Hot Topic: Ray Rice Suspended by the NFL and Contract Terminated by the Ravens....

I am aware it has been a long time since I have posted to this blog.  I recently started up a food blog From the Keyboard to the Kitchen, and I have been putting a lot of my blogging efforts there.  Mainly because I really have not had a whole lot of ideas for what to post on here.

At least... Until today.  I was on Facebook when a friend messaged me to talk about Ray Rice, since he had just been suspended not minutes before this conversation.  It didn't occur to me that people had a different opinion on the situation until she said something to the tune of "I saw people arguing that it was his personal life and he shouldn't be punished professionally because of it."

................. I just need a minute to think about this, because that sentence got me horribly fired up.

I suppose I could understand that argument, maybe for any common person.  Your average Joe as it were...

But for a professional football player? A celebrity? Not only does he represent the Baltimore Ravens organization, he represents the NFL.  So you're telling me, that a man who represents two organizations of that size, shouldn't be punished for knocking a woman out and dragging her limp body off an elevator? That's alright for him to do, and still continue making all the money that he makes?

Exactly where would he learn his lesson from this? Oh yes, Goodell, let me give you a round of applause for your whopping two game suspension.  Here. Let me just give you a ruler and you can crack it across his knuckles while you're at it.  That'll teach him!

No.  False.  This is ridiculous.  This man got into a career that put him in the spot light.  It made him a celebrity. Ray Rice, just like any other human being on this planet, needs to be held responsible for his actions. You know what I like most about all of this? Even the other football players in the league feel this way! My favorite tweet so far came from Chris Harris from the Denver Broncos....

The NFL should have zero tolerance for domestic violence. There is never a reason for any man to be violent towards any woman.
— Chris Harris (@ChrisHarrisJr) September 8, 2014

 Honestly, I can't even say that is my favorite tweet so far.  There are so many players who are outraged by the way the NFL has responded to this incident.  

Domestic violence is a major issue in the world.  For people to argue that "what he does in his spare time shouldn't effect his playing career"... I have no words for you. I'm not saying you're supporting what he did, but I'm saying you need to rethink the people your children are looking up to as role models.  

Let me share some domestic violence facts for this post... I gathered this information from Safe Horizon and the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence

1. One in four women will experience domestic violence in their lifetime 
2. An estimated 1.3 million are victims of an assault by their partner each year.
3. Domestic violence does not just happen to women - it happens to men too.  But the percentage of women impacted is significantly higher than men.
4. Children who witness this behavior are more likely to repeat it.
5. Children are also likely to intervene, which in turn puts them in harms way. 
6. Less than one fifth of the victims who reported an assault by their partner sought medical treatment.

Those facts don't even begin to cover the amount of information that is available about domestic violence here in the United States.  It is a real issue, right here in our backyards.  In our neighborhoods. In our cities.  And you want to try and tell me that what celebrities do in their "down time" shouldn't impact their careers? You want to tell me that this should be brushed under the rug and ignored? 

Let me put it this way.... I don't care who you are.  Domestic violence is a serious issue, and one that has gone so far as to kill people who are too scared to seek help because they are afraid for their lives, as they obviously should have been.  It is something that needs to be stopped.  If an organization like the NFL is going to permit men to play, and not enforce a zero tolerance policy, then you can bet I am walking away from their organization.  Letting that happen is indirectly saying "It's ok! It doesn't matter what you do when you're off the field! You still have a job when you show up."  Honestly, that is not alright with me.  Not with the money those men make and the lack of consequences they get for it happening.  

I could go on forever on this topic.  Please feel free to argue or add your own commentary.  I've always been open to any additional comments.  But just the inkling of an idea that people think he should still be allowed to play, simply infuriates me.  

Just some stories to share from the wide world of sports...

I apologize that it has been so long since my last blog post.... Life has been a bit on the insane side.  I still have every intention of posting those extra videos with the more detailed THON interviews (if you don't know what I'm talking about, you better click this link and visit the post, because you're missing out!).

I just wanted to share two links to stories that I felt were incredibly awesome stories that recently occurred in sports!

• Derrick Coleman meets two fans - For those of you who don't know me - I took three years of American Sign Language classes in high school.  Although much of what I learned as far as communicating has escaped me from lack of use, I still remember learning about deaf culture.  One of my the people I did a report on in that class was former NFL player, Kenny Walker.  Personally, I think there is something incredible about a person with difficulties hearing becoming a professional football player - be it offensive or defensive.  If you don't know anything about the Seahawks player Derrick Coleman, I suggest you look him up. 
  
  I love this story because even though I am not a member of the deaf community, and I know nothing of what it would be like to be deaf, I think it is great how he is representing the community, and that he got in touch with these girls who are supporting him.  I feel like this is just such an incredible story, and it is one that shows that not all athletes are getting into trouble, like Aaron Hernandez and A-Rod (even though neither of these two have been proven guilty as of right now).

   

• NBA has first female PA - For those of you who remember the post, I won't kill you with rereading the story, for those who don't remember the post, here is a brief story of what I learned about women in sports.... They aren't wanted... Women are looked down upon in the sports field, even in this day in age. And after my harsh awakening to that fact, I turned away from wanting to enter that field. However, I wanted to share this video with you all.  The NBA just had a first.  The Sacramento Kings had the first ever female NBA PA, Jaime Coffee.  I don't care that she was just a fill in, I think this is a huge step for women in the sports field.  And I am incredibly excited that this happened!

Rocky Bleier - The Unknown Sponsor of my Athletic Career

Cheating and steroids makes you a coward.  Being an underdog who becomes successful based on worth ethic and heart makes you a hero.

Over the past week or so I have tried to come up with a blog about how upset I have been with sports lately.  I've deleted a handful of them because I felt like all I was doing was attacking PED's, the athletes that take them, and writing what I felt it takes to make a real athlete. What sparked this topic was the MLB's recent Biogenesis sweep, and NASCAR's recent Chase for the Sprint Cup scandal.



Instead of talking about things that have made me upset with sports, I decided to write about a man who I have always idolized and who I consider to be a hero in the tainted world of professional athletes. That man, is Rocky Bleier.

Rocky Bleier - Photo Courtesy of blogs.militarytimes.com

Rocky's story is one that you can read up on if you're interested, by looking online or purchasing his book Fighting Back.  Or even by watching the short YouTube film below.


Many people may wonder how the heck it came to be that my sports idol is someone who played years before I was even born.  Well, it so happened that when I was in the 8th grade, my dad gave me his book.  He figured that because I was not only into football, but into history as well, that I would find his story interesting.  Needless to say, my love for Rocky Bleier was born that day.     I was completely blown away by the fact that a man could have part of his foot blown off by a grenade, struggle with just the simple task of being able to walk again, and still had the heart and determination to push on and get back to where he was physically before the accident.  He was told he would likely struggle to walk for the rest of his life.  His book talks about the struggle he went through every day to try and prove the doctors wrong.  The important thing is - he did it.  He fought back, and pushed through everything, so that he could rejoin the Steelers and go back to being a professional football player.  Not only that, but he assisted the Steelers with their four Super Bowls in the 70's era.   When did I really realize how much his story impacted me?  I was a thrower on the track team in high school.  My freshmen year I injured my shoulder, and didn't tell anyone for a few days.  The only reason people found out was when it became blatantly obvious that I was struggling to move my shoulder, let alone try to throw an object.  A few people tried to tell me I need to stop throwing, and that my shoulder was never going to fully heal.  I was only a freshmen, and I really wanted to throw.  I was never an athletic person, and I had finally found an event that not only was I good at, but I loved. Throwing became my stress reliever, my passion.  I couldn't give it up just because of a busted shoulder.   So who did I think of? Mr. Rocky Bleier of course.  Now, I am in no way shape or form comparing my minor shoulder problem to having half my foot blown off in war.  But I can tell you that his story is what drove me to not only stick with it and battle through it, but it drove me to accomplish two goals that I set as a freshmen.  The first, was to break the Templeton High School discus record, and the second was to get Female Field Athlete of the Year by my senior year.  
Unfortunately, during my final meet of my senior year, I injured my shoulder pretty bad.  I was on my third of four throws in the shot put, when my shoulder just snapped.  They thought it may have just been a bicep tear, but they weren't sure.  I came to Slippery Rock University with every intention of competing with the Rock Athletics Track Team, but my body had other plans.  My shoulder continued to get worse, and I ended up home for the Thanksgiving break, and found out that I may have torn the biceps tendon, needed surgery and would probably never throw again.  The pain I felt was almost unbearable - more mentally than physically.  It took months, but I finally came to terms with the fact that I would more than likely never throw again.  For once, I felt like I might have a small taste of what Rocky felt.   In the end, Rocky's story is what made me push through everything.  If it wasn't for his story when I was younger, I may not have accomplished everything I did while I was in high school.  I probably would never have even tried to compete at a collegiate level either.   I haven't touched a shot put or a discus since my surgery (which for anyone who cares ended up not being as severe as they thought.  They said I could possibly throw again, but it would take time to build back up.  After finally coming to terms with losing throwing, I didn't think it was something I could put myself through again).  I have hopes that one day I can pick it up again, just for fun.  But still to this day, I thank Rocky Bleier for being a crucial reason why I stuck out what I did.  He was the reason I pushed through my high school years, when people thought I couldn't do it.  Because if Rocky could win the Super Bowl after being told he may never walk again, I could push through a small shoulder injury and accomplish my dreams too.   Rocky, is an example of a hero that I think every young athlete should have.  Someone who they can look up to, who can inspire them to do great things, and who accomplished things based upon their hard work and determination. If you're lucky, you might even get a chance to meet that athlete that inspired you, and even thank them for it.  Just like I got to do with Rocky last April.

Rocky Bleier and me at Steelers Fan Blitz 2013 - One of the greatest moments in my 21 years of living on this planet.

 

So my question for all of you out there is this: WHO inspires you? WHY do they inspire you? The person might not be a professional athlete.  It could be a genius like Steve Jobs, a musical inspiration like John Lennon.  Please comment on this blog post and share your stories!  

The Never Ending Saga of the Penn State Sandusky Scandal

Recently I read an article that was posted online by an organization called Onward State.  It originally began as a student run blog page for Penn State students to keep up with news that might impact the campus in some way, shape or form.  Today, it continues to produce stories and issues them to the students.  On occasion, the news they report includes incorrect facts, and sometimes what they report is the truth.  Sometimes you just need to wait and see if the news continues to be reported that way by other organizations before you can decide if what they reported was factual in nature.

The article I read continued the never ending saga of the Penn State Jerry Sandusky scandal.  If you are interested in reading it, please click here.  For those of you who do not know me, I am a Texas Longhorns football fan.  I do however, have a sister who attends Penn State in State College, Pennsylvania, and have quickly learned to love the school and the football team.  Even though I have been a Longhorn fan for many years, I have always loved and supported the great man that was Joe Paterno.

I have been shocked and amazed by how the media has chosen to cover this story from its beginning back in November of 2011.  The media has tried to awe and amaze us with facts about the cover up, pinning blame on Joe Paterno, former university President Graham Spanier, former university Athletic Director Tim Curly, and former Senior Vice President of Finance and Business Gary Schultz.  Any news story that was produced showed photos of Joe Paterno, followed by the headline of "The Penn State Scandal".  We saw footage on almost every television news station of Penn State Students rioting in the streets the night that Joe Paterno was fired.  Media vans were flipped and students were deemed to be "on a rampage" due to the removal of their beloved Coach.

According to the Admissions Page for Penn State University Park, approximately 35,000 students attend their largest campus.  Approximately 1,000 of these students were in attendance of the riot the night that Paterno was fired.  Considering that there are 35,000 students on that campus, it could have been far worse.  But news organizations painted it out that the entire student body was rioting at the loss of their coach.

Candlelight Vigil held at PSU for the victims.

But how many of you heard about the student organized candle light vigil held for the victims?  Hardly any television news organization covered the event.  Some print organizations, like Reuters did.  Were you aware that over 10,000 people were in attendance at this event? Now, I am sure that there were more people at this event than just students alone.  But that number is ten times higher than the number of those who were rioting.  But it was brushed under the rug because it wasn't juicy enough to catch the eye of many news organizations out there who were trying to show the nasty under belly of the Penn State Athletic Organization.

Now, here is what I have a problem with.  Why was it that every time the Penn State Scandal was brought up, Joe Paterno's face was shown.  Joe Paterno is not the one who abused those innocent children.  The only person whose face should have been shown, was that of Jerry Sandusky.

My next issue is the people that say "he should have done more".  Sure, I see your point, and I agree, but only to a certain degree.  Here's my arguments for this issue.

• Take a moment to consider the generation Joe Paterno was from.  Also, take a moment to consider how old the man was.  That generation really didn't openly discuss sexual topics.  It was something that was to be left behind closed doors.  Maybe Paterno didn't realize how bad the situation was - not because he was trying to protect his program, but because he simply couldn't wrap his head around what was going on.  
• Now think of a time when you reported an incident to whoever your higher up official is, or even filed a report to the police.  What is it that you usually hear from them once you turn in the information? "Thank you, we will investigate this." and usually, you will never hear what came out of that investigation.  Joe Paterno did what he was LEGALLY required to do.  An incident was reported to him, and he took it to the people above him, and was told it would be looked into.  And from what we can gather, we can assume a few things.  One of which is that he turned it in, and never heard anything more of it.  Another is that he turned it in, and knew that there was more going on and didn't do anything about it. 

I simply can not wrap my head around the comments that "he didn't do enough".  Change your sentence, please.  Joe Paterno did what he was legally required to do.  COULD he have done more, yes.  Could he have called the police if he felt it wasn't being investigated properly? Yes! Could he have placed a phone call every day to make sure that the situation was being handled properly? Yes! But would anything more have come of it? Who knows! The man was old.  He wasn't even on the sidelines for the majority of the football games because of it.  How much energy do you think one old man could put toward a situation, when he was probably very confident that the school he loved so much and dedicated his life to should have been taking care of the situation.

For those of you who question his character.  Please think back for a minute on all of the things this man stood for.  He wanted his football players to excel in college.  He felt that they were there as students first, and football players second.  He was a strong supporter of liberal arts.  His wife went so far as to tutor players who were struggling in classes. Together, the Paterno's donated roughly $4 million to various departments at the university, and helped raise over $13.5 million to help build an extension of the school library.  He was paid roughly $500,000 a year to coach that school.  While other college football coaches at schools of an equal skill level are paid two or three million dollars a season.

But lets remember, that this man was a bad man, and lacked any form of morals, and only cared about football.

So the sanctions come out, and everyone is so happy because "Penn State deserves everything it has coming to it".  Why would you ever think that students who weren't even involved deserved to have games stripped from them? Why should they lose all of their wins? Why were the punishments so harsh?

Lets go back to when the Duke Lacross team had charges brought against players for an alleged rape incident.  The NCAA decided not to get involved because it was a criminal case.  So why is it that they can get involved with a criminal case involving a coach of a team? This incident had nothing to do with students of the school, yet they are the ones being punished for actions that they had no control over?

Then comes the incident with Notre Dame that was barely even covered in the news.  Girls were allegedly raped by football players, and then threatened not to go to the cops because "you don't mess with the football team".  The girls were harassed so much that one of them, who was a freshmen, went to far as to commit suicide because she couldn't handle it.

Did the NCAA do anything? Those players were playing in championship games like nothing even happened.  There was no national story with news airing 24/7 about the Notre Dame Scandal.  So what made Penn State such a priority over schools with similar incidents like the Duke Lacross team or Notre Dame?

All and all, I am curious to see what all is said about there being no evidence that Paterno did anything to cover up this scandal.  I will forever be a Joe Paterno fan, and a firm believer in what he stood for.  I can't begin to wrap my head around how people think he was this evil and corrupt man, who cared only about football.  When that is in fact the farthest thing from the truth.  I hope that one day, his name will be wiped clean, and all that he stood for will be what he was remembered for, and not this scandal that has ruined Penn State in the eyes of many.

Lastly, to all my Penn State friends and family members. Just remember to stay strong, and don't let people with negative opinions weigh you down.  The actions of a few corrupt people do not equal the actions of the whole.  You all have done things to be proud of at that university, THON being one of the most important ones.  You had a record breaking year last year, so keep up the good work and break it again this year.  FTK!

WE ARE.... PENN STATE!