With Super Bowl weekend approaching, outside of “deflategate’ everything seems to be going well for the NFL as the end to the 2014-2015 inches closer. However, it was a tough year for the league from a criminal standpoint. We’ve had three huge cases that ultimately have changed athletes careers, probably forever. I’m talking about former Baltimore Ravens running back Ray Rice, former Minnesota Vikings running back Adrian Peterson, and former San Francisco 49ers defensive end Ray McDonald. Each have had their own run in with the law that have ultimately led to their teams releasing or indefinitely suspending them.
Ray Rice was caught on video assaulting his fiance Janay Palmer in an Atlantic City Casino hotel and was initially suspended for just the first two games of the season. As more details were leaked, Rice was then suspended for the whole season and eventually released by the Ravens.
In Adrian Peterson’s case, it was revealed he had beaten his 4 year old son with a tree branch and was suspended indefinitely by the Minnesota Vikings. He would go on to appeal that ruling and lose. After losing his appeal, the NFLPA has filed a federal court appeal with a hearing scheduled for February 6, 2015.
More recently, former San Francisco 49ers defensive end Ray McDonald had been playing this season despite a pending assault charge from August 2014 where he was accused of assaulting his fiance. While that current situation was under investigation, the 49ers continued to let McDonald play, a questionable move considering Rice and Peterson were suspended almost on the spot. McDonald ultimately stepped his bounds in December 2014 where he again was a suspect in another assault case. The 49ers then acted quickly and released McDonald.
It has not been the prettiest year for the NFL but they are hoping the worst of circumstances for some its premier players in the league are behind them. The NFL has however done something about the situation. They began a ‘Say NO MORE’ campaign. Check out the video below.