Today, crime is prominent in sports,  and it influences how people may view certain  sports now. Recently, crime has come into the spotlight even more so, with the likes of Ray Rice, Greg Hardy, OJ Simpson, Michael Vick and Adrian Peterson, to name a few. A lot of these players are accused, and some are found guilty, but for the most part, many of them still manage to play after. It’s unfortunate that these players are looked up to as role models even after their actions. 

The one athlete that sticks out the most is Greg Hardy, a defensive lineman for the Dallas Cowboys. He was arrested on domestic assault charges last year and spent the night in jail. He was suspended by the league and released by his team at the time, the Carolina Panthers. However, for whatever reason, the Dallas Cowboys signed him to a contract. The Cowboys were fully aware of what he did and knew he was still suspended, but they still signed him anyway. Cowboys owner Jerry Jones defended his decision to sign Hardy, calling him a “leader,” which is one of the most highly questionable statements ever uttered. Someone who beats up a woman should not be in the league let alone be called a leader. Nevertheless, he appealed his suspension before the beginning of the 2015 season and was able to  it reduce it from ten games to four games. Later, the pictures of what he did to his girlfriend were released. She was fully bruised and cut all over. This made everyone sick. It was disgusting to see that someone could do this to another human being and still be making millions playing football.  

Another high profile case was that of former Baltimore Ravens running back Ray Rice. Rice was found on video knocking his girlfriend unconscious and dragging her out of an elevator February of 2014. He was immediately suspended from the league and is still yet to find a job. He  has since apologized to everyone and is now advocating against domestic assault. His wife has forgiven him, as she realizes people make mistakes. She said, “just know we will continue to grow and show the world what real love is.” This case is different from Hardy’s, because Rice knew he messed up and has accepted his punishments. Conversely, Hardy still acts like nothing is wrong and continues to play and get paid.

When being investigated for the crimes they commit, athletes should not be playing and making money. I know that innocent until proven guilty is a thing, but these athletes are seen as role models. If they are still playing after they hit a woman or potentially kill someone, it sets a wrong precedent for children, making them think it’s cool and okay to commit a crime, because no punishment is levied.  Senior Ana Paula Kitos Vasconselos said, “when the average person is arrested for domestic assault they are not allowed to work. This should be the same for professional athletes because they should be treated the same.” Senior Chris Allen added, “it is a bad look for the NFL, when they don’t properly punish a player.”

These  occurrences are becoming more and more common in professional sports, and people still continue to look up to these “men” as role models. These players should not be respected for their actions in their respective sports, as they have proven to be irresponsible people away from them. It is sad to see athletes throw away their careers over stupid mistakes, but it happens, and they deserve to be punished.