REDFLAGZ
An informational resource to help fantasy football players evaluate behavioral risk
DOMESTIC ABUSER:
I worked with this population for around two years. Several things stood out to me. First, they rarely if ever voluntarily seek out treatment. Ninety-nine percent are court-ordered or are facing some sort of legal consequences.
However, this population has a very high recidivism rate. Meaning the majority fail to make sustainable change.
Domestic abuse at its core is the desire to have power and control over another individual by any means necessary. Whenever you see on the news that some guy drove his car into a house and killed his wife and family that is the face of domestic abuse. There is no greater power and control than the control over life and death. They are so committed to power and control they will sometimes sacrifice their own lives to take another.
One man I worked with who was absolutely the size of an NFL defensive tackle assaulted three police officers just to intimidate his wife who was at the scene.
The NFL changed its domestic violence policy in 2014 after a disturbing video of Ray Rice's assault on his fiance in an elevator became public. Here is a recent history of NFL players who have tested the current NFL conduct policy on domestic Violence
One of the aspects that I find most disturbing is how counter this behavior is to our human evolution. Meaning, that we have been conditioned over billions of years to propagate and ensure that our progeny or genetic material succeed and thrive. Domestic abuse not only traumatizes those involved it also damages their genes and even their offsprings (grandchildren) genes at an epigenetic level. This means that the abuser is making their very own genes weaker by making them more susceptible to physical disease as well as mental illness just to fulfill individual needs.
"If you or someone you know is suffering from domestic abuse please report it and get help. Unfortunately, a lot of the time the onus is on the abusee to provide the burden of proof that abuse is taking place. Gather evidence keep texts, emails, and compile records to help protect yourself. Have an emergency escape plan"
National Domestic Abuse Hotline
Text BEGIN to 88788
Witnessing and Reporting Domestic Abuse
Behavioral Categories
OPPOSITIONAL DEFIANT DISORDER:
This condition is punctuated by irritability, anger, defiance, and vindictiveness. Especially, towards authority figures including parents, teachers, and coaches.
I have treated several children with this condition. I remember complimenting a child on a drawing, and they reacted oppositionally defiant automatically-perceiving my positive feedback as a threat. It makes for a difficult life and is a challenge to treat. They are on constant alert for perceived slights and can hold grudges.
This untreated condition makes it especially difficult or really challenging to succeed in a team sport environment. A coach represents an authority figure. You are constantly being challenged by coaches and peers in practice and games. If you have ever heard the level of discourse on a football field you understand that players say terrible things to each other to destabilize an opponent emotionally to gain an advantage. This population is uniquely vulnerable to "smack talk".
Treatment of Oppositional Defiant Disorder
ADDICTION/SUBSTANCE ABUSE:
Addiction can consume a person's life and take everything they have, family, home, job, savings, and friends. This condition is punctuated by hyperfocus on obtaining and using the substance in question no matter the cost.
One of the most severe cases I have ever worked with was a person who lost their job, marriage, state license in their field, driver's license, house, and any friends but was still unable to admit that alcohol addiction was the source of all the difficulties. The person remained in the Pre-contemplation or denial phase of Procheska's stages of change and was never able to make progress in treatment.
It is extremely difficult for a person struggling with untreated addiction to maintain all aspects of a healthy life. So sometimes you hear the word "functional alcoholic" meaning they can attend to the bare minimum work obligations for example, but inevitably their relationships or other life obligations suffer a great deal.
I have been fascinated with some of the usage of substances used by athletes during games. Most Notably, Dock Ellis threw a no-hitter while on LSD for the Pittsburgh Pirates. However, many of the players who have admitted to using alcohol or other drugs during games suffer from addiction. NFL players have reported using marijuana in several different situations and for a variety of reasons during games, players such as Percy Harvin, Leveon Bell, and Calvin Johnson. Johnson indicated using cannabis to manage pain during the end of his career.
There have also been some absolutely tragic tales involving addiction/substance abuse by NFL players. Most notably, for me as a Detroit Lions fan, I was excited about the team drafting Charles Rogers out of Michigan State. in 2003. He was so long, fast, and athletic. I was unaware of his struggles with addiction, and he ultimately lost his NFL career and eventually his life at the age of 38 to the consequences of addiction. The following players also lost their NFL careers due to addiction: Matt Praeter, Todd Marinovich, Ricky Williams, Eric Herman, and Josh Gordon.
There are so many reasons why addiction can develop in a person. However, addiction and substance abuse are very treatable conditions, as long the person is motivated to change, with an emphasis on finding out what underlying crisis or conflict is driving the usage.
RISK TAKING:
There are so many reasons why risk-taking behavior occurs in human beings. However, if I had to boil it down to some common themes it may help you begin to understand how to interpret what you are seeing regarding risk-taking behavior.
To start with let's categorize common causes of risk-taking behavior. Thrill-seeking behavior, Social Peer Pressure, or influence, is commonly associated with certain psychological/mental health conditions such as bipolar disorder, and Borderline Personality Disorder, or related to addiction/substance abuse.
Risk-taking behavior is most closely associated with people possessing these characteristics: Young Adults, Males, People With Certain Genes, Impulsive and Adventurous Personalities, and Individuals With Mental Health Conditions, most notably those with PTSD or Post Traumatic Stress Disorder.
When evaluating a player's behavior you want to pay attention to the severity- meaning does risk-taking cross platforms, gun usage, gambling, and addiction or is it confined to one area like speeding, then assess if there is a pattern of chronic risk-taking place with no treatment or acknowledgment of the potential consequences or is it a one-time incident.
SEXUAL OFFENDING:
In the end, sexual offending occurs because a person wants power and control over another person.
There is no single answer to the question of why people engage in this behavior. The problem of sexual offending is too complex to attribute solely to a single reason or theory.
Here is what we do know: Sexual abuse is a learned behavior. Adverse conditions in early development — particularly poor relationships with caregivers — can contribute to the problem. Sex offenders engage in cognitive distortions. Repeated exposure to sexually violent pornography can contribute. Problems with self-regulation and impulse control can contribute. Short-term relationships and negative attitudes toward women can contribute.
How are these crimes handled by the NFL? "Academic journal Violence Against Women published a 2022 study about the way the NFL responds to allegations of violence, specifically targeted against women. There were 117 NFL players examined between 2000 to 2019 who had been arrested for allegations of violence against women. The study found that arrests have more of an impact on players with who are considered “below average” players."
If you or someone you know has been a victim of sexual assault please get help:
National Sexual Assault Hotline
Womans Justice Now - a guide to understanding rights and legality around reporting sexual assault.
MATURITY/IMMATURITY ISSUES:
For our purposes of evaluating behavior and its impact on an NFL player's career; this category can best described as "Emotional Immaturity", or more specifically "Age Appropriate Emotional Immaturity". No, one expects a four-year-old to keep their shit together the whole day emotionally. However, the expectation is that a 22-year-old NFL player will be able to manage his emotions effectively. But of course just because you have enough talent to play in the NFL doesn't mean that you will have that same ability when managing your emotions.
The process of emotional development and maturity is best viewed through Erickson's stages of Psychosocial Development. Disruptions in any of these stages can impact how a person views self and is able to manage emotions.
There are profound potential negative consequences of immature behavior, which can include legal issues. They can present as selfish people or self-centered on their own needs. Their behaviors can include name-calling/bullying, impulsive behavior, Avoidance of commitment, and demanding attention. The most difficult part of this is that in order to want to improve your life, it typically takes maturity. Immaturity by definition works heavily against acknowledging there is a problem. Simply put, the person has to want something better for themselves and seek therapy.
Approaching Someone About Their Immature Behavior
ANIMAL CRUELTY:
I can't really hide my disgust for this type of behavior. Any abuse of innocents or the vulnerable is abhorrent. However, the particular reason I find any animal abuse a true horror is that humans have bred these animals to be dependent upon us to survive and thrive. So an abuser isn't just abusing an innocent, they are offending that trust, and the animal has no escape because of this.
Animals experience the full emotional spectrum just as humans do. Just because they can't communicate with people like another person would doesn't mean their suffering isn't any different than what you experience when hungry, cold, hot, injured, or scared.
Psychology and criminal research suggest that there are many reasons why individuals engage in such despicable behavior. Animal cruelty can be a symptom of a deep mental disturbance and that people who abuse animals may also abuse humans. The following are some psychological factors that may contribute to animal abuse. However, at the root of most animal abuse is the desire for power and control over others.
Callous-unemotional traits
This dimension of personality includes a lack of empathy, guilt, or remorse, as well as emotional inexpressiveness and insensitivity to others' feelings. People with high scores on this dimension are more likely to abuse animals. People who don't feel compassion for animals may not understand that animals experience pain and suffering in a similar way as people.
Conduct disorder
This childhood malady is often a precursor to psychopathy, and animal cruelty is thought to be one of its earliest and most serious symptoms.
Of course, one of the most notable cases of animal cruelty by an NFL player involved Michael Vick. Detailed in these reports are some truly horrifying behaviors. He was sentenced to nearly two years in prison for his crimes and served out 21 months (with some additional time due to breaking the conditions of his parole). At the time, he was suspended indefinitely by the NFL. Vick lost all sponsorships at the time. However, he returned to the NFL and played with the Philadelphia Eagles for five years. Then stunningly Vick was named a Pro Bowl Legends captain in 2019.
Recently, former DT Isaiah Buggs was released outright after animal cruelty charges were levied against him.
It's clear that the NFL and the teams take animal cruelty charges seriously and a player found guilty of these crimes will face some sort of significant consequences.
Rehabilitation of Animal Abuse Offenders
Adult Handbook Identification and Treatment of Offenders
ASPCA - The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals
NARCISSISTIC PERSONALITY DISORDER:
"Narcissistic personality disorder"is a mental health condition in which people have an unreasonably high sense of self-importance and require constant, excessive admiration. Entitlement plays a large role in the narcissist's behavior. They feel entitled to special favors or conveniences from others, and when they are not given, or withdrawn they feel slighted. It also comes with exaggerated attention-seeking behavior. In addition, they are unable to develop the ability to care for or understand other people's feelings and will manipulate others to get what they want.
The majority of the trauma patients that I see that have experienced the most severe traumatic childhoods usually have a parent or parents that fall in one or more of the following diagnoses; narcissism, untreated alcoholism, or untreated bipolar disorder. The consequences to those around a narcissist are severe. It's impossible to be a healthy parent when their focus is only getting what they want in unhealthy ways. Most of my work with patient victims/survivors of parents with narcissism revolves around supporting them to leave or reduce exposure to the relationship, or using methods to protect themselves when interacting with them.
It's a bit difficult to assess the NFL or team's treatment of narcissists to arrive at any consistent pattern predicting suspension or negative consequences. Two of the most notable "selfish" players in NFL history have hall of fame credentials, Terrell Owens, and Aaron Rodgers.