This past weekend wide receiver Andre Johnson and cornerback Cortland Finnegan were ejected in the fourth quarter of the Tennessee Titans – Houston Texans game for degenerating into an all-out brawl. Down 17-0, Finnegan appeared to be frustrated and was taking out his aggression on Johnson by hitting him up and underneath the helmet on running plays. Ultimately, these scuffles resulted in Johnson ripping off Finnegan’s helmet and punching him multiple times in the head before the officials could separate the pair. Now that the NFL has had the opportunity to review the incident the ejection has resulted in 25,000 dollar fines for both players but no suspensions. Why is it okay to rip off an opposing player’s helmet and punch him in the head? In any other context, punching somebody in the head would be considered assault and would result in a criminal trial. I do not understand why Roger Goodell, the Commissioner of the NFL, did not suspend either of these players during an era when he is attempting to crack down on personal conduct. Ben Roethlisberger, Brian Cushing, Vincent Jackson, and Santonio Holmes are all major players that have been suspended for multiple games this season for violations ranging from DUI’s and substance abuse to questionable lewd behavior. Assault seems to fit nicely into this spectrum, however, no suspensions.
Jonathan A.
Kin 332I Sec. 3017
1 comment:
I am not a regular watcher of NFL football but happened to catch a glimpse of this incident on Sports Center. It just goes to show that incidents like these are purposely highlighted because they attract audiences. I never pay any attention to football, but became interested in this story after seeing it replay over and over again on television. Furthermore, I even read an article in today’s paper about this particular episode. Houston's star receiver Andre Johnson seemed unworried about the fine and his only concern is playing in Thursday night’s game. Otherwise, Cortland Finnegan is very upset about the situation; he plans to appeal the fine for Sunday night’s fight. Finnegan even talked about the incident Monday on his weekly radio show. He said "this is the NFL, not the NHL, and it's a higher standard." It's funny that the Steelers linebacker James Harrison is being fined $75,000 for a hit on Browns wide receiver Mohamed Massaquoi, and Johnson only gets a $25,000 fine for something that I believe is far worse. Hits are a part of the game and helmets are used to protect players from serious head injuries, but to pull that helmet off another player to purposely inflict violence on them is appalling. Using the conflict theory and the chapter on sports in the media to understand this issue, it can be seen how those in power carefully select and edit media representations of sport. "The focus on profits has increased soap opera storytelling as a means of developing and maintaining audience interest in commercial media sports coverage" (Coakley, 2009). According to the conflict theory, organizations and individuals in power shape the world by exploiting the working class. Media and Sports maintain the status quo by filtering images and narratives that don’t meet the perceived interests of the audience and sponsors (Coakley, 2009). These two forces work together to reproduce ideologies that promote hyper-consumerism and influence the way people live. To me this recent incident is just another example of how the media emphasizes events that are attractive to consumers.
Jeff Miller
KIN 332I Sec. 3017
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