Athletes and Domestic Violence
A lady calls 911 and cries that her husband is beating her. She wants to
file a report, but then asks the dispatcher if it is going to be in the paper
the next day. When the dispatcher doesn't reply, she changes her mind about the
report and hangs up (Cart). The lady was Sun Bonds, wife of all-star San
Francisco Giant, Barry Bonds. Like the wives of other famous players, she was a
victim of spousal abuse. Athletes are praised as heroes for what they do on the
playing field, but what they do off the field is never mentioned. As a
disappointed sports fan, I want to draw attention to the domestic violence cases
that involve athletes.
Athletes have been abusing their spouses since sports were created, but
not until the OJ Simpson trial has domestic violence become "the issue du jour."
When Simpson was arrested on New Years Day for beating his wife, none of the
newspapers reported it. When he pleaded no contest five months later, there was
a small brief in the second page of The Los Angeles Times' Metro Section (Cart).
In the last three years alone the list of the accused included Dante Bichette,
Barry Bonds, John Daly, Scottie Pippen, Jose Conseco, Bobby Cox, Mike Tyson,
Warren Moon, Michael Cooper, Darryl Strawberry, Duane Causwell, Olden Polynice,
Robert Parish, and OJ Simpson( Callahan, Sports Ilustrated). And these are only
the pro athletes whose wives had the courage to report the violence.
Madeline Popa, president of Nebraska National Organization for Women
stated, "Athletes are role models to small children. [Viewers] worry about the
violence on television, but generally that is make- believe. When [there are]
real-life heroes [engaging in violence], the message to young boys and
girls is, 'If you are a star athlete you can get away with things
(qtd in L.A. Times).'"
There is an act of domestic violence every eighteen seconds in the
United States. One in every three women will experience it, according to a study
done by... [continues]
A lady calls 911 and cries that her husband is beating her. She wants to
file a report, but then asks the dispatcher if it is going to be in the paper
the next day. When the dispatcher doesn't reply, she changes her mind about the
report and hangs up (Cart). The lady was Sun Bonds, wife of all-star San
Francisco Giant, Barry Bonds. Like the wives of other famous players, she was a
victim of spousal abuse. Athletes are praised as heroes for what they do on the
playing field, but what they do off the field is never mentioned. As a
disappointed sports fan, I want to draw attention to the domestic violence cases
that involve athletes.
Athletes have been abusing their spouses since sports were created, but
not until the OJ Simpson trial has domestic violence become "the issue du jour."
When Simpson was arrested on New Years Day for beating his wife, none of the
newspapers reported it. When he pleaded no contest five months later, there was
a small brief in the second page of The Los Angeles Times' Metro Section (Cart).
In the last three years alone the list of the accused included Dante Bichette,
Barry Bonds, John Daly, Scottie Pippen, Jose Conseco, Bobby Cox, Mike Tyson,
Warren Moon, Michael Cooper, Darryl Strawberry, Duane Causwell, Olden Polynice,
Robert Parish, and OJ Simpson( Callahan, Sports Ilustrated). And these are only
the pro athletes whose wives had the courage to report the violence.
Madeline Popa, president of Nebraska National Organization for Women
stated, "Athletes are role models to small children. [Viewers] worry about the
violence on television, but generally that is make- believe. When [there are]
real-life heroes [engaging in violence], the message to young boys and
girls is, 'If you are a star athlete you can get away with things
(qtd in L.A. Times).'"
There is an act of domestic violence every eighteen seconds in the
United States. One in every three women will experience it, according to a study
done by... [continues]
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"Athletes and Domestic Violence" StudyMode.com. 10 1999. 10 1999 <http://www.studymode.com/essays/Athletes-Domestic-Violence-4406.html>.
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