Powerful institutions routinely deflect criticism by blamingĀ the middle man,Ā or, even more commonly, the occasionalĀ bad apple. As a result, the latest debacles concerningĀ the NFL, its toxic culture and corrupt practices, provide Americans an opportunity to discuss the nature of institutions, as opposed to the never-ending cycle of dialogue focused on individuals, personalities and subjectivities.
How powerful is the NFL as an institution in American society?Ā According toĀ Forbes Magazine, “This year revenues for the National Football League will be somewhere just north of $9 billion, which means the league remains the most lucrativeĀ in the world.” The article continues, “He [Goodell] has statedĀ that he wants to reach $25 billion in annual revenues for the league by the year 2027.” While these numbers seem massive, compared with the most profitable companies based in the US, theĀ NFL doesn’t even rank in the top 100. In some ways, the NFL is aĀ middle manĀ institution.
Of course, as most understand, various institutions are structured differently depending on their aims, functions and so forth. Some are top-heavy; others are loaded with middle-manger-bureaucrats; there are countless variants. It’s quite clear that the NFL is loaded with functionaries: coaches, assistant coaches, specialty coaches, public relations gurus, graphic designers, accountants, wardrobe managers, lawyers, physical trainers, and the list goes on. Remember, each of these individuals have a vested interest in branding the NFL aĀ respected institution.Ā After all,Ā their careers depend on it.
The callous nature of mega-institutions routinely surprises the casual observer. For instance, Roger Goodell, the now loathed Commissioner of the National Football League, initiallyĀ told Norah O’Donnell from CBS News, “No one in the NFL” saw the second video tape presenting Ray Rice punching his fiancee Janay Palmer in the face subsequently knocking her unconscious. In the meantime, further evidence has shown thatĀ someoneĀ in the NFL’s officeĀ indeed received, and viewed, the second tape. In the end, unsurprisingly, the NFL was more concerned with itsĀ imageĀ than theĀ health of Janay Palmer. None of this should come as a great shock. Yet the American public seemed surprised, almost horrified, that such behavior wasĀ covered up.
Although the NFL is more culturally ingrained in American society than it is financially potent, thousands of jobs depend on its financial viability. Most importantly, in the eyes of NFL owners, profits depend on the smooth functioning of existing institutions. Specifically, theĀ smooth functioningĀ of the systemĀ requires proper PR campaigns, images and allure. Indeed, the dominate cultureĀ was disrupted when the Ray Rice video became public. Memories of back-yard BBQs, weekend getaways to local stadiums and Thanksgiving football games quickly vanished when NFL fans were confronted with a video of a player savagely punching his female partner in the face.
Like most illusions in life, the NFL provides Americans with the illusion ofĀ controlled violence. For some time, Americans have accepted that NFL players would act in violent ways on the field, but after leaving the stadium, it’s also long been expected that those same players would transition to civilian life in aĀ non-violentĀ and seamless manner.
Of course, all of this should sound familiar. Think: Veterans Administration. Much like VA officials, NFL front-office-types hide behind the abstract nature of the institution. Like modern war, specifically drones and YouTube clips of combat, the perceivedĀ controlled violenceĀ that takes place on the fieldĀ SundayĀ afternoon reflects theĀ uncontrollable violenceĀ inherent in these institutions. In other words, for many Americans, violence is acceptable at a distance. On the contrary, once that violence spills intoĀ polite society, it becomes unacceptable.
Interestingly,Ā veterans, like formers NFL players, have a history of PTSD and TBI. These ailments greatly contribute to the disproportionate rates of former NFL players and military veterans committing suicide, violent crimes and experiencing substance abuse. In other words, there are real-world consequences for engaging inĀ violent behavior. WhileĀ many in American society fail to experience the first-hand effects of such institutions, their ramifications have deadly implications for those intimately connectedĀ toĀ veterans and former players.
Even more, both the VA and the NFL have attempted to cover up the adverse impact of playing on the field and serving in a combat theatre. For example,Ā Mark Fainaru-Wada and Steve Fainaru report in their book,Ā League of Denial: The NFL, Concussions and the Battle for Truth, that the NFL engaged in a decades-long cover-up, actively combatting scientific research linking football and brain damage. Similarly, theĀ Veterans Administration has rightfully endured scrutinyĀ for its involvement in cover-ups, corruption and misbehavior.
The problem with the VA and NFL is not Eric Shinseki or Roger Goodell, although both deserve criticism and to be held accountable for their actions/inactions, as Shinseki already has. The problem is theĀ institutionsĀ themselves, their profit-motive, ideologies and centralized decision-making mechanisms. Like America’s political process, simply swapping out a Republican for a Democrat won’t do much to changeĀ the system. The same holds true for prospective officials within the VA and NFL. Their continuity outweighs their slight differences.
In short, the NFL, like the VA, depends on the abstract nature of theĀ institution. Moreover, the media primarily focus on lower-level participants, and occasionally, middle-manager types. Their criticism rarely reaches the highest ranks. When it does, the critique misses the point, largely focusing on individuals as opposed to theĀ institution itself.
Most importantly, American society cannot expect to fundĀ and encourageĀ violent institutionsĀ without simultaneously witnessing occasional explosions of violenceĀ in daily American life.
Vincent Emanuele is a community organizer, writer and radio journalist. He lives in Michigan City, Indiana and can be reached atĀ [email protected]
