By now, you all do realize that I’m a woman. If you didn’t, now you do. Not only am I a woman, I love sports daggonit. A lot. So I’m pretty special, as far as women go. Well, I mean, ALL women are special. But ya know, a sports loving chick IS kinda helpful when it comes to relationships. Heck, and if she can give you fantasy advice, and statistical knowledge like the guys over at numberFire do, then she’s really special. But I won’t get into all of that. But sometimes being a woman sports fan can be really hard. And this past NFL season, through now has proven that. And I don’t know what to do about it, if anything. I’ll expound.
This week, the hammer fell from on high on Tom Brady and the Patriots as we are all well aware. I was shocked, and continue to be shocked that he got suspended for 4 games. Just to get it out there, I’m not a diehard, ride or die Patriots fan or anything. I mostly like them because of Tom Brady having been a QB at Michigan. After the suspension was announced, my jaw literally dropped, and then as a reflex I thought about Ray Rice’s 2 games for what he did to his fiancée/wife. And then what happened with Adrian Peterson and Greg Hardy. I’ve been continuing to sort my feelings out in my brain, and I’m still lost….Sort of.
I’m lost because I’m a female fan, and I don’t know if I should be mad because Brady’s suspension was longer that Ray’s, and a little harsher than APs and Greg Hardy’s initial punishments? (And for the record, of course I despise anyone who puts their hands on a woman, child, heck ANYONE for any reason other than a kind/gentle/loving touch) My initial response was yes, of course I should be mad. How can the NFL put a cheating scandal above a woman, person, a HUMAN? How? But I’m a sports fan. In a way I do understand why they did what they did. They are punishing Brady and the Pats for their deceitful actions, and past transgressions. But why should that punishment be harsher than the others? I still am not 100% sure, but I think maybe I have come up with an answer.
Because it’s “easier”. It’s easier to punish someone who has cheated the GAME of NFL Football and their team. It’s strictly football related (literally) Let’s face it. Goodell has gotten himself in a whole bunch of hot water over the punishments that he’s given out (or not) in the past year. And the cheating scandal is no different. I think it’s easier to punish this than it is to punish what the other’s have done. Deflategate has nothing to do with what a player does off of the field and everything with what a player does on the field, which from what I’m guessing is how it makes it “easier.” Followed up with the fact that this is a repeat offense.
The other issues happened off the field. Where courts and judges and lawyers are. And to be quite honest that is their domain. Not the NFLs. Does the NFL have a duty to punish Rice, Peterson, and Hardy? Yes, but do they have to be the end all/do all for punishment? No. While I was disappointed in what they gave Rice, and in a way felt bad for Peterson because of how poorly it was handled, (Sorry Greg Hardy, I really don’t feel badly for you at all.) I came to the realization that it’s not the NFL’s job to punish those people to the fullest extent of the law. It’s not. The NFL’s duty, in my own opinion is to take them off the field until everything is handled properly. Suspend, fine, exempt list, whatever. Once everything is handled legally, then NFL can bring down whatever punishment has been negotiated between them and the players union.
But does this make me a bad female fan? 
That’s the last thing that I wrestle with. I don’t know. Yes, because I should want the NFL to realize that players who are abusing women and kids should have NO PART in this game. And why would they even make excuses for their behavior in the name of the game? These things are real issues for real people. No, because I feel like I’m an educated fan, and I do understand the pure gamesmanship of the NFL. In the end, should we expect them to be a moral compass for society? Not really, to be quite honest. That’s what “real people” are for. People like mentors, parents, coaches, etc. Do athletes have a responsibility because they are athletes and kids look up to them? They do, but I think that parents/mentors/coaches need to help kids understand that athletes are real people too, and they make mistakes, and they do bad things sometimes.
So, while getting this stuff out helps, I’m still confused. I want to be a good female fan, but in the end, I just want to be a fan. And cheer on my team. And watch a good game. But I can’t. So….Now what?
Follow Sonja on Twitter @Mom23RN
