NFL Expected To Penalize Players Who Use N-Word On The Field

[DonViejo]

Source: TPM

CATHERINE THOMPSON – FEBRUARY 22, 2014, 1:52 PM EST

The National Football league is expected to institute a rule penalizing players who use the N-word on the field, ESPN reported Saturday.

An organization that monitors diversity in the NFL, the Fritz Pollard Alliance, anticipates that at an owners' meeting next month the league's competition committee will enact a rule penalizing players 15 yards for using the racial slur.

Fritz Pollard Alliance head John Wooten told CBS Sports that he would be "shocked" if the committee didn't adopt the rule.

""We want this word to be policed from the parking lot to the equipment room to the locker room," Wooten said. "Secretaries, PR people, whoever, we want it eliminated completely and want it policed everywhere."

-snip-

Read more: http://talkingpointsmemo.com/livewire/nfl_penalize_racial_slurs

[DURHAM D]

1. Why not include gender and sexual slurs as well?

[marshall]

4. I think they should ban ALL foul and offensive language

There is no place for such language in civilized society.

[former9thward]

7. Should foul and offensive language be banned from DU?

Obscenities? Or are they ok in "civilized society?

[Nanjing to Seoul]

10. Lenny Bruce stated when you outlaw the word fuck, you outlaw the ability to say

fuck the government.

[marshall]

12. It could be open for group discussion

I doubt that it would be agreeable to everyone, but then we are a different arena than NFL football. We do have avenues to report abusive language, but we aren't being paid like football players. They are in a workplace and as such should be protected in the same way others are from hostile work environments.

[ForgoTheConsequence]

15. You wouldn't like it on a union construction site.

You wouldn't fucking like it.

[marshall]

16. Are football players unionized?

If so, are they the ones pushing for a non-hostile environment?

[former9thward]

17. They are unionized.

And no, the union is not pushing for anything. It is the owners who don't want to be harassed by the PC police. The players will continue to say the words even if they have to do something different. No player cares. Just outsiders.

[marshall]

20. That's the usual case

Social change can often come from outside, because the insiders are so entrenched in the culture of conformity.

[geek tragedy]

23. He wouldn't fucking like it in a fucking law firm either. nt

[sir pball]

61. Or a fucking shitshow of a kitchen.

Fuck!

[Dr Hobbitstein]

25. Fuck that shit...

[marshall]

59. Exactly...

That's the point--it shouldn't have to go there in our diverse society.

[BlueStreak]

2. "They are taking all the fun out of the game"

{sarcasm}

[TheCowsCameHome]

3. Yeah, right.

Like they need to be told it is inappropriate...........

[Garion_55]

5. not sure i like this idea

penalties should be given to players who do something that we all can see and agree with. (or disagree with) We can all see someone leading with their helmet on a tackle but none of us are going to be able to hear the N word being said. How does a ref know for sure it was said? how does he know who said it? what if a corrupt official claims it was said but wasnt? what if a player disputes saying it?

i could see monetary fines after the game but not sure i dig real time penalties for it.

[tabasco]

30. You don't like private businesses making their own rules? n/t

[Garion_55]

41. pretty sure thats not what i said.

[Inkfreak]

6. And yet the field goal post problem persists.

A 15 yard penalty..that's harsh. I realize so is the language, but I dunno how this'll stick. Ands it's creepy that every word spoken on the field will be analyzed. Besides Cooper was off field when he said it. And that's the only guy who's yelling it for everyone to hear. Like a dipshit. Eagles fan, btw. Ugh. Dudes embarrassing.

What if a black player says "nice tackle, n****." to a teammate? None of this is a pro slur stance, btw. I just think that in gameplay, policing ones speech could be problematic for some. Dudes like Incognito should be fined. A lot.

[Tom Ripley]

8. However, I assume the NFL will be cool with "Blackskins", won't they?

[Comrade Grumpy]

9. I didn't know this was an issue. What prompted this?

[alp227]

14. Maybe to "de-ghettoize" the NFL, like the 2005 NBA dress code

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NBA_dress_code

[underpants]

19. There is a lot of sh*t talking and a lot of "motivation" rants for teammates

that word is used in both, as In "let's go ******!!!" or "I'm going kick your a$$ ******!!!"

[gopiscrap]

11. Jesus fuck! I would hope that they penalize them!!!

[former9thward]

18. Are you going to penalize rap singers next?

[TeamPooka]

29. do rap singers compete in a closed system for teams?

[former9thward]

31. Which has nothing to do with the OP.

[TeamPooka]

34. you started the bad analogy. follow it through with your bad logic too.

[tabasco]

32. That would be the rapper's employer's decision, right?

Are you against private businesses making rules for their employees?

[former9thward]

33. Rap singers work for themselves.

Their "employers" if you want to call it that are their audience. I just want to know what the double standard is. Why jump on athletes when the N word is heard everyday in rap music?

[TeamPooka]

35. The audience is not an employer.If you don't understand the difference between consumers & employers

perhaps you should abstain from this conversation.
It requires an understanding of the issue.
You don't have that.

[former9thward]

36. Insult away but I will participate whenever I want.

You are not in control. You just want to deflect from the double standard.

[TeamPooka]

37. Talk of a double standard is the true defelction and all know it. Except you. But keep it up.

In my experience people who talk about a"double standard" with the N-word , like Bill O'Reilly it's one of his favorite topics, are looking for an excuse for when they use the word.

[former9thward]

39. Right, I am secretly Bill O'Reilly.

And you someone who wants to control what African-American players say.

[TeamPooka]

42. did you ever think the white guys like that ass in Miami are the ones using the N-word to blacks?

I did.
I see this as banning racial epithets on the field.
You seem to think all NFL players are rappers and this is a creative freedom issue.
You are wrong.

[former9thward]

44. Most players who use that word are AAs.

You want to control their language.

[TeamPooka]

46. show me your data please or are you just guessing/hoping? Prove it or you are full of shit

[tabasco]

38. Do rappers work for the NFL?

You really aren't making any sense. Stop babbling gibberish.

[former9thward]

40. Why do you want to control what African-Americans say?

Do you know better than them, whats good for them?

[TeamPooka]

43. Why do you want to let people insult others with racial epithets while working? So you can too?

You seem to forget there are white guys in the NFL too
Yup they are there.
The rule discussed applies to all players.
So why do you want to let people call others the N-word at work?

[former9thward]

45. When players use that it is not a racial ephithet.

They know that even though you PRETEND not too. No one uses a racial epithet at a 6'5" 300 lb muscle bound man. Be serious.

[TeamPooka]

47. oops you're wrong....

http://www.dallasnews.com/sports/dallas-cowboys/headlines/20140214-slurs-taunts-bullying-revealed-in-nfl-s-report-on-miami-dolphins.ece

Two Miami Dolphins offensive linemen joined Richie Incognito in bullying Jonathan Martin, and at least one other player and an assistant trainer were also targets of the vicious taunts and racist insults, according to a report ordered by the NFL.

Lawyer Ted Wells released the report Friday, saying guard John Jerry and center Mike Pouncey followed Incognito’s lead in harassing Martin, who left the team in October. They threatened to rape his sister, called him a long list of slurs and bullied him for not being “black enough.”

Martin is biracial, Incognito is white, and Jerry and Pouncey are black.

Martin’s agent Kenneth Zuckerman said his client feels “vindicated” by the report.
-------------------------------------------

so so factually incorrect you are.

[former9thward]

50. So I guess all these guys being called the N word are wimps, Right?

They are just sitting there taking epithets being hurled their way? You don't make policy based on one person's issues. It is just another attempt at control and to attack football and sports in general.

[TeamPooka]

52. So that makes it right? okaaaaaay.... If your friends jump off a bridge do you do it too?

[TeamPooka]

48. okay you are on the record as supporting hate speech. We get it. You are Pro N-word.

[former9thward]

51. You are on the record wanting to control African American speech.

We get it.

[TeamPooka]

53. No I'm against hate speech of all kinds. You have exemptions.

[former9thward]

55. It is not hate speech, its professional sports.

You are against sports. We get that. You want to control the words AAs say to each other because you know better. We get that.

[TeamPooka]

54. I do have a word for folks like you that seem to be posting idiocy for responses

ignore.
buh bye.

[former9thward]

56. Thanks.

Damn, you can't see that. Oh well ...

[thefool_wa]

13. It seems to me

the primary focus of these penalties is going to fall on the BLACK players.

It may seem naive, but I would wager the "n-word" is used on the field 10x more by black players than non-black. I have no delusions that it ISN'T used by the racist elements among the non-black player base, but I would be shocked if it turned out it was used more on the field by non-blacks than blacks.

That said, the policing of language by corporations is never something that sits well with me. I know the motivation is sincere, but quotes like "We want this word to be policed from the parking lot to the equipment room to the locker room. Secretaries, PR people, whoever, we want it eliminated completely and want it policed everywhere." make me uncomfortable regardless of the motivation.

[marshall]

21. That is certainly true

I gave up on trying to control the use of the n-word when I was teaching at a mostly African American junior high. I found that I was essentially the only one who didn't use the word--the librarian used it to refer to noisy students in the library, girls used it to affectionately refer to their boyfriends, boys used it to refer to their close friends, parents used it to quickly capture their children's attention, etc. I ended up deciding I could only expect to control my own use of the word.

[mackerel]

24. "I ended up deciding I could only expect to control my own use of the word."

Ultimately in the end policing yourself is the best policy when it comes to language.

[marshall]

26. Self control is the key to civilization

Confucius figured that out a long time ago.

[geek tragedy]

22. What about calling someone a 'Redskin?' nt

[Comrade Grumpy]

28. After the way the team played last year, that would be an insult.

[joe_sixpack]

27. Is it that much of a problem?

I haven't recalled many stories of the use of the word being rampant on the field.

[24601]

49. Perhaps a good first step, but clearly not enough. Read on....

"Hut" is a slur on Rwandan Hutu and every quarterback needs to be penalized, period.

[YOHABLO]

57. But saying ''faggot'' is just fine.

[Mosby]

60. they should make a list of banned words

Including homophobic and misogynistic words.

[PeteSelman]

58. This is ridiculous.

Seriously. Let the goddamn players play. Trash talk is a part of the game.