PRO/CON: Is media coverage of the NFL's troubles over-the-top?

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1 PRO/CON: Is media coverage of the NFL's troubles over-the-top? By McClatchy-Tribune News Service, adapted by Newsela staff on Word Count 1,208 Minnesota Vikings running back Adrian Peterson (center) navigates through members of the media after making his first court appearance, Wednesday, Oct. 8, 2014, in Conroe, Texas. A Texas judge has tentatively set a Dec. 1 trial date for Peterson on a charge of felony child abuse for using a wooden switch to discipline his 4-year-old son. Photo: AP Photo/ David J. Phillip PRO: Media acting like judge and jury BALTIMORE An angry group of newspaper writers and TV newspeople are attacking the National Football League. Some of our leaders in Washington, D.C., are joining in to help them. They all blame the NFL for not watching two of its most famous players at all times and invading their private lives. Baltimore Ravens running back Ray Rice is accused of abusing his wife. Minnesota Vikings running back Adrian Peterson is accused of child abuse. No one supports their behavior. It has been terrible. And a handful of other NFL stars have done similar things. Abusing a wife or child is a serious crime. It goes against our laws and our morals. People guilty of such crimes should be punished. But this is America. They deserve a fair trial. It is likely they will be found guilty. If they are, then they should be punished.

2 Let's Get Real In the meantime, let s get real. The NFL can urge its several thousand players to behave morally. However, it cannot watch them 24-hours a day. If it did, it would go against their rights. We would not ask major companies like Apple or Google to invade their workers lives when they are not working. Yet the media are acting like a judge. Newspeople keep calling for NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell to quit his job. They also want tough punishment against his league s 32 football teams. All the players being punished are African-Americans. One can only wonder if there s some racism behind it. Yet the attack on professional football started long ago. The Washington Post has written articles nearly every day about the name Washington Redskins. The newspaper wants owner Dan Snyder to change his team s nickname. Snyder has said no and he is correct. He has the right to free speech from the First Amendment to the Constitution. Attacks on the team's name make little sense. Several polls show most Native Americans are not offended by the name Washington Redskins. Many even take pride in the team s portrayal of its mascot as noble, determined and strong. The support for the name is even stronger among the team's fans and other Americans. Sudden Change Of Course The Post's attacks on the Redskins are one-sided and over-the-top. Fifty senators from Congress have written to the NFL commissioner. All of them were Democrats. They want the Redskins name changed. With Congress doing such a poor job, Jenkins suggestion should make everyone think twice. Until the last few years, the team was supported by the Post and other media. Sports writers and commentators dined out in the team s press box and owner's box. Now all of a sudden they've changed course. Enough already! The chatter coming from the media and many in the Democratic Party could be an attempt to distract the public. Maybe they don't want Americans to notice President Barack Obama s failures. He's fallen short in his actions internationally and at home. Judging people without giving them a trial is never fair. The media seems to echo the Red Queen's declaration in "Alice in Wonderland": Sentence first, verdict afterward.

3 ABOUT THE WRITER: Whitt Flora, an independent journalist, is the former chief congressional correspondent for Aviation and Space Technology Magazine and former Washington correspondent for the Columbus Dispatch. Readers may write him at 319 Shagbark Road, Middle River, MD This essay is available to McClatchy-Tribune News Service subscribers. McClatchy-Tribune did not subsidize the writing of this column; the opinions are those of the writer and do not necessarily represent the views of McClatchy-Tribune or Newsela. CON: Media merely the messenger about NFL's problems VIENNA, Va. It's easy to blame the media. It has written plenty of articles about the mess the National Football League is in. Blaming the messenger is simple. It's the oldest play in the playbook. The NFL's problems are real. Blaming the media only highlights the trouble the NFL finds itself in. It may soon lose viewers. Perhaps even the next generation of fans will watch a new sport. Much of our news comes to us from TMZ, blogs or cable talk shows. It would be nice if it came from better news sources. But the news source is not the issue. Baltimore Ravens running back Ray Rice punched his girlfriend in a hotel elevator. Then he dragged her body into the corridor. There's no mistaking that the NFL has a serious problem when it come to violence by its players. And no one can deny there's also a problem with the health of its players as they get older. Injuries End Many Playing Careers A fan's love of a sport can die. Not that long ago boxing and horse racing were among the top sports in the land. They drew huge crowds. Then the public decided that they were too crooked and, especially in the case of boxing, too violent. Football is a violent game. We all know that. But it can be easily forgotten. Instead we just see the bright graphics, loud theme music and action offered to us from so many camera angles. Brain injuries are the most common injury in today's pro game. The average NFL player plays for just 3.5 years, says the union that represents the players. Wide receivers last only 2.81 years and running backs fare even worse at 2.57 years. Sure, some players are cut from teams because somebody better came along. Yet the numbers strongly suggest that more end their careers from injury. For many, life after football is a nightmare. A new study found that nearly one-third of NFL players will some day develop brain disease. Alzheimer's disease or dementia are two of the most common.

4 The NFL's Lack Of Leadership What does this mean for youth leagues and high school teams? ESPN recently surveyed parents. More than half said that stories about the increase in concussions caused by head injuries in football have changed their minds. Parents are now less likely to allow their sons to play in youth leagues. President Barack Obama even said that if he had a son he would not let him play football. Pop Warner is the largest youth football organization. From 2010 to 2012, the number of young players in its program dropped by one-tenth, ESPN reported. At least six out of every 10 NFL players started in the Pop Warner program. Can a sport remain at such a high level when fewer and fewer kids are playing it? Will the next generation choose such a dangerous sport? Today's NFL has a lack of leadership. Roger Goodell is the league's top official, so the problems are partly his fault. Blaming the media makes little sense. The NFL has many more serious problems than the news reports about the mess it has become. ABOUT THE WRITER: Tim Wendel is the writer-in-residence at Johns Hopkins University and the author of 11 books, including "Summer of '68" and "Castro's Curveball." Readers may write him at JHU, 1717 Massachusetts Ave. NW, Washington, DC This essay is available to McClatchy-Tribune News Service subscribers. McClatchy-Tribune did not subsidize the writing of this column; the opinions are those of the writer and do not necessarily represent the views of McClatchy-Tribune or Newsela.

5 Quiz 1 What point do the two authors DISAGREE on? if NFL players have done violent things if violence is a problem and should be punished if media coverage of the NFL s problems is fair if newspapers have written many articles about the NFL s problems 2 Which of these points has only been discussed by the CON author? violence in the NFL the role of the media health problems of players the name of Washington s team 3 In the CON section Injuries End Many Playing Careers what does the author use to support his point that for many players life after football is a nightmare? a quote from a professor a detailed description a personal experience a new brain study 4 Which of the following BEST supports the PRO author's claim that the Redksins is not an upsetting name? Several polls show most Native Americans are not offended by the name. Snyder has said he has the right to free speech from the First Amendment. The Washington Post has written articles nearly every day about the name. Support for the name is even stronger among the team's fans and other Americans.