Football, Vice and Violence

By Sally Raskoff

As you probably have heard, Atlanta Falcons quarterback Michael Vick was recently suspended from the NFL for his “illegal, cruel, and reprehensible” behavior. It looks like Vick’s ownership and involvement with dog fighting and gambling has ended—or at least suspended—his football career.

The dog fighting ”ring” was located on Vick’s property, and apparently he personally harmed the dogs--especially those who didn’t win their bouts. Gambling on the dog fights was perhaps the biggest problem from the National Football League’s (NFL) perspective. But football is a sport in which bettors, both formal and informal, are found just about everywhere. Super Bowl pool, anyone?

The NFL Players Association general conduct policy states: “Engaging in violent and/or criminal activity is unacceptable and constitutes conduct detrimental to the integrity of and public confidence in the National Football League. Such conduct alienates the fans on whom the success of the League depends and has negative and sometimes tragic consequences for both the victim and the perpetrator. The League is committed to promoting and encouraging lawful conduct and to providing a safe and professional workplace for its employees.” [Emphasis added]

The billions in football profits depend on the public remaining confident that the games are fair contests, and on teams and players not alienating the fans. I find it interesting that the policy above mentions the consequences for the victim after the concerns for integrity, confidence, and alienation. There have been several players suspended for gambling: Paul Hornung and Alex Karras had bet on NFL games and thus missed the 1963 season and Art Schlichter left the field in 1983 because of substantial gambling debt. Joe Namath was forced to sell a nightclub because gamblers might be patrons. 

The suspensions in the NFL run the gamut from substance abuse and banned substance (steroid) use to assault, battery, and domestic violence. The Vick case has garnered much press due to its unique combination of vice and violence. 

Most media reports about the case focus on the gambling angle rather than on the violence. This was puzzling to me—until I looked at it through a sociological lens. At first glance, the gambling seems rather peripheral since betting on dog fights, or profiting from letting others do so, certainly isn’t equivalent to fixing a football game. The two are apples and oranges; betting in one arena doesn’t assume betting—or fixing the outcome—in the other. The violence seems more disturbing to me than the gambling. After all, reports indicate that Vick killed losing dogs with his own hands.

Using one’s sociological imagination to understand the news media’s emphasis on gambling highlights the importance of our societal institutions. Why would gambling be a larger issue in media discussions than the violence? Both topics are ratings magnets, yet they are not equally emphasized in this case. Marx and Weber remind us to identify who benefits from emphasizing gambling over violence. The “ruling elite” or the powers-that-be are interested in keeping our economy and financial markets healthy, and football is certainly a huge financial enterprise. To chastise and emphasize the gambling aspect of the Vick case could be an attempt to repair any alienation or loss of confidence in the NFL and its teams. 

Why, then is the violence angle not given as much air time? It is not trivial that violence is linked to gender—which is one of the pillars of our societal structure. The gender order that currently structures our definitions of men and women links certain traits to one gender or the other. Aggressiveness and violence are linked to masculinity, a pattern not lost on current theorists of sports and masculinity. Aggressive and violent behavior is called upon or otherwise seen as functional in the service of or for protecting the family (or team) from outside threats. When men exhibit such behavior outside of these situations, the sanctions vary and are sometimes very minimal. For example, domestic violence is a major cause of injury and death for women. But most of our institutions, including the justice system, don’t have any effective remedies for it. (Restraining orders are not always effective nor do they prevent violence.)

There is no shortage of links between violent behavior and male athletes, particularly those in football. (Mentioning OJ Simpson here seems too obvious a connection.) Even at Harvard University, a recent incident involving domestic abuse and intoxication led to the football team captain’s suspension. While some of the recent NFL suspensions have been for domestic violence, most suspensions rest with violations of banned substances, substance abuse, or assaults involving the police. Those who are suspended for domestic violence often return to the field in a relatively short time, sometimes after mandated anger management courses. 

The violent behavior of football players is not taken as seriously as violent behavior in an average person; it is rationalized as a residual or echo of the behavior they need on the field to win their games. Thus it is excused either as a typical male behavior or as one honed to perfection by elite football players. 

The bottom line is that real violence is de-emphasized or ignored in favor of potential gambling crimes because the former is seen as natural or inevitable while the latter is a threat to the profit margin. Our capitalist economy drives the news media to reinforce our norms of gender and of consumer behavior. In the Vick case, gambling, or vice, outsells violence because it threatens profits.

Comments

[card counting]

To avoid the violent behavior of football players not taken as a seriously as violent behavior in an average person. It is a rationalized as a residual or echo of the behavior. They need on the field to win their games and bring out the bacon. Thus it is excused either as a typical male behavior or as one honed to perfection for football players.

[Johnny]

Vice and violence have always been prevalent in professionally organized sports, however, vice often neglects violence. Football specifically denotes the necessity for “fair play” in regards to the hard-hitting, smash-mouth action that occurs on the playing field. Michael Vick is a poster boy for the cynical world hidden behind the gleam of the sport’s world. The NFL is the richest sports league in the world in which the average franchise is worth $957 million; this is largely due to the NFL’s rich fan base. The world of professional sports depends heavily on each league’s fan base. Without a fan base, the sports world cannot exist. The mass media plays a major role in dictating both the success and the popularity of each league on an individual basis. However, the concepts of right and wrong are contradicted by elements of the mass media. Vice should never neglect violence, although vice threatens potential profits received by the NFL, thus proving its edge over violence. Violence would seem to be more relevant in modern day society, however. Gambling is often seen as recreational while violence, dog fighting and abuse, for instance, is seen as both ethically and morally corrupt. It is ironic to see the differences between worlds; the sports world is consumed with the ideal of preserving its image, while the real world is consumed with ethics that shun certain violent behaviors.

[Bill Tsiu]

Well. I think they should have stricter law for those players. I am feeling many of them are just like spoiled kids.
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[Manchester United]

Nice post. Really I liked it.

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[Football Gifts]

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[Betting System]

Keep up the great work, you are providing a great resource on the Internet here!

[Richard Clark]

Year 2009 marks the beginning of serious professional concern for football-related concussions. The Center for the Study of Traumatic Encephalopathy at the Boston University School of Medicine is heavily into research relevant to this important concern. Retired NFL players are willing their brains to the School in order to facilitate ongoing research. If the word spreads, I assume the day will come when football is eliminated from school sports programs.

[du doan bong da]

Nice post. Really I liked it.

[Football Presents]

Very interesting post.

[Game mobile]

The world of professional sports depends heavily on each league’s fan base. Without a fan base, the sports world cannot exist.
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[rao vat binh phuoc]

The Center for the Study of Traumatic Encephalopathy at the Boston University School of Medicine is heavily into research relevant to this important concern. Retired NFL players are willing their brains to the School in order to facilitate ongoing research

[Dan]

nice article

[joseph oroni]

more strict rules to be enforced

[joseph ouma]

fair play is the remedy for violent behavior

[Mart Bandee]

Nice article, very interesting perspective. Violence should not be tolerated and calls for fair play at all time should be advocates

[patrick]

Gambling and pride

[lisa]

sport should not bring violent. This a good source of information

[Odundo Eric]

great piece of work

[chrispinus sifuna]

"The violent behavior of football players is not taken as seriously as violent behavior in an average person" I like this statement

[Samuel Kazungu Muramba]

Nice post Thanks for sharing

[csddept]

violent behavior should be discouraged and stiff penalties imposed

[joseph]

love the post .so nice

[Mary]

Great article

[stella]

nice article

[Antonina]

Great read

[Robert]

Engaging in violent and/or criminal activity is totally unacceptable

[Patrick Karuu]

Nice post. Violence in sports is very harmful and should not be condoned

[Kamau]

Interesting

[Purity Karani]

Quiet impressive post and information. Violent behavior of football players should not be tolerated.

[Joan]

To avoid the violent behavior of football players not taken as a seriously as violent behavior in an average person. It is a rationalized as a residual or echo of the behavior. They need on the field to win their games and bring out the bacon. Thus it is excused either as a typical male behavior or as one honed to perfection for football players.

[masinde maurice]

by nature football even at college level is violent therefore its a bit unrealistic to expect the betting to be less agressive

[ASCAH]

Great article and just to mention sportsmen and sportswomen are mostly well behaved and the vice is with just but a few.

[Pauline]

great article.

[Sports Courant]

Interesting analysis. Players of highly competitive games - leagues usually tend to be violent.

[bet predictors]

Why is it excused as typical male behavior or as one honed to perfection by elite football players.

[nfl optimizer]

Football may be nothing more than a civilized version of the colosseum. However It seems to me that if enough people turn off the TV when they see Ryan Shazier go limp from a broken spine, or dog lovers who throw away their vick jersey, then the league is forced to evolve. Hopefully for the better.

Celebrities, in all industries, are given special treatment. But the landscape for addressing violence, especially with the NFL towards women, is a very different environment now.

[Gladys]

Great article.At least learnt something about football

[gamdom]

Since the former is perceived as inevitable and natural, and the latter as a danger to the profit margin, actual violence is downplayed or disregarded in favor of possible gambling violations. The news media in our capitalist society are pushed to perpetuate gender and consumer behavior norms. Because it endangers earnings, vices like gambling outsell violent crime in the Vick instance.

[muhammadadnan]

This piece presents a thoughtful analysis of the Michael Vick case, highlighting the discrepancies in how the media and the NFL prioritize issues of gambling over violence. The focus on the financial implications of gambling in professional sports, particularly football, is well-articulated, as is the critique of how violence, especially when linked to gender norms, is often downplayed. The sociological perspective adds depth, but the overall length could be trimmed for more concise delivery without losing the key insights.