How the NFL zigged when it should have zagged with the Elliott case

[Reality]

The real reason the NFL is in this situation is because they screwed up the Ray Rice case, and then they let their Giants' fan investigator take it easy on a known and admitted woman beater in Josh Brown. While they were already under attack by the media for long-term player health and other issues, the NFL made it much worse by giving the media along with social justice groups and movements an even larger issue to focus on.

The NFL made themselves appear uncaring and weak on domestic violence and with a heavy fan base of men, especially young men, the media and social justice movements saw this as promotion and support of violence against women, and rightfully so. Young people especially, both male and female, tend to emulate celebrities and when they see athletes beat women and get away with it, it increases the chances they will emulate those actions themselves and that includes women accepting that abuse is common in relationships.

So the NFL likely viewed Elliott as their perfect solution, their perfect chance to show the world they take domestic violence very seriously and will risk damaging their own product all in the name of doing what's right. Given how popular Elliott is, especially after last season, and that he plays for the most liked and hated NFL team in the Dallas Cowboys, they had to be drooling at this opportunity, this amazing opportunity to fix it all in one swing.

They had the perfect setup. They could suspend one of their most popular players from their most popular team for a few games which would give them several weeks of positive press on domestic violence. Then Elliott would return and hopefully have a great season thereby regaining his popularity and making the NFL more money. It was a potential win-win scenario too hard to pass up. So, they zigged.

What they did not count on is just how bad the details were going to be in this case. They didn't expect the accuser's credibility to be so publicly questioned, doubted and debated, especially by the media. They counted on Elliott being guilty enough of something that he would not want to fight this publicly to prevent embarrassing or damaging details getting out, which is usually common in cases like this. At every turn, it likely became more and more clear to the NFL that they went all in on a horrible bet. By the time they fully realized it, they were far past the point of no return and there was no going back without looking even worse on domestic violence than they did before this case.

The NFL only has one choice now. They have to fight this as hard as possible. They probably don't even care if they lose now, because every step they take and every legal filing they make, it makes them look like they are trying their best to fight against domestic violence, at least in their own minds. From the many comments found on article after article though, including comments by a lot of non-Dallas Cowboys fans, there is a widespread view that the NFL is looking more and more foolish and ignorant every single day, while greatly losing the trust and respect of more NFL fans.

In the end, no one will win here. The NFL will have damaged their product for nothing regardless of the outcome. Even if Elliott wins, there will be a lingering suspicion over him from now on likely followed by the tag line, "who was once accused of domestic violence." The NFLPA will at best have kept the status quo with one commissioner to rule them all (aka: dictator), and at worst will have put all of their members at risk due to a huge mistake in yielding so much power to one person on the other side in the previous CBA negotiations. The Dallas Cowboys will reinvigorate their reputation of having a team filled with criminals, and domestic violence awareness will have gained nothing and possibly lost some ground.

All of this could have been avoided, but the NFL zigged, when they should have zagged.

 

[jday]

The real reason the NFL is in this situation is because they screwed up the Ray Rice case, and then they let their Giants' fan investigator, probably along with backroom or golf date nudging by Mara, take it easy on a known and admitted woman beater in Josh Brown. While they were already under attack by the media for long-term player health and other issues, the NFL made it much worse by giving the media along with social justice groups and movements an even larger issue to focus on.

The NFL made themselves appear uncaring and weak on domestic violence and with a heavy fan base of men, especially young men, the media and social justice movements see this as promotion and support of violence against women, and rightfully so. Young people especially, both male and female, tend to emulate celebrities and when they see athletes beat women and get away with it, it increases the chances they will emulate those actions themselves and that includes women accepting that abuse is common in relationships.

So the NFL likely viewed Elliott as their perfect solution, their perfect chance to show the world they take domestic violence very seriously and will risk damaging their own product all in the name of doing what's right. Given how popular Elliott is, especially after last season, and that he plays for the most liked and hated NFL team in the Dallas Cowboys, they had to be drooling at this opportunity, this amazing opportunity to fix it all in one swing.

They had the perfect setup. They could suspend one of their most popular players from their most popular team for a few games which would give them several weeks of positive press on domestic violence. Then Elliott would return and hopefully have a great season thereby regaining his popularity and making the NFL more money. It was a potential win-win scenario too hard to pass up. So, they zigged.

What they did not count on is just how bad the details were going to be in this case. They didn't expect the accuser's credibility to be so publicly questioned, doubted and debated, especially by the media. They counted on Elliott being guilty enough of something that he would not want to fight this publicly to prevent embarrassing or damaging details getting out, which is usually common in cases like this. At every turn, it likely became more and more clear to the NFL that they went all in on a horrible bet. By the time they fully realized it, they were far past the point of no return and there was no going back without looking even worse on domestic violence than they did before this case.

The NFL only has one choice now. They have to fight this as hard as possible. They probably don't even care if they lose now, because every step they take and every legal filing they make, it makes them look like they are trying their best to fight against domestic violence, at least in their own minds. From the many comments found on article after article though, including comments by a lot of non-Dallas Cowboys fans, there is a widespread view that the NFL is looking more and more foolish and ignorant while greatly losing the trust and respect of more NFL fans every single day.

In the end, no one will win here. The NFL will have damaged their product for nothing regardless of the outcome. Even if Elliott wins, there will be a lingering suspicion over him from now on likely followed by the tag line, "who was once accused of domestic violence." The NFLPA will at best have kept the status quo with one commissioner to rule them all (aka: dictator), and at worst will have put all of their members at risk due to a huge mistake in yielding so much power to one person on the other side in the previous CBA negotiations. The Dallas Cowboys will reinvigorate their reputation of having a team filled with criminals, and domestic violence awareness will have gained nothing and possibly lost some ground.

All of this could have been avoided, but the NFL zigged, when they should have zagged.

I agree with most of what you said. But DV is not learned through hearing about it of stars and athletes. DV, in most cases, is learned through first-hand experience.

 

[Reality]

I agree with most of what you said. But DV is not learned through hearing about it of stars and athletes. DV, in most cases, is learned through first-hand experience.

I'm not saying it's the cause of domestic violence, but rather encourages it or at least makes it seem a common part of celebrity life, which many young people try to emulate.

 

[viman96]

I have read a several articles blowing holes in the NFL's investigation, however I am surprised many on TV have not.

Good thread and completely agree with you.

 

[Stash]

The real reason the NFL is in this situation is because they screwed up the Ray Rice case, and then they let their Giants' fan investigator take it easy on a known and admitted woman beater in Josh Brown. While they were already under attack by the media for long-term player health and other issues, the NFL made it much worse by giving the media along with social justice groups and movements an even larger issue to focus on.

The NFL made themselves appear uncaring and weak on domestic violence and with a heavy fan base of men, especially young men, the media and social justice movements see this as promotion and support of violence against women, and rightfully so. Young people especially, both male and female, tend to emulate celebrities and when they see athletes beat women and get away with it, it increases the chances they will emulate those actions themselves and that includes women accepting that abuse is common in relationships.

So the NFL likely viewed Elliott as their perfect solution, their perfect chance to show the world they take domestic violence very seriously and will risk damaging their own product all in the name of doing what's right. Given how popular Elliott is, especially after last season, and that he plays for the most liked and hated NFL team in the Dallas Cowboys, they had to be drooling at this opportunity, this amazing opportunity to fix it all in one swing.

They had the perfect setup. They could suspend one of their most popular players from their most popular team for a few games which would give them several weeks of positive press on domestic violence. Then Elliott would return and hopefully have a great season thereby regaining his popularity and making the NFL more money. It was a potential win-win scenario too hard to pass up. So, they zigged.

What they did not count on is just how bad the details were going to be in this case. They didn't expect the accuser's credibility to be so publicly questioned, doubted and debated, especially by the media. They counted on Elliott being guilty enough of something that he would not want to fight this publicly to prevent embarrassing or damaging details getting out, which is usually common in cases like this. At every turn, it likely became more and more clear to the NFL that they went all in on a horrible bet. By the time they fully realized it, they were far past the point of no return and there was no going back without looking even worse on domestic violence than they did before this case.

The NFL only has one choice now. They have to fight this as hard as possible. They probably don't even care if they lose now, because every step they take and every legal filing they make, it makes them look like they are trying their best to fight against domestic violence, at least in their own minds. From the many comments found on article after article though, including comments by a lot of non-Dallas Cowboys fans, there is a widespread view that the NFL is looking more and more foolish and ignorant while greatly losing the trust and respect of more NFL fans every single day.

In the end, no one will win here. The NFL will have damaged their product for nothing regardless of the outcome. Even if Elliott wins, there will be a lingering suspicion over him from now on likely followed by the tag line, "who was once accused of domestic violence." The NFLPA will at best have kept the status quo with one commissioner to rule them all (aka: dictator), and at worst will have put all of their members at risk due to a huge mistake in yielding so much power to one person on the other side in the previous CBA negotiations. The Dallas Cowboys will reinvigorate their reputation of having a team filled with criminals, and domestic violence awareness will have gained nothing and possibly lost some ground.

All of this could have been avoided, but the NFL zigged, when they should have zagged.

I completely agree with this. In a rush to atone for past blundering, the NFL decided to make a concerted effort to appear to 'get tough' on domestic violence. So much so that they hitched their wagon to the worst possible case and witness that they could possibly find.

They were perfectly willing to sell Elliott - and every other play in the NFL - down the river, all in the name of public perception.

And all of that incompetence, conspiracy, and corporate bungling, has now blown up in their faces.

 

[DrunkWithPower]

Sad that Roger doesn't seem to have anyone of sane mind to whisper in his ear when he's about to hit the suspend button. Oh wait, that was Roberts, and she apparently didn't get invited to the party.

 

[PA Cowboy Fan]

I have read a several articles blowing holes in the NFL's investigation, however I am surprised many on TV have not.

Good thread and completely agree with you.

Maybe they're afraid of offending the NFL because they air the games. Don't know. I lost all respect for them years ago. It isn't like they can't find the evidence and report it. It's out there.

 

[Hawkeye0202]

The real reason the NFL is in this situation is because they screwed up the Ray Rice case, and then they let their Giants' fan investigator take it easy on a known and admitted woman beater in Josh Brown. While they were already under attack by the media for long-term player health and other issues, the NFL made it much worse by giving the media along with social justice groups and movements an even larger issue to focus on.

The NFL made themselves appear uncaring and weak on domestic violence and with a heavy fan base of men, especially young men, the media and social justice movements see this as promotion and support of violence against women, and rightfully so. Young people especially, both male and female, tend to emulate celebrities and when they see athletes beat women and get away with it, it increases the chances they will emulate those actions themselves and that includes women accepting that abuse is common in relationships.

So the NFL likely viewed Elliott as their perfect solution, their perfect chance to show the world they take domestic violence very seriously and will risk damaging their own product all in the name of doing what's right. Given how popular Elliott is, especially after last season, and that he plays for the most liked and hated NFL team in the Dallas Cowboys, they had to be drooling at this opportunity, this amazing opportunity to fix it all in one swing.

They had the perfect setup. They could suspend one of their most popular players from their most popular team for a few games which would give them several weeks of positive press on domestic violence. Then Elliott would return and hopefully have a great season thereby regaining his popularity and making the NFL more money. It was a potential win-win scenario too hard to pass up. So, they zigged.

What they did not count on is just how bad the details were going to be in this case. They didn't expect the accuser's credibility to be so publicly questioned, doubted and debated, especially by the media. They counted on Elliott being guilty enough of something that he would not want to fight this publicly to prevent embarrassing or damaging details getting out, which is usually common in cases like this. At every turn, it likely became more and more clear to the NFL that they went all in on a horrible bet. By the time they fully realized it, they were far past the point of no return and there was no going back without looking even worse on domestic violence than they did before this case.

The NFL only has one choice now. They have to fight this as hard as possible. They probably don't even care if they lose now, because every step they take and every legal filing they make, it makes them look like they are trying their best to fight against domestic violence, at least in their own minds. From the many comments found on article after article though, including comments by a lot of non-Dallas Cowboys fans, there is a widespread view that the NFL is looking more and more foolish and ignorant while greatly losing the trust and respect of more NFL fans every single day.

In the end, no one will win here. The NFL will have damaged their product for nothing regardless of the outcome. Even if Elliott wins, there will be a lingering suspicion over him from now on likely followed by the tag line, "who was once accused of domestic violence." The NFLPA will at best have kept the status quo with one commissioner to rule them all (aka: dictator), and at worst will have put all of their members at risk due to a huge mistake in yielding so much power to one person on the other side in the previous CBA negotiations. The Dallas Cowboys will reinvigorate their reputation of having a team filled with criminals, and domestic violence awareness will have gained nothing and possibly lost some ground.

All of this could have been avoided, but the NFL zigged, when they should have zagged.

One would think by now they'd have more structured in-house guidelines/policy used to determine whether or not DV cases is worth pursuit. For example....if law enforcement/court system fail to pursue a criminal complaint against a player coz the victim is not credible or has questionable character AND she DID NOT reach some financial settlement with the player ( as the case with Hardy ), then move on IMO. If you've ever worked in a government office, an employee getting a case on a high profile or celebrity is a career case that a lot of times is milked into a promotion. Others words, you won't find district Atty out there who would like nothing more than to take down an NFL start player........but there small thing called in integrity. This is why went they decide NOT to pursue a high profile case.....you can believe the case likely has some serious problems.

 

[BulletBob]

The current world in which we live places more weight on appearances rather than reality, feelings over reason, accusations more than evidence. Unfortunately, the media, driven primordially by ratings, feeds this beast. Journalism has become lazy - chase the provocative headline rather than do the hard work to get to the facts.

The hyper-sensitive environment they've created is the one in which the NFL is trying to thrive. Roger & Co. were similarly over-concerned with the appearance of being tough, rather than simply chasing the truth, regardless of how it made them appear on the surface - at least in my opinion.

With all that said, I have no idea what happened that night. However, I have zero confidence in the process uncovering the truth because of the underlying motivations of those involved.

There is a life lesson in there somewhere - spend less time on worrying what other people think about you or what you are doing. Do what's right, be authentic, and let the truth be your north star, and chances are, you will not often find yourself astray.

So endeth the lesson.

 

[Teague31]

Still cannot believe the league thought it was a good idea to set every player up for blackmail. If they believed this whack job chick they are apparently going to believe it every single time. Crazy stupid precedent

 

[Teague31]

The next CBA needs to be very clear that the league cannot punish someone for a "criminal" act unless and until that player has been convicted by the justice system.

 

[BrAinPaiNt]

What they did not count on is just how bad the details were going to be in this case. They didn't expect the accuser's credibility to be so publicly questioned, doubted and debated, especially by the media. They counted on Elliott being guilty enough of something that he would not want to fight this publicly to prevent embarrassing or damaging details getting out, which is usually common in cases like this. At every turn, it likely became more and more clear to the NFL that they went all in on a horrible bet.

I don't believe that for a second. If they only investigate for a month or two...maybe...they took over a year to study this case. There is no way in hades they should have come to the conclusion that he was still guilty. There is no way any decent lawyer would not have told them that the woman's credibility is not credible at all. They did go in on a bad bet though thinking that it would not make a difference with too much other stuff going on in the world maybe. But there is no way they went into this thinking they had a strong case that would not be questioned.

By the time they fully realized it, they were far past the point of no return and there was no going back without looking even worse on domestic violence than they did before this case.

This I believe. What they tried to do IMO is fit a case to what they wanted and after figuring out the case did not fit what they wanted, instead of dropping it after a year they still went with it and now have a case
of too much pride to admit the mistake.

 

[Reality]

I don't believe that for a second. If they only investigate for a month or two...maybe...they took over a year to study this case.

But see, I don't think they spent a year really focused on the investigation. Sure maybe there was an interview here or there but that was by investigators, and I doubt the NFL was staying on top of it. I think what happened was after it stayed open for so long, and especially after the shirt pulling and bar fight incidents, the NFL was past the point of letting it go because it would seem like they were yet again going easy on a player accused of domestic violence.

In other words, I think the NFL's point of no return was months ago, long before the investigation had been completed. How many times over the last year did we out of the blue see an "NFL investigation of Ezekiel Elliott still open" article? Maybe the NFL hoped it would die down. Maybe they hoped Elliott would do something else that would make it easier to lump everything together. Whatever the reason, the NFL got trapped by the decisions they made months ago. They could not afford to let this go because the media and social justice movement would have been all over it, which is quite understandable.

 

[Melonfeud]

I agree with most of what you said. But DV is not learned through hearing about it of stars and athletes. DV, in most cases, is learned through first-hand experience.

Copy that!
You add booze+ young immature males+ anger over their 'Team' losing/ lost a football bet ,and I'd agree that Sunday football is probably 'peak' domestic violence time that had people looking at the correlation long before the Ray Rice video came out.

The real reason the NFL is in this situation is because they screwed up the Ray Rice case, and then they let their Giants' fan investigator take it easy on a known and admitted woman beater in Josh Brown. While they were already under attack by the media for long-term player health and other issues, the NFL made it much worse by giving the media along with social justice groups and movements an even larger issue to focus on.

The NFL made themselves appear uncaring and weak on domestic violence and with a heavy fan base of men, especially young men, the media and social justice movements saw this as promotion and support of violence against women, and rightfully so. Young people especially, both male and female, tend to emulate celebrities and when they see athletes beat women and get away with it, it increases the chances they will emulate those actions themselves and that includes women accepting that abuse is common in relationships.

So the NFL likely viewed Elliott as their perfect solution, their perfect chance to show the world they take domestic violence very seriously and will risk damaging their own product all in the name of doing what's right. Given how popular Elliott is, especially after last season, and that he plays for the most liked and hated NFL team in the Dallas Cowboys, they had to be drooling at this opportunity, this amazing opportunity to fix it all in one swing.

They had the perfect setup. They could suspend one of their most popular players from their most popular team for a few games which would give them several weeks of positive press on domestic violence. Then Elliott would return and hopefully have a great season thereby regaining his popularity and making the NFL more money. It was a potential win-win scenario too hard to pass up. So, they zigged.

What they did not count on is just how bad the details were going to be in this case. They didn't expect the accuser's credibility to be so publicly questioned, doubted and debated, especially by the media. They counted on Elliott being guilty enough of something that he would not want to fight this publicly to prevent embarrassing or damaging details getting out, which is usually common in cases like this. At every turn, it likely became more and more clear to the NFL that they went all in on a horrible bet. By the time they fully realized it, they were far past the point of no return and there was no going back without looking even worse on domestic violence than they did before this case.

The NFL only has one choice now. They have to fight this as hard as possible. They probably don't even care if they lose now, because every step they take and every legal filing they make, it makes them look like they are trying their best to fight against domestic violence, at least in their own minds. From the many comments found on article after article though, including comments by a lot of non-Dallas Cowboys fans, there is a widespread view that the NFL is looking more and more foolish and ignorant every single day, while greatly losing the trust and respect of more NFL fans.

In the end, no one will win here. The NFL will have damaged their product for nothing regardless of the outcome. Even if Elliott wins, there will be a lingering suspicion over him from now on likely followed by the tag line, "who was once accused of domestic violence." The NFLPA will at best have kept the status quo with one commissioner to rule them all (aka: dictator), and at worst will have put all of their members at risk due to a huge mistake in yielding so much power to one person on the other side in the previous CBA negotiations. The Dallas Cowboys will reinvigorate their reputation of having a team filled with criminals, and domestic violence awareness will have gained nothing and possibly lost some ground.

All of this could have been avoided, but the NFL zigged, when they should have zagged.

It's an excellent overview you've put together,covering most of the angles friend, except for what's been left out and that being the 13 month long investigation,,, it took 13 months? for the Commissioner of the N.F.L.
to conclude guilt of one of it's players?,,, uh-huh! I'm not buying the whole hog on this friend ,I can appreciate you applying the least amount of denigrating and damning spin concerning a star player receiving the mandatory suspension of games for D.V.,,,but Elliott wasn't EVEN prosecuted in court to determine whether he was guilty or innocent of the reason for his suspension, this was a vindictive bushwhacking foisted upon the Dallas Cowboys franchise by inner colluding forces intent on an ulterior motive that's 180 off from The public View Point of the league's no b.s. stance
on domestic violence.
The players reputation and credibility deserves vindication and compensation. ( it would be safe to assume by compensation I'm meaning wreck the career paths of the very people who so incompetently and in an nefarious fashion sought to wreck his)

 

[Montanalo]

The real reason the NFL is in this situation is because they screwed up the Ray Rice case, and then they let their Giants' fan investigator take it easy on a known and admitted woman beater in Josh Brown. While they were already under attack by the media for long-term player health and other issues, the NFL made it much worse by giving the media along with social justice groups and movements an even larger issue to focus on.

The NFL made themselves appear uncaring and weak on domestic violence and with a heavy fan base of men, especially young men, the media and social justice movements saw this as promotion and support of violence against women, and rightfully so. Young people especially, both male and female, tend to emulate celebrities and when they see athletes beat women and get away with it, it increases the chances they will emulate those actions themselves and that includes women accepting that abuse is common in relationships.

So the NFL likely viewed Elliott as their perfect solution, their perfect chance to show the world they take domestic violence very seriously and will risk damaging their own product all in the name of doing what's right. Given how popular Elliott is, especially after last season, and that he plays for the most liked and hated NFL team in the Dallas Cowboys, they had to be drooling at this opportunity, this amazing opportunity to fix it all in one swing.

They had the perfect setup. They could suspend one of their most popular players from their most popular team for a few games which would give them several weeks of positive press on domestic violence. Then Elliott would return and hopefully have a great season thereby regaining his popularity and making the NFL more money. It was a potential win-win scenario too hard to pass up. So, they zigged.

What they did not count on is just how bad the details were going to be in this case. They didn't expect the accuser's credibility to be so publicly questioned, doubted and debated, especially by the media. They counted on Elliott being guilty enough of something that he would not want to fight this publicly to prevent embarrassing or damaging details getting out, which is usually common in cases like this. At every turn, it likely became more and more clear to the NFL that they went all in on a horrible bet. By the time they fully realized it, they were far past the point of no return and there was no going back without looking even worse on domestic violence than they did before this case.

The NFL only has one choice now. They have to fight this as hard as possible. They probably don't even care if they lose now, because every step they take and every legal filing they make, it makes them look like they are trying their best to fight against domestic violence, at least in their own minds. From the many comments found on article after article though, including comments by a lot of non-Dallas Cowboys fans, there is a widespread view that the NFL is looking more and more foolish and ignorant every single day, while greatly losing the trust and respect of more NFL fans.

In the end, no one will win here. The NFL will have damaged their product for nothing regardless of the outcome. Even if Elliott wins, there will be a lingering suspicion over him from now on likely followed by the tag line, "who was once accused of domestic violence." The NFLPA will at best have kept the status quo with one commissioner to rule them all (aka: dictator), and at worst will have put all of their members at risk due to a huge mistake in yielding so much power to one person on the other side in the previous CBA negotiations. The Dallas Cowboys will reinvigorate their reputation of having a team filled with criminals, and domestic violence awareness will have gained nothing and possibly lost some ground.

All of this could have been avoided, but the NFL zigged, when they should have zagged.

This is a great synopsis, Reality. Much like you, I do believe that, in Zeke, the NFL believed they had their litmus test for a "get tough" case on DV. What started out as a relatively straight-forward case of "she said/he said", has seemingly unraveled. Not only is the credibility of their process being tested, but the credibility of the witness has been challenged both legally and in the court of public opinion.

I also agree that the NFL has no choice but to go all in.

 

[Don Corleone]

I have read a several articles blowing holes in the NFL's investigation, however I am surprised many on TV have not.

Good thread and completely agree with you.

The TV stations and the NFL line each other's pockets.

 

[jday]

I'm not saying it's the cause of domestic violence, but rather encourages it or at least makes it seem a common part of celebrity life, which many young people try to emulate.

But think about that for a second:

If you are not predisposed to hit a woman, I honestly don't see how viewing your favorite stars taking part in that extra curricular activity is of a sudden going to make you take it up as a hobby. You either can hit a woman or you cannot. I for one can't imagine ever laying hands on a woman, so despite the fact that I love football and I love what these players do on the field of play, there is no way I'm going to start hitting my wife because I'm a fan of Zeke's.

What the NFL is doing in the case of Zeke is purely political. They are trying to manufacture the appearance of caring about DV, when in fact all they really care about is how DV effects their bottom line: money.

 

[Montanalo]

The TV stations and the NFL line each other's pockets.

One of the biggest shocks I had upon returning to the states to retire, was the near total lack of good investigative reporting by the news media and the near complete reliance on social media for news. More often than not, it appears the news media holds their thumb in the air to determine which way the PC wind is blowing before reporting.

While some pundits have reported inconsistencies in the NFL's investigation and process, I suspect one underlying reason this aspect of the story is seemingly being under-reported is concern that calling out the NFL is tacit support of Zeke.

 

[adbutcher]

I completely agree with this. In a rush to atone for past blundering, the NFL decided to make a concerted effort to appear to 'get tough' on domestic violence. So much so that they hitched their wagon to the worst possible case and witness that they could possibly find.

They were perfectly willing to sell Elliott - and every other play in the NFL - down the river, all in the name of public perception.

And all of that incompetence, conspiracy, and corporate bungling, has now blown up in their faces.

They have essentially made DV worse. Any woman out there that is actually going through something with a player will be hesitant to come forward. In addition, players should be on alert for any woman out there with nefarious intentions. If I were in their shoes I would implement the Erik Williams methods of protection, better safe than sorry.

 

[Doomsdayblitz]

I don't know all of the facts, but I do know that the NFL did not make their decision based on one incident. Elliott has had a series of problems in regard to abusing women. He has been enabled since high school. I'm from Ohio & I know that Urban Meyer allowed Elliott to do things few could get away with. Even though no charges were filed in the physical abuse case, the investigating attorney stated, “For the Ezekiel Elliott matter, I personally believe that there were a series of interactions between Mr. Elliott and (his accuser) where violence occurred. However, given the totality of the circumstances, I could not firmly conclude exactly what happened." This is from someone who deals with DV on a daily basis. Along with the ex-girlfriend who accused him of DV, there is video of him pulling a woman's shirt down & exposing her breasts at a St. Patrick's parade in 2016. Kids were at that parade. How many times has he done that kind of thing when there WASN'T a camera around? Plus, there's the fact that he was in a bar fight right before training camp. A close friend who was with him was arrested for carrying a gun into the bar. Now, he's paying the piper. Elliott needs to learn that he's not better than anyone else. Hopefully, he has learned to handle women with care, & not do it in public. I wonder if you would feel the same way if he played for the Giants & he beat or exposed your sister.