Quote:
Originally Posted by Cali Flames Fan
One has to ask themselves this question: Why is it that the NFL and NHL have similar culture of violence on the field/ice, yet the NFL seems to have way higher incidences of violent behavior off the field? Is it the sense of entitlement and invincibility? Is it a cultural problem within the NFL? Goodell seemed to think there was an institutional problem in his press conference. Does it start at college where these guys are treated as local heroes and are given a free pass to get through school (lots of articles these days about schools having academic issues with athletes covered up or ignored). Does it start at high school? There seems to be issues with substance abuse in both leagues. There seems to be issues with post-concussion syndrome and serious brain changes including depression in both leagues. What is it with the violence off the field?
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Well the violence on field/ice I think is just a part of the sport. Football and hockey are by far the most physical of the major sports in North America and attracts athletes who enjoy that level of physicality and combativeness.
Off the ice/field, I think a part of it has to do with the demographics of the athletes. Hockey is a fairly expensive sport and individuals have to pay for themselves throughout most of their career, so the majority of kids that get into hockey come from pretty well off families and thus have more of an opportunity to have had a good upbringing. I am not equating income to how upstanding an individual is, just the opportunities that are provided and the support systems available. For a lot of NFL players, the only reason they have the opportunity to even wear that equipment growing up is because it's supplied by the teams that they play for. Otherwise they wouldn't be able to afford it or the costs. Many have had difficult childhoods and athletics was pretty much the only way out for some (there are also those in hockey that have had tough childhoods of course). So they haven't had the same support systems and opportunities growing up. Many have been exposed in some way to the same violence that they inflict on others. This has the opportunity to impact what kind of a person that individual becomes and how long it takes them to 'grow up' and become an adult.
This is a generalization and based only on my observations and experiences. A lot of players growing up in the situations I've mentioned have really persevered, and overcome the challenges to become great athletes and even better people. But I think this does play a part.