By Phil Mushnick
“Shocking Video!!!”
This week the news and sports media, on behalf of those who need help with two-plus-two, revealed there are two kinds of domestic violence:
- The not-too-bad, the kind described only in words and a cost-you-only-two-games video of a woman being dragged from an elevator, and …
- The shocking, throw-the-bum-out kind, as seen in this week’s inside-the-elevator, what-happened-in-Atlantic City-didn’t-quite-stay-there Ray Rice video.
Some of us, however, know better than to be shocked by common sense. After all, how else did the soon-to-be Mrs. Rice, as seen months ago in the first surveillance video, become unconscious, left for Mr. Rice to drag her from the elevator, if she hadn’t been cold-cocked — admittedly — by the other person in the elevator?
Shocking? What did we expect it to look like, a pillow fight?
There’s nothing shocking here. Even this week’s “shocked” reactions fall into their logical place given that the absurd now comes prepackaged and pre-programmed, as per a shamelessly short-sighted game plan.
On ESPN, Ray “Cold Case” Lewis sensitively spoke of his former Ravens’ teammate and ex-Rutgers star, Rice. While condemning Rice’s conduct, he said he had tried to “mentor” Rice.
That’s nice, but how could Lewis have been “disappointed” to see, in this latest video, what Rice did to her? Or was he “shocked” by it, too? What did he previouslythink had happened in that elevator to render her unconscious? Plus, according to reports, Rice already had admitted it!
Last week, just outside their stadium, the Ravens unveiled a statue of Lewis, one readers have suggested should be named, “The Statue of No Limitations.” Lewis remains a suspect in a double-homicide, one in which he pled guilty to hindering the investigation to determine who murdered those men.
Did it matter to the Ravens that if Lewis had nothing to do with the early-morning — always early morning — outside a night club — always a night club — murders why he made a financial settlement with their families? No more than it did to ESPN or to NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell — who was seen in a long, warm embrace of Lewis on national TV before his last game. How video sticks to the bones!
It didn’t matter to Goodell, the Ravens, ESPN or the NFL’s marketing strategists that Lewis played as an unrepentant concussionist, often penalized and fined for illegal, needlessly brutal attacks to the heads of opposing players, then stomping around their flattened bodies to perform self-smitten, ritualized blood dances.
And that blood dance is what this statue depicts! World gone nuts!
Yet, although the last guy any right-headed entity would choose to publicly represent it, Lewis immediately became ESPN’s gotta-have guy. ESPN didn’t even care if he were weak on discernible English; it snapped him up. Perhaps, as an unpaid star of the mirthfully brutal “He Got Jacked Up!,” ESPN owed him.
The NFL chose him to sell merchandise, Goodell hugged him, ESPN hired him, the Ravens placed a statue of him at their front door.
He pled guilty to obstructing the investigation of a double-homicide! He paid off the victims’ families! He claims he has no idea what happened to his bloodied white suit in which he fled the murder scene! Eyewitnesses recanted! Does that mean zilch to those who can think logically, responsibly?
What happens to that statue if … you slap bronze cuffs on it? But he’s not Ray Rice; there’s no video of those murders.
So Ray Lewis, now with ESPN and with six children from four women, appears on national TV to provide his sage opinion on matters of social responsibility and comportment by NFL players.
The complicity of sports’ shot-callers in shoving us backwards while destroying the integrity of their own products continues its gangrenous growth. Players and coaches who should be disqualified are jumped to the front of the “qualified” line.
Yet, the same networks, leagues, advertisers and even the makers of kids’ video games that hard-sell the worst acts are now bound to make shame-shame at Ray Rice.
Recently, SNY hired Plaxico Burress to talk football. He was twice hit with restraining orders following domestic disturbance police calls. He was 31 — four years older than Rice — when, early one morning, he illegally carried a loaded Glock into a night club. You know the rest. He did two years.
“Plax, as we take another look at this Ray Rice video, give us your thoughts.”
And the guy who was with Burress, left the scene with the gun then ducked cops for two days — Giants teammate Antonio Pierce — was hired by ESPN!
After doing hard time, Michael Vick was hired to star in commercials, including one for an insurance company. WFAN recently reached out to hire him!
What did FOX like about Randy Moss? A career so soaked in selfishness that not even his enormous talent as a receiver could prevent him from being good-riddance expendable; he changed teams six times. Or was FOX equally impressed by his arrests and convictions?
By the time Subway, Omaha Steaks and Chrysler chose Lions defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh to star in its advertisements, Suh had a rep and record as a reckless driver and for any-old-time lawlessness. He was voted by his peers the “NFL’s Dirtiest Player” — with a suspension and more than $200,000 in fines to prove it.
But he chose a 2012 Thanksgiving Day game to kick Texans quarterback Matt Schaub in the groin. That he previously was known as a bad guy landed him the endorsements, but now there was a shocking video — seen and repeated all week on national TV. So what they paid him for next would cost him.
I don’t know when sports first determined to make bad guys good guys, but I do know that it’s time to stop what never should have started. And that includes choosing the most vulgar, women-trashing, gun-loving, rap-sheeted rappers — 50 Cent, Lil Wayne, Kid Rock — to serve as sports’ VIP cross-promoters.
Sunday on NBC, studio analyst and ex-NFL defensive back Rodney Harrision on Cowboys’ quarterback Tony Romo: “He’s so reckless with the ball. If I’m a teammate of his, I’m very disappointed.”
Really? Before Suh, Harrison was voted the “NFL’s Dirtiest Player.” He was regularly penalized and fined — more than $200,000 — for late or excessively dangerous hits. He was suspended for HGH use. One wonders if his recklessness was disappointing to his teammates.
Apparently, though, it all looked so good on Harrison’s résumé that NBC couldn’t let ESPN beat it to the hire. For shame, Ray Rice. “Tsk, tsk, tsk.”
Two-plus-two equals four. Shocking!
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