"NFL to penalize use of racial slur"

From ESPN.com

From Tommy LaRose in SRM 334

Football has long been seen as a harsh sport for tough people, and language that would not be acceptable in other work environments is accepted on the field. However, the NFL is expected to enact a rule where players would be penalized 15 yards for use of the N-word on the field. The league’s competition committee will officially decide whether to agree to the rule next month. John Wooten, the head of the Fritz Pollard Alliance (which monitors diversity in the NFL), says he will be, “Totally shocked if the competition committee does not uphold” the new rule.

The possible new rule has gotten mixed reactions. Amongst African Americans, it could be argued that the word is actually a term of endearment. Regardless of how you feel about the word, some people believe it is the job of the players to police the use of the word. It is their responsibility to rid their workplace of the slur. It is interesting that the NFL feels it is their responsibility to discourage the use of the word. The timing of the decision is also curious. I personally believe the new rule is more of a PR move than anything else. I highly doubt many players have gone to the league office and complained about the use of the N-word. For many, it is a normal word that is used in daily conversation. It also seems counterproductive in the sense that the rule would bring the topic of race back to the forefront of the discussion in sports. We as a society are trying to move past the issue of race, and the NFL is no different. Trying to force people to act in a certain way or say certain things is not the correct way to go about it in my opinion.

The new rule seems to be more of a reaction to media coverage of recent events. Richie Incognito’s bullying of teammate Jonathan Martin was probably the driving force behind the rule. The media repeatedly reported on the threatening text messages sent by Incognito to Martin. Included in these messages, it was reported that there were many racial slurs aimed at Martin. One could conclude that the N-word was probably the most commonly used slur. The bullying incident sparked a hot conversation all over ESPN and other media outlets. People began to question whether the tough-guy image of the NFL had gone too far. The media discussed the culture of the NFL, and race was inevitably brought up as a topic. Bad publicity for the NFL is something the league does not want, and the new rule could be seen as a proactive way to try to change the culture of the NFL. Incognito’s harsh words embodied the culture the NFL is trying to rid itself of, and the NFL hopes the media will receive this new rule positively.

As we discussed in class, the new model of media is far different from the old model. It is progressive in almost every way and is much more interactive and detailed. The Richie Incognito incident would not have received nearly as much coverage 60 years ago: maybe a one-page story in the sports section of the newspaper. Today, the media jumped all over the story and painted the culture of the NFL in a very negative light. Media coverage of an event greatly influences the way the public views it, and sometimes can even prompt a reaction from an entity such as the NFL.