NFL and domestic corruption
Outline
15 pges paper Due on Wednesday 24/march/2016
Topic NFL and domestic corruption
Introduction
History of the NFL
The media control
The income destitution
The health issue of the sport
Domestic politics and NFL involvements
Solution
Introduction
Incomes earned by nations may come from various sources and activities, sports being a
part of those activities. Since the transparency in all financial sectors is a necessary requirement,
the lack of accountability in the sports sector may be deemed questionable. The football sport has
been in existence since the history of the world and keeps developing as more than just a game to
an income earning activity. National concerns on the type of sports that brings in superior
revenues as compared to others have been rising, football being an international leader hence the
creation of the National Football League. The relationship between social or psychological
development and sporting activities is revealed as an advantageous phenomenon whereby social
irresponsibility reduces in intensity.
Challenges such as irresponsibility of players in sports as well as remuneration issues are
found to be common in American football. Participation in football may lead to various
complications in the health status of players or correct problems depending on how much care
the player is taking in protecting himself or herself. Measures to ensure that players are
compensated after the activity have faced challenges such as corruption causing compensation to
either be delayed or not offered in the end. This paper seeks to give a clear description of the
NFL and the issues that directly concern players, for example, health and revenue matters.
History of the NFL
The National Football League (NFL) has its roots from the American Professional
Football Association (APFA). The enterprise was formed in Chicago- August 20 th 1920 to
include 32 teams which are divided between NFC and NFC. According to Klein, (2014) the
formation of NFL was as a result of leadership crisis in the management of the then coaches
NFL AND DOMESTIC CORRUPTION 4
which required to be solved. The club was not facing as many challenges financially in relation
to obtaining them since salaries to players kept increasing. Player loyalty to the previous club
was a major issue that led to the formation of this club to reduce the chances of players moving
from APFA to other rival clubs. Players moving from this club was a disturbing problem as they
were highly skilled, leading to the possibility of negative competition with other nations.
NFL History at A Social Perspective
One of the major challenges that led to the formation of NFL was the poaching of players
by rival clubs which left APFA with lesser experienced players. The level of satisfaction was
possibly questionable because players were obviously for a more comfortable club, with better
standards in relation to professional football. The fact that NFL consisted of teams under two
other associations meant that there would be better consideration of all races as America
consisted of different races. According to Newman, 2016, p. the formation of this club led to the
increment of players from the origins; African-American, Latinos and Asians among other races.
Hiring black people in top management level had to be one of the major changes to be
implemented to counter the racism challenge in the previous Association. Resentment of the
former club by locals called for the formation of a club that would lure fans to follow their rules
and regulations such as paying entry fees. APFA decreased in popularity among the locals, a
drawback that would reduce player-loyalty and increase chances of them being poached by other
football clubs. Corrective measures that were used to rectify the behavior of players could be
deemed inappropriate and ineffective as they could continue with their ill practices, a challenge
that had to be overcome.
NFL AND DOMESTIC CORRUPTION 5
An Economic Perspective
Players were receiving high remuneration even in the past though chances of this being
an advantage were less due to the reasons that led to this practice. A strain in the economic plan
of APFA was most likely since players had to be highly paid to stay in the team yet economic
conditions were not always the same. The lack of proper management was also a drawback
challenging the economic gains for APFA and led to the establishment of NFL with a new
management and better financial skills. The APFA was facing the challenge of people watching
the game at absolutely no cost a matter that led to financial strain in the club, and had to be
solved with the advent of NFL.
According to Vrooman, (2012, p. 10), the introduction of NFL led to fairness in the
football sport such that players are not exploited and also the club was not made to pay extreme
salaries as opposed to the former club. NFL was deemed the strongest league owing to the
amount of revenue that was received as compared to other clubs, (Vrooman, (2012, p. 10-11). A
challenge arose with this merit that brought about corruption and misappropriation of the money
collected and poor payment levels for players or lack of transparency. The NFL also received
direct private funding and revenue from television stations among other sources of revenue, a
factor that promoted its financial status.
Skills and Expertise in Management
Players in the NFL had the right skills to make the best teams and earn proper revenues
while the team owners required the right people to manage the teams. The necessity to have a
better management emerged due to the level at which players were moving to other clubs for
financial and social satisfaction. Another reason for the need of better management was the stiff
NFL AND DOMESTIC CORRUPTION 6
competition that existed between APFA and the rival clubs. A new name for APFA involved the
change of management where Jim Thorpe, the then manager was replaced by Joe Carr, (Klein,
2014). Significant changes in the management were also necessitated by the decline in popularity
of APFA hence more marketing capabilities were required for professional football.
The management allowed for television broadcasts of their sports which became a source
of their revenue as well as an advertisement strategy. Improvement in the budgetary control and
proper financial planning was required and this led to the owners of teams to set up meetings to
come up with better and cheaper strategies to lure fans in supporting the sports activities.
Corruption was at a critical level through the former management and required a more strict
management body to reinstate transparency. The purpose of a good management system is to
ensure that disciplinary measures are followed by all players and promote good working
conditions for all, including the team owners and managers. However, this was lacking in APFA
and the team owners had to establish NFL under a new manager, which would try to reinstate the
above mentioned values.
The Media Control
Evidence that the NFL has been making use of the media in announcing their games
progress as well as a source of revenue is indisputable. Reports relating to the conduct of players
are open to all media houses such as television stations with limited chances of selecting what to
be aired to the general public and what not to. The constant conveyance of information related to
personal lives of players, coaches and team owners may be deemed irrelevant as it shows a high
level of interference in individuals. The role played by television stations in the support for
advertising strategies of businesses cannot be underestimated, though possible negative effects
NFL AND DOMESTIC CORRUPTION 7
may be witnessed through some of the data conveyed. Factors that lead to the aspect of media
control involve measures for guarding the reputation of enterprises because if negative
information gets in the hands of the competitors, they can use it for competitive advantage.
However, the same negative information may be used by the enterprise to correct their mistakes
and make the future better without further constraints. The attachment between positive and
negative effects of media lies between an enterprises’ power to regulate media, and its failure to
do so.
The Role of Media and Need for Media Control in the NFL
In the growth of enterprises and associations such as the NFL inappropriate behavior of
members can be reported to cause irreversible havoc to either the players so that such behavior
will not be repeated in the future. At the same time, the media may be used to market for another
competitive brand, club or association, thus manipulating the existing situation. For a football
league, information broadcasted by media stations may be used to destroy the future of that
football league permanently. Information may be given to damage the reputation of a certain
player or restore another player to the previous level.
In the recent past, personal information of the conduct of players, some of which may
seem irrelevant, has been aired. The feedback from all fans especially in relation to the domestic
violence exhibited by some of their favorite players indicates a shift in their loyalty to the club
they belong. For example, in the case where a player is reported to have tried to kill his mother
the fans respond by blaming the NFL. For the purpose of maintaining a proper competitive
advantage and a good reputation, it is therefore important for the NFL to regulate the reporting of
personal information by the media.
NFL AND DOMESTIC CORRUPTION 8
Positive Media Control and Its Results
The obligation by media stations to keep people informed has always been prioritized by
many enterprises, giving reasons such as promotional strategies. The NFL is believed to
manipulate negative information released by the media in a competitive way such that it adds
value to the association’s popularity. For example, domestic violence witnessed in the case of
Ray Rice may have acted as an awakening call to the old fans of NFL and as people subscribe to
get more information relating to the unethical behavior, subscription fees are paid, earning the
club more revenue. Through this process, though the information conveyed is discouraging, the
manipulation makes it a factor for positive results.
Strict withholding of information by club members as a way of avoiding negative
influences can also be used. The main advantage for this is that it reduces the chances of the
general public questioning the ethical practices and safeguards the reputation of the enterprise.
Ethical behavior may be used to win the confidence of old and new supporters or fans in the
present and the future. However, this may be termed as a deceiving approach as it is directly
enticing supporters without factual bases and is an irresponsible conduct. Though future
disclosure of the information previously hidden may bring excruciating results in the
performance of the enterprise, the profits that would have been lost due to the decrease in
popularity will be enough to cover the losses expected.
Negative Influence of Media Control
The strategy of media control may be viewed as a deceptive technique to both the
enterprise and the general public. The belief of the enterprise that it is in a good position since no
negative information pertaining to its members has been released means that the association will
NFL AND DOMESTIC CORRUPTION 9
not develop strategies to counter future negative response. Eventually, the association will be
having more negative effects than they would be having supposed they would have countered the
problems before they accumulate. Making members own up their mistakes helps in establishing
better relations with their supporters as they know a slight mistake can be punished in a huge
way. The fact that members who make mistakes are not punished makes them more irresponsible
by making new mistakes every moment.
The general conduct of people in relation to the question of what is right or wrong in the
society loses its relevance due to the aspect of media control. For members of the media, their
role is skipped and in many ways loses its meaning if they cannot get the public informed on the
various malpractices of enterprises and individuals. Taking advantage of negative information,
though tempting, is an inappropriate practice that should not be encouraged in every enterprise.
The public is kept in darkness by not being given true information meaning that the same
malpractices will be conducted in every enterprise and worse will be done since there will be no
effect to the people caught acting inappropriately.
The Income Destitution
NFL Revenue
Media, sponsorships, sale of products like t-shirts branded with team logos and game
tickets are just but a few of the ways sport leagues make their money. Revenue is collected and
shared among the clubs. Distribution may be of two types; shared revenue and unshared revenue;
shared revenue consists mostly of funds collected through broadcasting, these is distributed to
clubs evenly, unshared revenue consists of funds collected from tickets and sale of merchandise.
The unshared revenue is divided among teams on a rather competitive scale depending on how
NFL AND DOMESTIC CORRUPTION 10
the teams perform. NFL’s revenue comprises of majorly shared revenue (Bourg & Gourget 2010,
p. 166). Partnerships with media outlets like ESPN, CBS and NBS, to forecasts games are among
of the common ways NFL makes its money currently. The large numbers of people that the
football games attract provide a big market for commercial advertisement. The NFL, like most
sports leagues make most of its revenue from the media. The estimated revenue of NFL in 2014
is $6 billion; most of the money is gotten from television broadcasting (Delaney & Madigan,
2015, p. 377). The NFL ranks as one of the wealthiest sports leagues in the world with up to a
revenue of $12 billion in 2015. However, with such deep pockets, do the players benefit from
being the most essential part of the league?
NFL League Players
The salary cap expenditure given by NFL stood at $143.28 million in 2015. The figure is
an increase from previous years. NFL players earn up to 40% of their salaries from ticket sales.
The play-offs give much more income than regular seasons to players. The career life of an NFL
player is less than 10 years. Most players are recruited immediately after leaving high school and
have little experience on how to handle large amounts of money of or how the taxation system
works. This short period determines most of their retirement and family lives. Failure to make
wise decisions land many in debt to the IRS later.
Recent audits by the NFL players association reported that the NFL owners held back
$120 million of income from players in the past three years. These shows high level of financial
misappropriation and corruption that deprive players of hard-earned money. The league denies
claims of such allegation but the association insists that it is a cover up and may be a small
percentage of the funds that players are deprived in salaries.
NFL AND DOMESTIC CORRUPTION 11
Health Issues of the Sport
Many league players suffer physical and mental traumas in the field such as concussions and
chronic traumatic encephalopathy. Chronic traumatic encephalopathy is a disease of the brain
common in people who have experienced brain traumas and concussions severally. Most
common injuries are injuries on limbs while some cases show brain traumas on players are also
common. Mental issues that may cause suicide have also been recorded as seen in the case of
Junior Seau and Andre Waters (Rochlen & Robinowitz, 2014, p. 58). NFL is accused of being
knowledgeable of the life-long effects that injuries on the head can give to players. The NFL
may have even masterminded attempts to cover up such injuries by restricting players from
seeking appropriate medical attention. The quality of medical attention given to players is also
concerning, statistics based on players’ opinion and the number of lawsuits against NFL show
that players are not well looked after. A research conducted by CBS news showed that 35% of
older players did not trust team medics with their health issues, while, a larger percentage of
newer players thought that the medical staff had the best interest of the players at heart.
Brain Injuries
The NFL committee on Mild Traumatic Brain injuries advised that the injuries common in the
field were not very serious and players need not worry about them a lot. Players followed that
advice and looked up to retired players, some of whom were already suffering from long-term
brain damage as role models and motivational figures to continue playing. Research of brains of
deceased football players showed that 69% of them were NFL players. Many players have also
exhibited signs of psychological issues associated with traumatic experiences and stress.
Common psychological problems experienced are; anger, depression, insomnia, anxiety and
NFL AND DOMESTIC CORRUPTION 12
shock. However, NFL has recent started putting up posters that warn players and coaches of the
hazards of playing in a game after getting a head injury or a concussion. The new rules aim at
sensitizing players on the importance of taking care of themselves and fostering a better image of
football tackling tactics to future players (Gever, 2010)
Doping and Substance Abuse
Doping is a common behavior of athletes who are trying to boost performance. Team managers
and coaches have often been accused of providing players with banned substances and
medication to improve their performance in the sport, as seen in the civil suit of Richard Dent
and McMahon v NFL. Over four thousand players have sued the league in relation to health
treatment issues, the league has settled in the suit. Recently, Peyton Manning, one of the best
NFL’s players was accused of doping. Injuries on the field are so common that a player can be
on constant use of painkillers, some of which become addictive when used for an extended
period.
Control Measures
To reduce such high case of head injuries causing brain traumas, a prohibition on a player to
tackle each other using the crown of their helmet was instituted in the NFL. This reduces chances
of a player getting a concussion while delivering blows. Player may also adopt a tackling system
similar to that of rugby that allows players to use their shoulders in tacking rather than their
heads. The rugby system also recommends offensive tactics to be administered on the lower part
of the body.
Domestic Politics and NFL Involvements
NFL AND DOMESTIC CORRUPTION 13
Domestic Violence
The NFL has a strict policy aimed at establishing high levels of discipline among players. NFL
introduced an education program in football teams in which they educate young players on
domestic violence and assaults. They do background checks on players to find if players have
been previously been convicted of any charges. Although all players admitted to the league are
allowed to make a fresh start; meaning offenses done while a player is part of the league are
subjected to displinary action, previous offences are not considered as far as displinary actions
are conserved. The league keeps a close eye on players to ensure that those who exhibit high
risks of violence are offered counseling. Though counseling is voluntary, refusal to admit oneself
to the process may badly influence future cases of displinary form in the player’s career. The
most common of charges brought against NFL players involve domestic violence and sexual
assault. Charges of misconduct are not only those that have gone through the judicial process and
been found to be true but are also cases reported to the NFL. The owners make the decision on
whether to suspend the player or not. Ray Rice was one of the players recently suspended by the
league. Displinary steps that the league may implement on players include; suspension from six
games for first offenders and a permanent ban on second offenders. The policy extends to all
members of the NFL, players and employees alike (McManus, 2014). Most of the spouses
(wives) of NFL players who have lodged complaint of sexual abuse to the police and the NFL
players association admit that little is done to ensure that this demeaning culture stops. Some
like, Greg Hardy’s girlfriend, were given settlement to avoid testifying (Belsom, 2015).
NFL AND DOMESTIC CORRUPTION 14
Government Involvement in Domestic Violence among Players.
Congress is considering revising policies of displinary issue on domestic violence and doping
among sports leagues including NFL. It is the view of many; the congress’s jurisdiction does not
extend to measures that leagues take to deal with their players and employees. However, these
cases have increased over the past few years to warrant the attention of congress. The
effectiveness and implementation of the displinary procedures and suspension on players is
under scrutiny by the congress committee, with fears that they are set up by teams but leagues
hardly follow through with them. The judicial process is faulted where professional players are
involved in cases. There has been claims of corruption and intimidation of witness. These claims
are not astounding considering the value players have in the leagues (Waldron, 2014).
However, there has been a lot of attention by the government on domestic issues rather than
equally important issues such as the level of injuries players get while in the game. Considering
brain injuries cause psychological problems that may result to a majority of the domestic and
sexual cases of violence, more attention should be taken on such matters. It also promotes
protection the safety rights of the player in the league. Leagues should also take such matters
more seriously by increasing laws and safety measures that ensure the mental well-being of the
player.
Politics and NFL
Politicians, especially state official like members of congress are guided by ethical standards that
seek to put the interest of the people they represent as top priority. This code of ethics has been
abuse with the help of major sports leagues like the NFL. John Warner, a senator from Virginia
was exposed as being among the board members in one of the NFL's major leagues, the redskins.
NFL AND DOMESTIC CORRUPTION 15
The position and interest of the league, like of other leagues in the NFL, in the federal
government is great. Such ties may explain why the league has huge tax exceptions while the
revenue they have is very high. The owners are part of the government and therefore may not
feel any pinch in allowing taxation revenue to the government to decrease as they pocket more
money as part of the owners. The NFL has also been involved in bribing local authorities in deals
like building of stadiums with public fund. This creates additional burden on the taxpayers’
pockets while increasing the pocket size of the owners of the league. The league can be said to
be run by political capitalists who see as far as the mighty dollar permits. They show little
concern for problems of players and the community that restricts or reduce on the amount of
money they make. Roger Goodell’s response rejecting Obama’s call for the NFL to educate and
allow it players who did not fall under their insurance scheme to seek health insurance in the
Affordable Care Act The matter clearly contradicts with ethical issues and separation of powers.
Lobbyist groups
The NFL has a variety of lobbyists groups that are devout on pushing agendas that affect the
league to governmental bodies. Some of these are include the high threat to revenues due to free
games on the internet and streaming content without authorization of the NFL. The league makes
a substantial amount of income from selling right to broadcast to television networks, rise of
method to deprive them of their due income does not please NFL. The lobby groups aim at
allowing the congress and the department of labor to allow them to have a part in the system that
allows their games to be accessed free of charge. The NFL players association is also seeking
governmental support in forming legislation the will favor the lives of the players instead of the
multi-million dollar company. These legislations are structured to help majorly with the health
problems the players face while playing.
NFL AND DOMESTIC CORRUPTION 16
NFL and Military
The military contributes to a part of NFL through sharing research regarding mental traumas that
affects both players and soldiers in training and combat missions. The military also partners with
television broadcasters to make games available to soldiers oversees for entertainment. The cases
of violence associated with the player are a cause of major concern as it puts the military’s
reputation at risk. The forces provide ceremonial groups that make appearances at major football
games and perform the national anthem at certain occasions. The military offers support to
young football teams, this inspire and helps young children gain role models in life.
Conclusion
The NFL gets a large platform for advertisements through the media and endorsement. The size
of the league is expected to rise in the future and its revenue will increase. The attention to
players’ needs should be of great concern to the owners of the league. Future generations look up
to this well regarded leagues and aspire to join it. It will be of great benefit to the young football
players to see their role models in good light. Cases of violence by players are not tolerable. The
league should implement long-term plans to curb this menace; these include proper physical and
psychiatric evaluation on players who are injured while playing. The NFL has a great media
presence, this has been used both positively and negatively to hide discrepancies of players
accused of crime like domestic violence and assault. Control on the media is a delicate process
that should involve both leagues and governmental departments to ensure that there is
transparency and ethical standards are upheld. The NFL players association should continue to
support the needs of players, looking at their best well being in terms of salaries and health
issues, while considering the image they give to present and future players.
NFL AND DOMESTIC CORRUPTION 17
References
Books resources
Bourg, J., & Gourget, J. (2010). Models of organization in professional sport. In The political
economy of professional sport (2nd ed., p. 166). Retrieved from
https://books.google.com/books?id=6flKqCN9qtIC&pg=PA166&dq=nfl+revenue+break
down&hl=en&sa=X&redir_esc=y#v=onepage&q=nfl%20revenue%20breakdown&f=fal
se
Delaney T., & Madigan T. (2015). The sociology of sports: An introduction (2nd ed.). Retrieved
from
https://books.google.com/books?id=A_ZTCgAAQBAJ&pg=PA377&dq=nfl+revenue+b
reakdown&hl=en&sa=X&redir_esc=y#v=onepage&q=nfl%20revenue%20breakdown&f
=false
Newman, D. M. (2016). Sociology: Exploring the architecture of everyday life. Sage
Publications. Retrieved from http://celticcreek.org/images/nflreport.pdf
Rochlen, A., & Robinowitz, F. (2014). Breaking barriers in counseling men. Retrieved from
https://books.google.com/books?id=VgQKAgAAQBAJ&pg=PA58&dq=health+issues+in+nfl&
hl=en&sa=X&redir_esc=y#v=onepage&q=health%20issues%20in%20nfl&f=false
NFL AND DOMESTIC CORRUPTION 18
Vrooman, J. (2012). The economic structure of the NFL. In The Economics of the National
Football League (pp. 7-31). Springer New York. Retrieved from
http://www.vanderbilt.edu/econ/faculty/Vrooman/VROOMAN-NFL.pdf
Online articles
Klein , C. (2014):The Birth of the National Football League. Retrieved from
(http://www.history.com/news/the-birth-of-the-national-football-league
Waldron, T. (2014, December). Why Congress Shouldn't Get Involved In Pro Sports' Domestic
Violence Problems | ThinkProgress. Retrieved from
http://thinkprogress.org/sports/2014/12/02/3598216/why-is-congress-involving-itself-in-
professional-sports-domestic-violence-problems/
Belsom, K. (2015). Domestic Violence Is a Recurring Quandary for the N.F.L. – The New York
Times. Retrieved from http://www.nytimes.com/2015/11/11/sports/football/domestic-
violence-is-a-recurring-quandary-for-the-nfl.html?_r=0
Gever, J. (2010). NFL Steps Up Warnings to Players on Head Injury Risk | Medpage Today.
Retrieved from http://www.medpagetoday.com/Neurology/HeadTrauma/21420
NFL AND DOMESTIC CORRUPTION 19
McManus, J. (2014). NFL implements domestic violence penalties. Retrieved from
http://espn.go.com/espnw/news-commentary/article/11425377/nfl-implements-domestic-
violence-penalties
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