed watching play, someone whom I always picked up in fantasy football...  How could this be true?  Then you have to think about what's being done about it.  Right now, the NFL is investigating the issue.  But think about years past...  Ray Rice, Brandon Marshall, Santonio Holmes, Dez Bryant, among others, have all been arrested for domestic violence and all but one (Rice) are still playing in the NFL.

In 2015, Brown was arrested for domestic violence and was suspended for one game.  The NFL blamed his wife for not cooperating and them not being able to figure out what happened.  Same thing happened with Rice.  The NFL blamed the victim.  Even with Brown's admission of guilt, the Giants re-signed him, seemingly OK that Brown was abusing his wife.  The NFL decided to reopen the case since it had gone a bit more public than they had foreseen.  The NFL has revamped their domestic violence policy, though.  A six game suspension without pay for a first time offender and someone who abuses a pregnant woman...  Wow.  That'll show them, right?

So is the NFL turning a blind eye to domestic violence?  Being a female in sports, I know what it is like to have these male athletes become violent.  Not necessarily towards me, but I have seen it.  It happens.  There are times where the players are stressed and do not know how to handle it well and they become violent.  Maybe some people are just violent by nature.  It DOES happen.  The NFL cannot just sweep it under the rug and say that it is the accusers fault.  I cannot believe that these domestic violence cases are not being investigated further.  The NFL just doesn't seem to want to deal with it, so the player gets a slap on the wrist, a "don't do it again", and off you go.  Being a woman, it is disgraceful to see this happen.  How can the NFL, a nationally know organization, who is supposed to produce role models for young kids and entertainment for the rest of us...  How do they sit back and watch this happen and not do anything about it?  I just don't quite understand their logic.  Why do the women get blamed and the offenders keep living their lives?  Something needs to be done.