Why the Brewing Scandal Involving the St. Louis Rams’ Defensive Coordinator Would be a Non-Starter in Professional Boxing
Just a week or two ago, it was professional boxing’s turn again to come under international scrutiny following Dereck (Del Boy) Chisora’s antics both before and after his WBC Heavyweight Title bout with Vitali Klitschko. This week, however, it was the NFL taking the heat following the revelation that Gregg Williams, the new defensive coordinator for the St. Louis Rams, instituted a “bounty program” while in the employ of the Washington Redskins, the New Orleans Saints, and possibly others which involved financially rewarding defensive players for particularly damaging defensive plays.
While the fall-out from the Williams scandal will inevitably lead to certain reforms being instituted within the NFL, such rewards are routine in professional boxing. Indeed, it is not unusual to see a promotional agreement which provides for additional compensation in the event that the boxer scores a knockout in a given bout. In two sports with rich histories of brutality, why is one under a potentially policy changing assault while the other continues on unscathed with its own bounty programs?
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