Hannah Storm says the NFL should think of female fans in light of the Ray Rice elevator video. In a powerful segment, Storm asks the National Football League to take significant actions against domestic violence in order to start rebuilding trust with women who love the game.
ESPN’s SportsCenter co-anchor Hannah Storm, a proud mother of three daughters who is a big fan of football was deeply moved by the Ray Rice elevator video that went viral last week.
In the clip, former NFL star Ray Rice can be seen punching his then-fiancée and now wife Janay Palmer. The punching incident took place in February at Revel Casino in Atlantic City, New Jersey. In the same month, TMZ published a video where Rice could be seen dragging Palmer from an elevator.
In March, Rice was indicted on third-degree aggravated assault, and the NFL decided to give him a two-game suspension. The charges were later dropped and all had seemed well for Rice until TMZ.com posted the full video of the incident on September 8.
The full video became an instant hit online and sparked an immediate debate on domestic violence in the NFL and in American sports in general. Rice’s team The Baltimore Ravens terminated his 5-year $50 million contract and the NFL went on to suspend the athlete indefinitely.
It was revealed this week that Ray Rice plans to appeal the suspension and he has the backing of the NFL Players Association. Hannah Storm thinks this is a defining moment for the league and it needs to rise to the occasion.
The 52-year-old anchor believes that female fans need to know that their beloved NFL stands tall against domestic violence and the way women are sometimes treated. Storm in her two-minute segment explained:
“On Monday morning, I was genuinely excited to come to work and break down what I thought was a fascinating first weekend in the NFL. Instead, I kicked off ESPN’s coverage of the horrific Ray Rice elevator video.
“Meanwhile, one of my daughters has her first fantasy football team this season. But at breakfast this week, instead of discussing how her team was doing, we watched the Ray Rice video play out again, in all its ugliness.
“I spent this week answering seemingly impossible questions about the league’s biggest stars: Mom, why did he do that? Why isn’t he in jail? Why didn’t he get fired?
“And yesterday: Why don’t they even have control of their own players?
“So here’s a question: What does all of this mean for the future?
“What does it mean for female fans whose dollars are so coveted by the NFL — who make up an estimated 45 percent of the NFL’s fan base?”
Storm went on to ask more questions:
“What exactly does zero tolerance mean to the NFL?”
“What about the NFLPA [NFL Players Association]?”
“Will the NFL, in all its power, take the lead on the issue of domestic violence?”
Storm concluded with a question that some people hope will get answered soon, “the central question: What exactly does the NFL stand for?”
Hannah Storm’s emotional plea went viral, but many doubt it will change the mega business that is the NFL.
