The suspension of Ray Rice and Adrian Peterson from their NFL teams after allegations of domestic violence and child abuse dominated the national news headlines. ReelUrbanNews.com convened the Pro Sports Expert Panel to address the headlines and to provide insight into the minds of professional athletes and celebrity culture. The panel consist of sports agent, Andre Farr, attorney’s Trent Copeland, Loyst P. Fletcher and sports psychology consultant, Cynthia Clark.
In addition to addressing the allegations againt Rice and Peterson, the Pro Sports Expert Panel provides first hand knowledge of working with professional athletes in times legal challenge and crises.
“I think the NFL season this year has been a history making season. I think there are a lot of things that have happened that are going to change the game forever. I think there’s a lot of interest of how the National Football League (NFL) is going to handle some of the issues that have been thrust upon them. Some of these issues have been here for a while. I now know it’s going to become a national dialog.” Andre Farr,Founder, Black Sports Agent Association
“What’s pervasive about all of this is that the celebrity cultures that exist, both in sports, also exist in other areas, such asentertainment and music. All of those areas are where there is 24 hour news cycle and the life style of what these athletes exist in, that world, that fish bowl is all encompassing. The most down loaded web site is not Web MD, its TMZ. It’s all of the magazines, all of the headlines grabbing sports, entertainment, and music. All of those people who are involved in those industries tend to be the people that society regards as being the celebrities, the people who we look to, the deity.” Trent Copeland, Celebrity Attorney and Television Legal Analyst
“This is a private matter. Obvious that can’t happen whensomething is caught on tape. I need the client to listen to me; a lot of the times you’re telling them something they don’t want to hear. In a lot of cases settlement checks are written and these stories never come light. Now that it’s in the forefront, the NFL is going to have to deal with it. But it’s not a new issue, it’s just been under reported.” Loyst P. Fletcher, Attorney and Crises Management Expert
“Based on how the athletes were raised and the social economic status they came from, what type of home, a single parent homeor were both parents there and were they already exposed to a lot of domestic violence. Were they exposed to drugs, what was their life style like? If the athletes haven’t had continuing life skills and professional development along the way and they’re now in a professional setting and they’re making lots of money but they haven’t had coping strategies, it’s a real challenge for the athlete.” Cynthia Clarke, Sports Psychology Consultant
