NFL commissioner Roger Goodell said he made a mistake in his initial response to multiple accusations of domestic violence involving NFL players by not responding in a clear and timely manner. In a news conference today, Goodell said the league will change its personal conduct policies for players, coaches and staff, and that the NFL is partnering with two national domestic and sexual violence prevention organizations. According to Goodell, the National Domestic Violence Hotline saw an 84 percent spike in calls last week and the organization didn’t have the resources to respond to even half the calls.
Goodell said the league hopes to have changes to the NFL’s personal conduct policy in place by the Super Bowl, this February in Glendale.
Arizona Cardinal Jonathan Dwyer this week became the latest NFL player to be accused of domestic violence. He spent a night in jail and has been deactivated from team activities. So what should we make of this recent spate of allegations? For answers, we turn to Alesha Durfee. She’s an Associate Professor of Women and Gender Studies at ASU’s School of Social Transformation - and a big football fan.