Battered Woman Syndrome: The Ray Rice Tragedy

Ray Rice is just the latest example of a professional athlete charged with violence or sexual assault on a woman in the last year or so alone. We can add the richest athlete in sports, Floyd Mayweather Jr., who reported has assaulted at least four women, including one that induced 90 days in jail in 2012 and another that is currently suing him for holding a gun to your head, choking her and essentially locking her in their apartment (UT San Diego). There is the Florida State’s Heisman Trophy winning quarterback Jameis Winston, who is alleged to have raped a recent graduate in 2012 (Time). There is MMA star War Machine who beat his ex-girlfriend and friend almost to death (Daily Mail). There is the South African double-amputee and Special Olympics (and regular Olympics) star Oscar Pistorius, who will soon realize his fate after fatally shooting his model girlfriend (NY Daily News). If we go back a little further, we can add boxer Mike Tyson, former NFL player Darren Sharper, ex-NBAer “Fast” Eddie Johnson, former skater Mark Rogowski (who raped and murdered a 22-year-old) and a whole host of others.

Why is it athletes are so often implicated in violence against women? Is it the nature of sports? Steroids? The sense of invincibility that financial and competitive success reap? The hyper-masculine world of professional sports in general? Or something else? The sad reality is that these athletes serve as role models to young men inside and outside sports and set an example that only reinforces the male-gaze, misogynistic spectacle they are surrounded by. In the case of Ray Rice, a star running back for the Baltimore Ravens, there was an uproar among some after he was only handed a two-game suspension after reports of the beating originally emerged. But the video released by TMZ yesterday forced the hand of both the Ravens and the NFL, and he was essentially “fired” from his job, losing tens of millions in salary in bonuses.

A victory for women? Not exactly, if we consider the rather meager original punishment, the fact that many support these athletes after these allegations are made and the fact that many go on to earn further fame and fortune either after they get off, or out of prison. And the words of his now wife only reinforce the notion that she is one among an endless array of battered women who condone the violence against them. For those who missed it, here is the original tweet on her now private account:

I recently published a story about a heartwarming story from sports; it’s too bad that this is the sort of news so often coming out of the world of sports. Cheating, corruption, greed and violence have become too big a part of sports and one hopes that recent examples like Donald Sterling, Rice and Bruce Levenson deciding to sell the Hawks will serve as a warning to players, coaches and owners that the racism and sexism of the past will no longer be abided in professional sports. Maybe Rice has reformed his ways and his wife is supporting the man he has become, but it is time to stop condoning the horrific behavior of what were once our heroes.

Sociopaths Unite!

In a society where we celebrate sociopaths as great American mythical heroes, from Tony Soprano and Nucky Thompson to Don Draper and the Seinfeld gang, is it little wonder that they keep appearing in real life? The latest example comes not from an NRA recruitment camp, Fox News or Wall Street, but a school. Last week a security guard thought it would be “funny” to push a Down syndrome African American boy, taking a picture with his family on the first day of the school, against the wall to “assume the position.” He lifted the boy’s hands up as if to be frisked, started laughing and then turned and said, “Now take the picture, he’s in the right position.”( Daily Kos) The security guard, or sentry as they are called at Huntington K-8 school, was summarily suspended, but how does someone like this even end up in a elementary school?

The most interesting aspect of the incident to me is the strong possibility the guard actually thought this was funny and didn’t realize the racist undertones of his actions. If that is the case, it might be a perfect demonstration of a society that appears to lack basic empathy far too often. On the other hand, if the action was done as a racist confrontation, that makes it even worse (in my mind), as the security guard was using the little power he has to embarrass a black boy with down syndrome, and his whole family, reasserting his meager hold on a white supremacist sense of privilege and superiority. In either case, the lack of sympathy for a disabled boy, white or black, is troubling on its own, only made worse by the fact he was the latter. Can a society survive without empathy? It can, but it is certainly not one where prosperity, freedom and the pursuit of happiness reign.

Obama Criticized for Playing Golf ...

Charles Lane of the Washington Post and Fox News is at it again, providing us with incisive coverage  about, well, Obama playing too much golf rather than solving all of the world's problems ...

A Rare Heartwarming Story from Sports

Reading the sports pages over the past few years, one is more likely to find stories of cheating (Armstrong, A-Rod, Biogenesis, Cilic, et al), sexual assault (Sandusky, Winston, Wrestler Angel Vega, etc.), match fixing (particularly in world football), violence (the New Orleans Bounty system, Belcher, War machine, Hernandez, Oscar Pistorius, etc.), bullying (Incognito, across College Football), suicide (Seau, Belcher, et al), or simple greed than ones that are truly inspiring. Too many pro and amateur athletes seem to forget that they are potential role models to youth, that they are representing their teams and their sports and that cheating to get ahead is not okay, even if “everyone else is doing it,” much less believing they are above the law.

And so it was refreshing to read a story this week of Spanish team Villareal, who allowed a 13-year-old, named Gohan, with advanced cancer, to start a friendly against Celtic. That the youngster scored soon after kickoff, before being subbed off, just adds to a wonderful story that included the boy meeting his heroes in the dressing room beforehand and even having his own space and player board behind him. The friendly is an annual event put on by the two teams to raise cash and awareness for child cancer sufferers. A truly heartwarming moment to help us forget how often our heroes let us down. (Daily Mail)

To move further away from cynicism, there were a host of such stories in recent years. Here are a few: 1. The New England Patriots and owner Robert Kraft all but adopted Sam Berns, who suffered from Progeria (an accelerated aging disease) before dying at 17, making him an honorary team captain and unofficial mascot (HBO did a documentary on him called “Life according to Sam,” 2. Baylor’s Isaiah Austin was an honorary NBA draft choice even after being diagnosed with Marfan syndrome just days before the pre-draft physical, 3. Last year, The Nebraska Huskies quarterback Rex Burkhead met a 5-year-old fan, Jack Hoffman, with brain cancer, formed a friendship with him and then arranged for him to run a play in the fourth quarter of a game, where he ran 69 yards for a touchdown. 4. In 2012, the Cincinnati Reds auctioned off a position as their batboy for charity, stipulating the winner need be between 15 and 19-years-old. But they then made an exception so that 29-year-old Down syndrome sufferer Ted Kremer could take the spot, and he apparently performed his duties with great aplomb, 5. The Special Olympics are often filled with heartening stories of personal triumph in the face of great adversity, but the story of Jessica Long certainly stood out when aired during the last Winter Olympics on NBC. She was born without fibulas, ankles, heels and most of the bones in her feet and given away by her Serbian parents, only to be adopted by a Baltimore, Maryland couple who raised her to become a multiple Gold Medal winner. NBC ran the story in February 2014 and her positivity in the face of her struggles was truly something to behold (see “Long Way Home: The Jessica Long Story”).  

Grading the Transfer Windows of Top Teams in Europe

A staggering $835 million pounds was spent by the teams in England over the summer transfer window. That follows 760 million pounds last term and 610 the year before. To put this in perspective, only 265 million pounds was spent in 2003-04. Among the signings was the record-breaking sum paid for Angel di Maria, who moved from Real for 59.7 million. Speaking of Real, they signed two World Cup stars, but let Angel di Maria and Xabi Alonso leave, begging questions about the distribution to the impressive front line. And Barcelona took the troubled Uruguayan striker Luis Suarez from Liverpool for 65 million (or 75 according to Liverpool) to pair up with Neymar and Messi.

Looking club by club, United spent slightly over 150 million pounds (though some say the total is closer to 200 million – a staggering 18 percent of the total for the league), Liverpool was second at around 115, then Chelsea around 80, Arsenal a little less and then Southampton at 57 or so (though they sold much of the team earlier in the summer). Comparing this to the other major leagues, La Liga spending was slightly over 400 million pounds, the Bundesliga 250 or so and Ligue 1 close to 100 million (there were no figures on Italy). So lets take a look at some of the biggest clubs in Europe and how their summer spending went (I am going to ignore Italy, though Juve will be happy to keep most of their stars and add some talent in forward, Napoli did some decent business, both Milan teams added some stars and Roma lost and gained – maybe in equal measure) …

Chelsea
Since the Abramovich era started, Chelsea have often been charged with overspending on players to essentially buy silverware, particularly the coveted Champions League crown they finally claimed two years ago. But one thing the Russian Plutarch cannot be charged with is wasting money (except on that now silly decision to sign Fernando Torres for 50 million pounds). This summer, Chelsea needed a world-class striker, a creative midfielder and a left back. And without much effort or fanfare, they signed all three quickly. Then they needed a backup striker after Torres went to AC Milan on loan, and two days later Lois Remy was theirs. Chelsea added Fabergas for 30m, Diego Costa for 32, Filipe Luis for 16, Remy for a steal (8m) and old hero Drogba on a free (they also signed Mario Pasolic for an undisclosed fee). And they got rid of aging players whose form had dropped including Frank Lampard, Ashley Cole and Samuel Eto’o, among a list of other misfits (how they got 50m for David Luiz only PSG will ever understand). This was the best business done in the world and makes the team the clear early favorites to win the title, and maybe compete for the Champions League crown. A+

Real Madrid
Real Madrid brought in two of the superstars from last summer’s World Cup, German Toni Kroos (20m) and electrifying Golden Boot winner James Rodriguez (63m), leaving them with four of the seven biggest transfers in history (joining Kaka, Ronaldo and, of course, Bale). While adding to an exciting lineup that already includes two of the best players in the world, Ronaldo and Bale obviously, questions remain about the sales throughout the summer. First they let exciting young prospect Morata leave, then the La Liga leader in assists last term Angel di Maria (after Ozil departed a year earlier), before selling midfield rock Xabi Alonso to Bayern. Ronaldo is apparently less than happy with the moves, and many wonder how Javier Hernandez will do with those surrounding him, though he will probably be the backup to Benzema. Fears already existed around the back four and we saw that come to fruition as they blew a two-goal lead against Sociedad last weekend to lose 4-2. They did replace Diego Lopez with Navas in goal, but also let Casemiro go out on loan. B-/C+

Liverpool
The Reds lost their star player, Suarez, but had a lot of money to spend, and arguably spent it well. There are still some questions on the defensive end, but they’ve added talent across the pitch. They bought Lallana (23m), Lambert (4m) and Lovren (20m) from poor Southampton, signed attackers Markovich (20m), Balotelli (16m) and Origi (10m) and defenders Moreno (12m) and Manquillo (loan). There are some strong signings there to complement the team that came oh-so-close to winning the title last term, particularly picking up Balotelli as a striker, Lallana in midfield and Moreno and Lovren in defense. Liverpool will miss Suarez, but might find more balance across the squad, particularly with the steady improvement of Sterling, Sturridge and Henderson. And in case they will miss the distractions Suarez elicited from week to week, Balotelli should be a good stand in. B+/A- (losing Suarez is tough)

Barcelona
Barcelona started the summer by signing one of the best players in the world, Suarez, and then letting a guy leave who contributed a fair number of goals and assists last term, in Sanchez (though it made sense given the players at their disposal and the need to recoup some cash). They also added a great midfielder in Rakitic (from Sevilla), goalkeepers Marc-Andre ter Stegen and Bravo and defenders Vermaelen, Mathieu and Douglas Pereira dos Santos. It is that last area that is the most troubling, with Mathieu already on the wrong side of 30, Vermaelen a benchwarmer for Arsenal for a season and a half and Santos a largely unknown commodity. Signing one of the best forwards in the word, then adding an exciting midfielder and quality goalkeeper is never a bad summer, but Barca better hope all the signings play well and their aging stars have a couple of years left in them, as they will not be active in the next three windows, after suffering a UEFA ban for malfeasance. B

Manchester City
Strapped by Financial Fair Play, City was less active this summer, but still filled a few holes. It was surprising to see Negredo leave on loan, but this again appears related to FFP. They picked up another quality central defender in Mangala (32m), another rock in the middle in Fernando (12m), a backup keeper that could well supplant Joe Hart (Caballero, 6m) and a quality right back in Sagna (free); as well as a veteran who could help them in the Champion’s League (Lampard, loan). Javi Garcia, Pantilmon, Lescott, Barry and Rodwell, among some other bit players, all left, but none but Negredo, whose form dipped considerably in the second half, will be missed. Given they won the title last season and improved marginally, it was not a bad summer. B (based on need to business)

Bayern Munich
Bayern arguably had a great summer before it ever started, having already signed Lewanowski earlier in the year on one of the best free transfers in the history of world football (while selling Mandzukic to Atletico). He is one of the deadliest strikers in the world and adds an element to the attack arguably missing the past few seasons. Some, including Gardiola, will be sad to see Kroos leave, but the team is simply packed with talent from front to back and added Xabi Alonso to replace the injured Javi Martinez, Benatia for CB and Pepe Reina to back up the best goalkeeper in the world. When you are this talented as a team, you don’t necessarily need to do much and this was neither a great nor a poor window. B

Manchester United
United spent more money than at any time in their history, by a long shot. The question is whether they filled the holes that saw them drop to seventh last season, and only accrue two points in three games so far this term. The biggest signings are obviously di Maria (60m), who is starting to look like one of the best players in the world, Falcoa (loan ~ 12m) and Shaw (31.5m), who many think was ridiculously inflated. They also added Herrera (29m), though fears remain that he is not ready to start in the EPL and needs to get stronger, Rojo (16m), Blind (14m) and prospect Millinkovic (undisclosed). The two defenders are right-side players and there are real fears they are still missing defensive steal in the back and in midfield. That much talent should bring goals, but can they keep enough goals out and what does this mean for Rooney and RVP? Only time will tell, but it certainly makes Van Gaal’s job a complex one from here. B+ (A for talent, C for need)

Atletico Madrid
Atletico won La Liga in an exciting final day draw and then came within a couple of minutes of winning the Champions League. Then they lost some of their best players – with Courtois, Costa and Luis all going to Chelsea, Adrian Lopez to Porto and aging David Villa to the MLS (they also let backup right back Manquillo to Liverpool on loan). But they reinvested the money well, bringing in talented offensive players in World-Cup star Griezmann, Bayern’s Mandzukic and Mexican Jimenez, two new goalkeepers in Moya and Oblak and defenders Ansaldi, Gamez, and Siqueira. It’s tough to lose one of the best goalkeepers and most prolific strikers in the same summer, but Atletico look to have done some good business to keep themselves competitive, beating Real to win the first La Liga trophy of the young season. B+ (tough losses, but nice pickups)

Arsenal
Arsenal did good business early and late, but left two big holes by not replacing backup CB Vermaelen (who departed for Barcelona) or signing the DM they have needed since selling Alex Song two summers ago (and he was available yet again). They picked up the exciting Alexis Sanchez (30m) from Barcelona, replaced Sagna with Debuchy (10m), signed the versatile star-in-the-making Calum Chambers (12m) and a good backup goalkeeper in David Ospina (3m). The summer ended with the rushed signing of Welbeck (16m), who may or may not be the answer to our striker woes, but many will think Wenger came up two signings short. See my longer article on their window here: http://sidelinesapp.com/item/grading-arsenals-transfer-window/ B-/C+

Borussia Dortmund
Dortmund might consider this a good summer simply for keeping their best players, with Reus, Hummels and others slated to go at various times throughout the summer. They did lose Lewandowski, but knew this was coming for over a year. They added some quality players in Immobile from Torino, Kagawa from United (though it will be interesting to see if he can revive his career), Sahin from Real (another returnee looking to improve, though he suffered an early injury), Ginter and Adrian Ramos. Just for not losing those stars, I’ll give them a B-.

Gun Culture in America

Unionization in America

With Labor Day just passed, I found these charts on Vox that paint a less than rosy picture of unionization today. First you will notice the declining percentage of U.S. workers in unions, a trend that started in the 60s, after over 40 percent of all workers were in unions in the 50s. Notice also the chart on the inverse relationship between income inequality and unionization percentages and the higher unionization percentages for OECD countries with more income equality. Also note how support for unions has risen in recent years, as the great myth that they had “outlived their purpose” in America starting to find fewer supporters as income inequality continues to grow.