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The presidential eye of the storm

Does politics have a place in tragedy?

That depends on the tragedy.  Politics was integral to Charlottesville. It has no place in Hurricane Harvey, still devastating southern Texas, particularly Houston, our nation’s fourth largest city. What’s needed there are prayers, money and assistance. There will be time for squabbles about climate change and government performance later.

What’s not needed is a presidential visit as the storm still rages. But then, you sense that President Donald J. Trump hates to be upstaged, even by Mother Nature. So he has to interject himself into the storm when he isn’t slipping something under the radar.

Like a presidential pardon. ...

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The NFL and the theater of violence

The Chicago Bears’ hiring and firing of defensive end Ray McDonald – he of the three arrests for domestic violence, the second of which got him cut from the San Francisco 49ers – tells you that the NFL remains ambivalent about domestic violence.

There are a number of reasons for this. First, we as a nation remain ambivalent. McDonald’s first two arrests were dropped, so who’s to say the third won’t be? Isn’t a man innocent until proven guilty? Shouldn’t he have a chance to redeem himself, earn a living and express his talents?

Except that three arrests aren’t an anomaly. They’re a pattern of behavior. So what to do?

“The league has not really thought through its own message,” said Paul H. Haagen, co-director of the Center for Sports Law and Policy at Duke University. “They are definitely making it up as they go along and leaving themselves areas of discretion. But by leaving themselves discretion and not making clear what the required processes are, there is constant uncertainty and questions.”

The NFL can’t even figure out how to process Deflategate. The players’ union wants Commissioner Roger Goodell to recuse himself but as arbitrator Goodell gets to decide if he should be recused. Huh? How’s the league going to implement a cohesive policy regarding domestic violence when it fumbles procedures regarding the rules of the game? ...

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