Be More than the NFL

[jerrym]

The title for this thread comes from an article by a woman who was highly impressed by the "Be More than a Bystander" campaign against violence committed by men on women. The BC Lions have been involved in this campaign since 2014. During BC Lions games players appear on the Jumbothon to say that manliness does not involve violence against women. The players also make local TV ads against this violence and talk about it when they visit schools. In the following website article a woman points out how different this is from the NFL approach to the problem. The Saskatchewan Roughriders have also joined this campaign.
In addition to being the right thing to do, it helps send out the message that the CFL is woman friendly.

The Canadian Football League is different from the National Football League in many ways. For starters, we play with a different ball, on a larger field, and only have three attempts to advance 10 yards each possession. Our league only has nine teams to the NFL’s 32 and unlike the lucrative contracts and lavish lifestyles associated with their American counterparts, most CFL players are told ‘not to quit their day job’.

However, while enjoying a recent BC Lions’home game I was struck by perhaps the greatest difference between these leagues: the BC Lions’partnership with The Ending Violence Association’s‘Be More Than a Bystander’campaign.Granted, the campaign is not a CFL-wide partnership, but I propose it may have an equitable effect given the structure of Canadian football. At the very least, the campaign’s presence on the sidelines and Jumbotron at BC Place sits in stark contrast with the NFL’s gross-mishandling of recent cases of domestic violence perpetuated by its players.

This season, the NFL has been wrought with players charged with domestic violence – the most famed perpetrator being Ray Rice of the Baltimore Ravens. The NFL faced intense scrutiny after evidence arose they had seen video-evidence of Rice brutally assaulting his then fiancé in an Atlantic City casino-elevator. NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell initially claimed ignorance to the footage and degree of the assault, and was forced to backpedal on Rice’s paltry two-game suspension after the video was leaked to the public. ...

Whether Goodell’s claim not to have seen the footage prior to its public release is true is largely irrelevant; Rice’s initial suspension demonstrates the NFL was aware of the assault. What is most concerning is why the incident was not immediately understood as a crime, ...
At the very least, ‘Be More Than a Bystander’centers and confronts the issue of violence against women in the context of Canadian football. Mismanagement and distancing of transgressions, like the NFL of Ray Rice, would be inadmissible. The campaign identifies such incidents as crimes, generates awareness and dialogue about consent, and instills within the administration, team, and fans a better understanding of the issue. Combined, these elements redefine the culture of Canadian football to set a standard for violence prevention and action against perpetrators. There is an immediate accountability to the cause, and an expectation of appropriate management of any instances of violence.

http://amssasc.ca/be-more-than-the-nfl/

[jerrym]

Last week the Hamilton Tiger Cats joined the "Be more than a Bystander" campaign. No doubt this is at least partially a response to the intense heat the Ticats have got over the hiring of coach Art Briles, who was fired because of his alleged coverup of sex scandals by his players at Baylor University last year. During the Hamilton-Calgary broadcast on Friday, Nancy Smith, who is the executive director of Interval House (for battered women), thanked the club and said the Hamilton "Be more than a Bystander" campaign would be modelled on the BC Lions one.
Certainly a far better response than that of the NFL to such repeated scandals in the American league.
I think the CFL should make this a league-wide program within its diversity campaign to attract women. The Argos could certainly benefit in appealing to women on issues of concern to them.

After a "disappointing" period where they hired a coach accused of covering up sexual assault, the Hamilton Tiger-Cats have joined a program designed to discourage violence against women. The Ticats announced Thursday that they've joined "Be More Than a Bystander" program. It's a joint effort with Interval House of Hamilton, which offers shelter and support for abused women. ...
Through the program, the team will record a series of public service announcements that will air at 2018 Ticats games, among other venues. They'll also go to high schools in February 2018, and host thousands of high school students next spring. ...
Briles was fired as head coach at Baylor University last year in the wake of a sexual assault scandal. In a recently settled lawsuit, a woman alleged knowledge of at least 52 acts of rape by more than 30 football players while Briles was head coach. The Ticats hired Briles, only to rescind the offer less than 24 hours later after community and fan backlash. Ticats CEO Scott Mitchell acknowledged the Briles controversy Thursday. Mitchell said it was a misstep. ...
It took a while to work out the program with Interval House, Mitchell said, because the team wanted to make sure it could adequately commit to it.
Nancy Smith, Interval House executive director, said Thursday's announcement is "not really about Art Briles." "This is about a societal shift, about how we all need to be aware and mindful of our behaviour and the influence it can have, particularly on women and girls."
The team also pledged to include Be More Than a Bystander in its current community programs. That includes incorporating it into an annual Coaches Clinic, which hosted 80 coaches this year.

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/hamilt...ouse-1.4352507

[Argo57]

The CFL is much better than the NFL in all ways IMO.