Brennan: NFL can take the lead vs. domestic violence

Christine Brennan, USA TODAY Sports | USATODAY

One in four women will experience domestic violence in her lifetime. An estimated 1.3 million women are victims of physical assault by a partner each year. Women between the ages of 20-24 are at the greatest risk of nonfatal partner violence. Most cases of domestic violence are never reported to the police.

We're all about statistics in sports. Life too, for that matter. These stats from the U.S. government and other agencies don't get as much attention as, say, quarterback ratings or yards per carry.

Perhaps that will always be the case.

Then again, perhaps not.

The National Football League has been given a great opportunity this week. A tragedy of immense national importance has occurred within its midst, the murder of a young mother by her football-playing boyfriend, followed by his suicide in the parking lot of the facility where he practiced for four years as a member of the Kansas City Chiefs.

Despite the intense focus on this murder-suicide, incidents such as these are not just the NFL's problem, of course. But the NFL could become a big part of their solution.

Whether the Chiefs' home game the next day against the Carolina Panthers should have been played is now a moot point, because it was. In those early hours after the tragedy, though, the NFL exhibited a sensibility that should give it a road map for how to move ahead on domestic violence awareness and prevention in the months and years ahead.

There was a moment of silence at Arrowhead Stadium before the game on Sunday, but it wasn't for Jovan Belcher, the man who murdered the mother of his 3-month-old daughter, Zoey. It was for the mother, 22-year-old Kasandra Perkins, and every other victim of domestic violence.

While the Chiefs did create a memorial of sorts by hanging Belcher's jersey in his empty locker, his teammates did not wear the now-customary patches on their jerseys or decals on their helmets in memory of Belcher. There clearly was no reason to give such an honor to a murderer.

That was a good start, but now it's time for the NFL to do more, much more. We have become quite familiar with the league's color scheme in October. It's a whole lot of pink, in honor of Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Love it or hate it, you notice it, and that's the point.

October is also Domestic Violence Awareness Month. The color for that is purple. Next season, in October, a week shouldn't go by without some teams appearing trimmed in purple, while others are decked out in the usual pink.

It might sound trivial, all this pink and purple splashed around the league, but it clearly makes a statement that this matters to the powers that be in our national pastime, which is football. Nothing reaches the nation's young male demographic, the exact audience that is so vital to stopping domestic violence, like the NFL. There should be public-service announcements, significant community outreach and corporate partnerships that benefit victims of domestic violence. NFL games are the ideal vehicle to finally begin a serious, long-term, national conversation on this issue.

What's more, the league has reported for years that 40% of its fan base is female. It's not only the right thing for the league to be awash in pink, it's also the smart thing. The same goes for the issue of domestic violence and all that purple that should be forthcoming.

"Breast cancer is a huge issue and we would never want to take away awareness for that," Rita Smith, executive director of the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence, said in a phone interview Wednesday. "But domestic violence actually affects more women in this country."

In response to an e-mail she sent to the NFL after the Kansas City tragedy, Smith has heard back from the league indicating interest in discussing "possible educational opportunity."

For that, she is heartened. There would be no better partner for her cause.

"The amount of influence the NFL can have on the way people think would be very significant," she said. "It would be great to identify certain players who are really good role models, good members of their communities, good family men, and have them speak out to start to influence people's attitudes in stopping domestic violence."

The league already counsels its players in mandatory sessions on all kinds of issues, including domestic violence. It has given money to charities involved with the cause. One of its players, Eli Manning, appeared in a White House video on dating violence.

That's all well and good, but it's not enough. This is an issue that's screaming out for the league's serious attention. It's well past time that it received it.