Go and do a Google search of "NFL Hall of Fame Nominees 2017," click on the News section, and see what comes up. Great names like running back LaDainian Tomlinson, quarterback Donovan McNabb, and wide receivers Terrell Owens and Hines Ward show up on the page. There are a grand total of 94 names on the list of nominees this year. But there is one that should be an embarrassment to the NFL and the Hall of Fame in general. Very few news media outlets are talking about this, and I think this is absolutely ridiculous. On that list, under the defensive backs category, is Darren Sharper, and his name is nowhere to be found in that initial Google search.
For those of you who may not know, Darren Sharper was a safety who played for the Green Bay Packers and the Minnesota Vikings. He was also played a pivotal role in helping my beloved New Orleans Saints win Super Bowl XLIV. If you watch the tapes or look at the statistics, you can easily come to the conclusion that Darren Sharper was an outstanding football player. But there's one more thing: Darren Sharper has been convicted of rape on multiple counts and in multiple states. He is currently serving an 18-20 year sentence (it's a little confusing because he was convicted in different states). He is, by general consensus, a serial rapist.
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Now, I understand that the Hall of Fame voters are supposed to ignore "off the field issues" when considering nominees. But this is not a minor drug charge or an attitude problem. This is MULTIPLE counts of rape. I'm all about forgiveness, but being charged with rape should AUTOMATICALLY disqualify anyone from Hall of Fame consideration. The NFL has an already has an image problem with domestic and sexual abuse in the league. Now, on the nominating list to one of most sacred honors for any NFL player, is the name of a serial rapist. That is insulting to players who are on the list with him and to those already in the Hall of Fame. The fact that Darren Sharper's name is now on the same plane as LaDainian Tomlinson, a truly great player, is despicable.
What do you say to his nine confirmed victims? How can we help them out when we are rewarding their attacker with consideration for the most sacred of NFL honors? We cannot continue to simply let NFL players get a pass because they are "good" football players. These victims deserve so much better.
I think this also speaks to the larger issue that some people, particularly men, in our society as a whole receive passes from the crime of rape (yeah, I'm looking at you Brock Turner). We must stop using the, "Yeah...but..." excuse. For Sharper, it's, "Yeah, he did it, but he was a good football player." For Turner, it's, "Yeah, he did it, but he is young and just made a mistake." Yes, eventually we need to forgive, but that does not mean that we should punish more leniently or give awards for other accomplishments. I'm not sure how we can discourage this crime from ever happening when there are seemingly no repercussions.
The Pro Football Hall of Fame invokes feelings of reverence and respect for all those who look at it. Now it is tainted. I know, he will probably never become a finalist, but I still am outraged that he is even allowed to get to this point. The way to fix this is to be vocal about it, and I don't think people are talking about this enough. It's time to put a stop to allowing rape to go unpunished. I see now as good a time as ever.
