Abstract
It is rare to hear
of ethical issues in sports organizations, especially when it is directed at a
certain player. In the recent abuse case with Ezekiel Elliott, the NFL has
again been unethical in their approach of the situation. When certain ethical
theories are applied to the scandal, there would be many different aspects that
would be expanded upon and attempted to show where the NFL could improve. In
terms of an Individualist, the scandal would be seen as somewhat of a nuisance
seeing that an Individualist’s main goal is to maximize profit. Utilitarian
theory would analyze the overall happiness of the stakeholders, and claim the
NFL unethical based on their actions. Kantian’s would inspect the NFL’s true
motives, looking at the initial attempt and the continuous further attempts to
convict Mr. Elliott and figuring out if their actions were just. Virtue Theory
would reflect on the dishonesty, biased opinions, selfishness and manipulation
when dealing with the case.
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| NFL Logo |
Background
The NFL is the
largest football organization that has been around since September 17, 1920 and
was founded in Canton, Ohio. Originally called the American Pro Football
Association, the NFL has grown exponentially since then to become a world known
company. It has become a great social event and way of making connections in
the world today. Along with the social aspect, the NFL has done a lot of work
for local communities with charities and reaching out programs that the NFL
funds.
Case
The
newest abuse case in the NFL dealt with Cowboys star running back Ezekiel
Elliott, beginning on August 11, 2017 with the initial statement of Ezekiel
Elliott’s 6 game suspension. As soon as the accusation arose, the media was
covering the story with as much detail as possible. Less than a month before
the NFL season, the hopeful and excited NFL fans would have to wait in suspense
unknowing of when Elliott will return.
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| Ezekiel Elliott |
The initial
statement that came from the NFL had claimed that Ezekiel Elliott had committed
multiple incidents of abuse during the week of July 16, 2016, and again on
March 11, 2017. The initial statement was not the real issue however, it was
what Elliott and his representatives responded with. The
part that was most astonishing was that Elliott’s representatives claimed that
the NFL had inaccurate facts and selected pieces of evidence to convict
Elliott. When people asked why there were no criminal charges filed, it was
stated by the city attorney of Columbus that his office would not pursue
domestic violence charges due to conflicting and inaccurate information. Some
of the information released by the city’s attorney office showed text messages
between the supposed victim and her friend, with her friend telling the victim
to lie to the police.
After the Deflategate case
dealing with Patriot’s quarterback Tom Brady, the NFL had a new legal playbook.
With the new strategy in place, the NFL immediately asked for a stay of Judge
Mazzant’s injunction, who was the judge that decided the case. To speed up the
process the NFL would have to prove that Judge Mazzant incorrectly applied the
law in deciding to grant the injunction. Their main goal should be to find out
if there is substantial evidence that Ezekiel Elliott did in fact commit
domestic abuse on the dates noted. The obsession that the NFL has with the
suspension has made them appear unethical in their procedures and values.
Stakeholders
The
stakeholders affected by the case is very broad. The NFL players, coaches and
organizations are affected by this because they are often interviewed about the
topic, even if it does not apply to their team. In addition, the fans are
questioning the NFL’s motives in the case, wondering why the dilemma is still
occurring.
Individualism
Since
the goal of an Individualist is profit alone, there would be some issues with
how the case was handled. They would look into the case to show support against
domestic abuse, which could possibly help the NFL gain more sponsorships and
positive reinforcement. The increased sponsorship would help the league gain
more profit for themselves. After the initial failed attempt however, an
Individualist would see the excess money spent on the case as somewhat of a
waste because that money could be used in other areas to help the
organization’s profitability.
Utilitarianism
Utilitarianism
is based on the overall happiness of everyone involved. After the initial
decision of the case, the repeated attempts to try and convict Ezekiel Elliott
would be seen as negative effect to the NFL community. The repeated attempts
would give viewers a distasteful perception of the NFL and their motives for
conducting the case. The NFL’s lack of honesty and avoidance of certain facts
that would weaken their claim would give the public a decreased approval of the
organization.
Kantian
A
Kantian simply bases the value of one’s decision off of good will. At first, it
would seem like a great idea to support such a cause because of the damage it
can do to someone. After seeing that the case was unsuccessful for the NFL, the
continued attempts of aspects not directly connected to the facts of the case
would seem somewhat personal. The true motives of the NFL would be called forth
and questioned by many. At a certain point, it no longer seemed like good will
was the main factor in the case.
Virtue
The
Virtue theory would examine the dishonesty, biased opinions, selfishness and manipulation that the NFL used in
the case. The theory would point out that the NFL altered and “cherry picked”
facts to support and strengthen their case. The misuse of those facts would be
questioned and seen as manipulative. In addition, the reoccurring attempts at
trying to disprove the judge’s procedure would be seen as selfish in the way
that it at that point did not deal with the facts of the case directly. It gave
the perception that it was a personal case for the NFL and that they would do
whatever it took to suspend Mr. Elliott.
Justification
When evaluating the case personally, I
thought that the NFL’s actions seemed just at first. However, after I researched
more in depth about the topic I felt that it became personal for the NFL,
therefore unethical. I understood the initial attempt because if Ezekiel
Elliott was guilty then he should be suspended at the least for such a thing.
When the NFL started challenging the procedures of the judge to uphold the
suspension, I lost some respect for them. The NFL strayed away from the facts
of the case, and lost sight of what really mattered.
Action Plan
The
action plan for the NFL should have been much more simplified than what they
have done and are currently doing. They should have gotten all the evidence
against Mr. Elliot and called Elliott into the offices before making the
decision to suspend him. An initial discussion with Elliott before taking
action would show that the NFL cares and believes in its players above outside
sources. If Elliott denies the accusations and the NFL still believes that
there is significant evidence that Elliott committed the accusations, then a
case should be put in place.
When
evaluating the case, the NFL should keep the facts as accurate as possible. The
goal of the organization is to find the truth, not try and convict their own
player at all costs. Honesty should be a key factor in the case evaluation, as
well as keeping personal vendetta’s out of the scenario. If the judge rules in
Elliott’s favor, then the NFL should have stopped the investigation. There is
no need to go more in depth by challenging the judge’s procedures to convict
someone that was proven not guilty. The repeated attempts give negative views
from the NFL community.
Conclusion
The
unethical actions by the NFL gave the organization a bad perception that they
wanted to avoid. In the past the NFL seemed to ignore such cases, and I approve
of their attempt to prove that Elliott violated the NFL rules. However, the
excessive attempts at the case give an obsessive view to the public that the
NFL will do whatever it takes to convict Ezekiel Elliott.
Citations
1.
Hairopoulos, Kate. “Decide for Yourself: The Evidence and
Arguments Surrounding the Suspension of Ezekiel Elliott.” SportsDay,
SportsDay, 30 Oct. 2017, sportsday.dallasnews.com/dallas-cowboys/cowboys/2017/10/30/everything-need-know-nfls-investigation-cowboys-rb-ezekiel-elliott-assault-allegations.
2. McCann,
Michael, and The MMQB Staff. “NFL Calls Audible on Legal Strategy in Elliott
Case.” SI.com, Sports Illustrated, 15 Sept. 2017, www.si.com/nfl/2017/09/15/nfl-calls-audible-legal-strategy-ezekiel-elliott-case.
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