Brandon Marshall Opens Up About NFL Issues
Sep 7, 2014; Chicago, IL, USA; Chicago Bears wide receiver Brandon Marshall (15) during the first quarter at Soldier Field. Mandatory Credit: Mike DiNovo-USA TODAY Sports
Chicago Bears wide receiver Brandon Marshall had a press conference on Thursday afternoon to speak about the current condition of the NFL. The NFL has been under heavy scrutiny in recent weeks with an uptick in domestic violence cases involving NFL players.
Former Baltimore Ravens’ running back Ray Rice and current Minnesota Vikings’ running back Adrian Peterson have been the two names at the head of the NFL’s growing problem with domestic violence.
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Marshall, who was charged with domestic violence in 2007, expressed disappointment with the current state of the NFL.
"“But what I am disgusted over and I really believe it’s not an issue of domestic violence or child abuse or drunken driving,” Marshall continued, “it’s really an issue of the condition of our hearts as people … the way we treat one another … it doesn’t matter if the man’s the aggressor or the woman’s the aggressor or we’re disciplining our kids in anger or disciplining our kids in love … it’s the condition of our hearts.”–Brandon Marshall, ESPN Chicago"
Marshall is an example of a player that has changed not only his career but his life around after off-the-field issues, and the wide receiver stressed that people not rush to judgement when it comes to the off-the-field issues in the NFL.
"“Because of my story and my experience and only using my story, we have to let the process play itself out, whether the process is a day or the process is a month,” Marshall said Thursday, “and we have gathered all the facts before we can go playing judge and jury, and that’s the only issue that I have with all these changes and even the changes I think we should make. We just have to make sure we’re doing our due diligence and really looking at things from a neutral standpoint.”-Marshall, ESPN Chicago"
But while Marshall is disappointed with the current state of the NFL, the wide receiver is aware of the positive impact that the league could have on the community.
"“My view on the NFL and this current climate we’re in, I think it’s a shame,” Marshall said. “But I do love and respect what we’re doing because the NFL, we all know has the ability to transform lives, transform communities. We have influence to really shape and mold a culture. So these issues, you know, whether we’re wearing lime green on the field, pink, orange, whatever, I think that is sweet. I love it, because of the amount of awareness we have and the amount of influence can really dictate a lot.”-Marshall, ESPN Chicago"
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Marshall’s past was brought back into the spotlight when celebrity attorney Gloria Allred blasted the NFL for how they handled Marshall’s domestic violence case in 2007. Allred, who some have accused of looking for a headline, had plenty of ammunition to use with the recent cases of Rice and Peterson. Instead, Allred focused on a case that not only happened seven years ago but was dismissed after Marshall completed anger management classes.
Marshall deserves credit for his handling of Allred’s accusations. Marshall’s press conference on Thursday was yet another example of just how much the wide receiver has turned his life around. Marshall is in a position to inspire others with his story, and that is what the wide receivers is determined to do.
It’s unfortunate that personal agendas tend to continuously bring Marshall’s past back into the spotlight despite all the measures that Marshall has taken to better himself.