Jameis Winston Poses Major Problem for Tampa Bay Buccaneers and the NFL
By Bo Martin
January 1, 2015; Pasadena, CA, USA; Florida State Seminoles quarterback Jameis Winston (5) against the Oregon Ducks in the 2015 Rose Bowl college football game at Rose Bowl. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports
Whether or not people want to recognize it, the NFL’s brand off-the-field has taken a substantial hit over the past year. Most notable has been the NFL’s questionable stance against domestic violence. Whether it be Ray Rice, Greg Hardy or Adrian Peterson the NFL has consistently missed the mark when given the opportunity to take a respectable stance against domestic violence and those who commit such disgusting acts.
After an alarming amount of public domestic violence allegations surrounding some of the league’s top players in 2014, the NFL—in response to public outcry—decided to take a harsher stance on the issue which included a “a more extensive list of prohibited conduct” and a “six-game suspension for crimes involving violent conduct, including domestic violence and sexual assault”, according to CNN.
Still, despite these changes to player conduct policy, the NFL continues to overlook one major factor of these allegations—the victim.
This leads us to Jameis Winston, who has been the subject of recurring allegations related to a rape case that originated in December of 2012.
According to an article recently released by Vice Sports, new evidence has surfaced regarding Winston’s involvement in the aforementioned rape case, which not only threatens Winston’s draft stock but the strides the NFL has made towards a stronger position regarding domestic violence.
The article states that Ms. Kinsman’s defense team has ascertained new evidence that include a Facebook post by FSU cornerback Ronald Darby and the identity of the cab driver that escorted Winston and Kinsman back to Winston’s apartment. Additional testimony to the original story that alleged Winston raped Ms. Kinsman in his bedroom despite her protests now adds the following:
"“The complaint adds a new wrinkle to this story: “Darby also entered the room but told Winston, ‘Dude, she is telling you to stop,'” it reads. In response, Kinsman says, “Winston picked her up in a fireman’s carry, walked her into his bathroom, deposited her onto the hard floor, and locked the door.” Kinsman says that Darby then left. For the first time ever, we learn that “the next day, [Darby] posted to his Facebook page ‘I feel the worst I almost felt in my life Smh #stupid.'” Darby was never interviewed by the TPD. […] Kinsman reported the assault to the TPD with a couple of hours, the officer noting then that Kinsman “was having a hard time remembering what exactly happen [sic] and in what order they happen [sic].”An hour later at the hospital, while getting a rape kit done, she told a TPD officer that Winston removed her clothes, raped her in the bedroom, was interrupted by “possibly the suspect’s roommate” who told him to stop, and was then taken to the bathroom where Winston continued the assault. Later that same day, she went to the police station where she once again told her story to the TPD, both in a handwritten statement and verbally to a detective.”– Jessica Luther, Vice Sports"
Before we go any further, let me preface my stance by saying that I do not hold a law degree and understand that we have a judicial system that maintains an individual is innocent until proven guilty. Unfortunately, for both Winston and the NFL, the court of public opinion does not require a law degree, nor does it maintain the same stance on innocence that our judicial system does. The truth is the court of public opinion will only reach one uncontested verdict based on these newly released facts—that is that this was a heinous act that can only be described as a disgusting outrage that must be investigated and tried at the fullest extent of the law.
So here we are, less than 30 days away from the 2015 NFL Draft where Jameis Winston is considered to be a virtual lock to go first overall. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have gone on record to say that they won’t let Winston’s legal proceedings discourage them from selecting the Florida State quarterback. The NFL, the media and draftniks alike have all discounted Winston’s past, which includes a long history of off-the-field antics. So here we are, again, watching as the sports world places physical talent over criminal behavior and entitled attitudes.
If the NFL and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers allow Winston to be the first overall pick in the 2015 NFL draft they are not only taking a step back from the progress they’ve made regarding player entitlement and domestic violence; they are allowing young children and sports fans everywhere to believe that being a talented athlete will ALWAYS be more important than being a decent person who respects others and abides by the laws enforced in this country.
Moreover, by simply looking past these allegations facing Winston—guilty or not—the league and it’s franchises are making a statement that they do not care about the victim in these cases and only care about the marketability of new talent.
As we watched Janae Rice tearfully blame herself for the actions of Ray Rice, we saw first hand how much the league cares about the victims of domestic violence; we can’t let Ms. Kinsman be the next victim to fall silent in the shadows of the great National Football League and it’s players.
The bottom line is clear, despite the talent that Winston possesses his character off-the-field immediately threatens the stability of the franchise that drafts him and the overall integrity of the league as it relates to it’s stance on domestic violence and it’s brand.
Is that a risk worth taking?