NFL: The rotten truth in two tales

Perhaps you’re a sports fan.

If so, you’ll understand the people and issues in this discussion immediately ­— and likely will have your own opinions.

But I’m sure part of the audience today either doesn’t much care about sports (unless a family member is involved), or understands things just vaguely.

Like wearing your Seahawks sweatshirt from last Christmas but not knowing exactly what’s going on when they play.

Given that our readership is bound to be mixed on this occasion, I’m going to keep things as basic as I can.

You sports junkies who want me to hurry through things because you know every angle here, well …

You’ll just have to be patient.

Fair enough?

FIRST OFF, I need to explain that everything in this discussion involves the National Football League.

It’s America’s most popular sport in terms of TV revenues — and brain damage … but maybe I’m being too snarky here.

So forget I mentioned the brain injuries.

No, this column is not about players getting hurt, or how much money they make, or even whether a lot of the Northwest will be thrilled when the Seahawks make the playoffs.

I’m writing about basic human values, the things we all should hold close and care desperately about.

Unfortunately, we’re tackling this subject today (no pun intended) because the NFL, and more specifically the people who own and run it, have practically no values at all.

Unless you count profit and loss, worrying about empty seats and TV ratings as values, these NFL owners and Commissioner Roger Goodell, their servant, are pretty much empty.

WE CAN reference two former NFL players to illustrate the hypocrisy and soullessness that I believe show everything’s that wrong with the league’s ownership.

The two players are Colin Kaepernick and Kareem Hunt.

If you aren’t a fan and don’t know these gentlemen, here’s a short summary …

Kaepernick is a quarterback, and a very good one who led the San Francisco 49ers to the Super Bowl. His contract ran out two years ago, and he remains a free agent — unsigned by many, many teams who need a QB like him desperately, all because he was the first African-American player to kneel during the national anthem.

He did it to call attention to what he believes is racial injustice in the United States.

That cause may be something you believe in, or perhaps you don’t.

But a lot of NFL fans, some egged on by tweets from President Trump, have come to despise Kaepernick, even though he’s done nothing even remotely illegal.

THE OTHER player in our discussion is Kareem Hunt, a running back who was a rookie sensation last year for the Kansas City Chiefs.

This season, Hunt was part of an offense that was exciting, effective, rewriting record books and carrying the Chiefs into the playoffs as a Super Bowl favorite.

But then word leaked of a domestic abuse event involving Hunt last February.

Actually, both the league and the Chiefs knew something had occurred almost immediately, but neither bothered with a serious investigation until Nov. 30, when TMZ obtained and released footage of the incident.

It showed the 205-pound Hunt shoving and then kicking a young woman in a hotel hallway.

The instant the video became public, the Chiefs released Hunt outright and the league placed him on indefinite suspension.

With pay.

AH, BUT what will happen going forward?

Hunt will receive a stiff punishment, at least by the wishy-washy standards of the NFL.

He should receive a long suspension — perhaps a year or more — and likely be required to attend something like anger management classes.

And then eventually, Kareem Hunt will be signed, and once again will be a millionaire star for another NFL team.

Meanwhile, what about Colin Kaepernick?

He’s still better than at least half the starting quarterbacks in the league, and it’s a cinch he’s a class above the back-ups on every team.

But unlike Hunt, he likely will never be signed to play in the league again — all because he wanted to make a social statement.

PLEASE …

Think about this.

One player who knelt during the anthem has been blackballed forever.

Another player, who beat and kicked a women senseless, is a virtual lock to be signed again within two years or less.

This is a league that welcomed back a player named Michael Vick, who spent time in prison for electrocuting and butchering animals as part of an illegal dog-fighting ring.

What other message can you take?

The NFL considers kneeling during a song worth the professional death penalty, but kicking the crap out of a defenseless woman …

Say you’re sorry, spend a year or so relaxing, and then return to the fold.

Do you think the victim in Hunt’s case believes ignoring the anthem is worse than her injuries?

Maybe you don’t find those comparative “judgments” disgusting, but I do.

And even as a lifelong sports fan, I’m now finished with the NFL.

End of story.

•••

Steve Cameron is a columnist for The Press.

A Brand New Day appears from Wednesday through Saturday each week.

Steve’s column on Gonzaga basketball runs on Tuesday.

Email: scameron@cdapress.com

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