In a post–Ray Rice world, the NFL is fully aware of how it’s perceived when it comes to situations involving violence against women. That incident, eight years ago, was a flashpoint, but certainly not an endpoint for the league. Whether further incidents centered on team owners (I count four who’ve been involved in such situations over the past five years alone), the workplace, players or staff, the U.S.’s most popular sports league can’t seem to get out of its own way in these circumstances.
Thursday’s news was another illustration of the knot the NFL has tied itself in.