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You know, I really love college football. | by nin_man | 2006-11-19 12:55:59 |
| That's really messed up |
by SnArL |
2002-06-02 12:13:20 |
But it's not entirely the athletes' fault. An equal amount of blame needs to be placed on the school administration (not only in this case, but in general) for their complacency. This kind of behaviour has, for a long time, been "overlooked". In recent years, officials have been "cracking down" on inappropriate behaviour by athletes, but they've really just been putting on a show of force for the media. They don't care what the athletes do so long as they can play the game well.
To a certain degree, society in general is to blame for this trend. We place far too much importance on a game, and an undo amount of value on the skills of those who play it, elevating them to "hero" status (although that tendancy had been reduced in the wake of 9/11, when America realized that real heroes are the ones who protect us from harm). But the athletes still are seen by the public as being "larger than life". That in and of itself wouldn't be so bad, if they didn't let it go to their heads.
When you're a star athlete, you're important and everyone lets you know that they think you're important. The public cheers you on. If you're pro, the team gives you a higher salary. If you're collegiate, "other" concessions are made by the staff and coaches to ensure that you feel "appreciated" by your school. This is where the problems develop. These athletes feel like they are heroes, like they are the center of the universe (if you count the town that the college is in as the entire universe). Because they are so "important" they feel like they should be allowed to do whatever they please. That's where the "concessions" come in. So one of the players wants to screw around with a girl during a party, hey, "boys will be boys" right? A little sex would do him some good, work off some of that tension, make him play better. What? Rape? No, there was no rape. Boys will be boys you know. Besides, he's on the football team. He's important, so she must've wanted him to. Well, we don't want any scandal, and it was just a little harmless sex, so we'll make it go away. Really now, how could anyone not want to sleep with a big, strong, important football player?
The players feel powerful when on the field, like they are in control, and they try to recreate those same feelings off the field. Rape is about exerting power, about being in control, and so the players use it as a means to regain the high that they feel when the entire stadium is watching them, cheering and shouting. It's not a simple case of "boys will be boys" and in fact I'd wager that it has little if anything to do with the libido of the players. It's about feeding an addiction to power. The crowd gives them the first taste for free, and the school officials pick up the tab, but it's the rape victims who really pay the price.
The school administration keeps cleaning up the players' messes and covering up the wrong that they do until something like this happens and it hits the fan. Then everyone involved finds themselves up to their necks in $#!% and the administration makes another "public show of force" by pretending to crack down again. In a few more years, it will be out of the public's mind. I feel sorry for that girl, she had her innocence stolen from her, and maybe even her future. Money from the lawsuit will probably be used for her to finish her degree, but no amount of money will be able to make up for the fact that she will probably never be able to have a healthy relationship with someone, because she won't be able to trust.
My advice for you ladies is this, learn basic self defense. If a member of your college sports team attempts to rape you, take out his knee(s). Make sure he'll never play sports again. Someone has to teach them that it's not acceptable, and it looks like it won't be the school administration or the campus police. Let them find out what it's like to have their future ripped away from them. Hopefully the schools will get the picture real quick. |
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Reply | by hyzenthlay | 2002-06-02 18:38:42 |
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