The only thing that I am certain of in the battle between the Dallas Cowboys star running back Ezekiel
Elliott and the NFL, which wants to suspend him for 6 games over allegations of domestic violence, is that
I am tired of it and want it to end!
Beyond that, all bets are off.
My initial thinking when pondering writing this was to rail against the self-interest obsessed Cowboy
fans, Jerry Jones’ white male wealth privilege and those apologists, mostly men, for abusers.
Then I did what I hope every opinion writer does: I actually engaged in a more detailed researching of
the “central charge” (I’ll explain why the quotations for this later) against Elliott. After doing this I have
come to the only conclusion anyone could come to, which is that I have no idea who is the victim
between Elliott and his accuser. The inquire raises more questions than it answers. To briefly summarize
the reasons for doubting the accuser are the following:
1) Text messages secured by the NFL show the accuser discussing blackmailing Elliott with a sex
tape;
2) The accuser tried to convince a friend to lie on her behalf and support her claim that Elliott was responsible for her bruises. The friend refused and cited a fight between the accuser and another lady in an affidavit as the possible source of her bruises; and
3) She verbally threatened to ruin Elliott
It’s important to be an ally of women in the fight against domestic violence. As a man, I believe that I can
play a similar role in this struggle as Whites can play in combating racism. I also believe that I have taken
concrete steps to be an ally. The data is clear in that the overwhelming number of allegations of
domestic abuse are true. Having said that, the quest to be an ally does not mean that I am obliged to
blindly endorse the allegations of everyone. Basic fairness demands that allegations, even from a
historically abused demographic, be scrutinized and when that is done in this case, the only conclusion is
that the accuser’s credibility is suspect, so much so that the NFL’s own lead investigator recommended
no suspension for Elliott.
So why is this still a pending issue dangling over the head of Elliott, you ask? There are two primary
reasons for this:
1) Ezekiel Elliott has been a knucklehead with enough documented acts that indicate a lack of
respect for women and poor impulse control and judgment in general. When the totality of his
record is considered, it is not that much of a stretch to believe Elliott is capable of what he is
being accused. The NFL collective bargaining agreement, which the players sign off on permits
the commissioner to consider such incidents in a cumulative manner when pondering discipline.
Therefore, any reviewing of the “central charge” alone is incomplete. It cannot be refuted by
“the police did not charge him” common claim because it’s not a legal process but a workplace
disciplinary process;
2) The NFL has an inconsistent track record when dealing with its players accused of violence
towards women, be it Ray Rice, Greg Hardy, or Josh Brown. As a result, there is tremendous
pressure to get this one right;
3) Elliott is the best player on the most popular team in the most popular sport in America. Anyone in that position, regardless of race, with these accusations is going to draw more scrutiny than say a punter, as was the case with kicker Josh Brown.
You may ask how the NFL can get it right if the player is literally not guilty of the accusation. That’s when
it gets even more complicated. Like it or not, there are at least 2 factors that the NFL considers BEFORE
the actual merits of the accusation. Those two are money and public relations. The actual merits of the
charges are at best a distant third . Money is easy enough to understand. Anything that the NFL deems as having the potential to dip into its bottom line must be dealt with ASAP. Then there are the public
relations of the issue, which is a direct extension of the money factor. This can be best summarized by
saying that the NFL is more concerned with damage control than it is the damage itself. That means
actually caring about domestic violence is not nearly as important to them as appearing to care about
the issue. What this all means is that in the wake of botching the Ray Rice and Josh Brown cases, they
needed a pound of flesh.
Enter Ezekiel Elliott!
So, after multiple court injunctions and stays and no clear ending to the stalemate, here we are.
Based on history, it’s highly unlikely that Elliott will avoid a suspension. It’s not a question of if he will sit
but when, and for how long. After all, even the golden boy, Tom Brady, eventually had to sit. Judges are
very hesitant to overturn provisions of a collectively bargained agreement and that is what the NFL has
as its trump card. Given that, what I have never quite understood is why the Cowboys didn’t play this
differently. Why not take the precedent of Steelers QB Ben Roethlisberger back in 2010? He got the
same 6-game suspension for multiple accusations of sexual assault. It was eventually reduced to 4
games, during which the Steelers went 3-1. They would win the AFC that year, making it to the Super
Bowl, a highly unlikely accomplishment had they taken the Cowboys approach to Elliott’s situation this
year. Even if Elliott’s suspension were not reduced, the 6 games would be over by now. They could have
gone 3-3 (their record with him after 6) without him. They would have him back, healthy and rested for
the second half of the season, including both games against the high-flying, first place Eagles. Now that is all in doubt, as are the Cowboys’ playoffs hopes.
So why didn’t they take that approach? I can only come up with 3 possible reasons:
1) Jerry Jones is used to getting his way and would not back down;
2) Elliot, like most professional athletes, is programmed not to back down and is engaged in this process in the same way; or
3) He actually did not abuse her.
I do not know which one, two, or all three might have been at the heart of the Cowboys’ strategy.
That disturbs me but not nearly as much as the fact that this saga has given a platform to misogynist and
apologist for those who abuse women.
