Cody Latimer’s Arrest Proves The NFL Has a Violence Problem
Washington Red Skins wide receiver Cody Latimer has been arrested and charged with assault. But what’s new for the NFL?
Cody Latimer is just the latest NFL player to get arrested on violence charges. Details of the story are still unfolding. | Image: AP Photo/File
- Cody Latimer has been arrested.
- The Washington Redskins wide receiver has been charged with assault and illegal discharge of a firearm.
- But this is the standard operating procedure for the NFL.
Another day, another NFL arrest—this time, it’s Cody Latimer who got picked up.
The Washington Redskins wide receiver was arrested and charged with assault and illegal discharge of a firearm Saturday.
Witnesses said that they heard arguing and gunshots inside a Colorado apartment. After his arrest, Latimer was released on a $25,000 bond.
As of this writing, the Redskins have no comment on the matter.
But Latimer’s problem is just the latest in a series of violent incidents plaguing the NFL.
Cody Latimer Is Just One of Many Violent NFL Players
Latimer’s arrest comes just one week after former Giants players DeAndre Baker and Quinton Dunbar were arrested and charged with armed robbery and aggravated assault.
Though Baker and Dunbar both claim innocence—and both are innocent until proven guilty—a conviction could spell the end of their NFL careers.
Cody Latimer, DeAndre Baker, and Quinton Dunbar are just three violent examples of many in the NFL.
And a quick look at the statistics show a disturbing trend: since 2000, various NFL players have been arrested 855 times.
The breakdown of those numbers are even more staggering: 215 arrests were for DUI charges, 99 were for drug charges, 96 were for domestic violence cases, and 71 were for assaults.
Two players have even been arrested for murder.
And though Cody Latimer hasn’t been arrested for domestic violence, the crime is a pervasive problem in the NFL. But, it wasn’t until 2014—after the infamous Ray Rice incident—that the league finally began taking domestic violence seriously.
Before Rice knocked out his now-wife in an elevator, players would only get a so-called “slap on the wrist.” But the outcry against Rice only getting suspended for two games prompted a change in the league’s policy.
It’s Time for the NFL to Address the Problem
Whether they want to admit it or not—and, clearly, they don’t—the NFL has a problem with violence.
More than two-thirds of NFL fans believe there’s a domestic violence problem in the league. And more than half believes there’s a problem, overall, with violence in the league.
There are several reasons why this is so: players are desensitized to violence; there’s a sense of male entitlement; money makes legal problems disappear.
But these reasons are nothing more than excuses. When devoted fans say that there’s a problem, believe them.
Because whether the NFL or its fans want to admit it or not, Cody Latimer isn’t the exception. He’s the rule.
Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this article do not necessarily reflect the views of CCN.com.