Pitch

The revelation of the tape showing NFL running back Ray Rice knocking out his girlfriend at the time has put the sports world on its ear and caused tremendous criticism for how the incident was handled by the Baltimore Ravens and the NFL.

Could this incident do significant damage to the NFL from both a branding and an advertising standpoint?

Experts

• Ann H. Rodriguez, instructor, College of Media & Communications, (806) 834-6102 or [email protected]• Bob McDonald, associate professor of marketing, Rawls College of Business Administration, (806) 834-1175 or [email protected]

Talking Points

• Because there is question as to who among the Ravens and the NFL knew what and when they knew it, there is a great deal of criticism of both, purporting that they helped cover up the situation and therefore allowed the stigma that they are fine with violence against women.• Could this situation hurt what has become the most dominant sports league on the planet in terms of both its brand and advertisers? Nike had already announced it has dropped its sponsorship deal with Rice, who is suspended indefinitely from the NFL.

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