Time to talk: Players' troubles could prompt meaningful discussion

There are going to be a whole lot more people pointing fingers as information continues to leak out about the National Football League and its handling of domestic abuse.

And while there likely will be no real answers as to why the cases that are hitting the news were handled the way they were, the questions have prompted discussions that are long overdue.

The NFL is a large organization and does not employ players per se. So, reforms will need to begin at the team level. Team owners have to take accusations like this seriously and to act accordingly -- with the backing of the league.

Domestic violence occurs in all walks of life -- so it is not surprising that there would be incidents in the NFL or other professional sports groups.

Some good can come from these scandals.

We can get people to talk about domestic violence -- how to recognize it and how to stop it. We can make it easier for people to report suspected violence and for victims to come forward for help. We can start a dialogue.

Let's hope the NFL and other major sports organizations take the chance to lead from the front.

Published in Editorials on September 22, 2014 11:00 AM