Athletes and accusations: This is not new

by Gannon Hanevold

In the light of the mounting allegations against Houston Texans quarterback Deshaun Watson, I have seen many talking heads on social media step out in defense of Watson. Despite over twenty different women claiming sexual misconduct on Watson's behalf, many continue to cite his athletic accolades and perceived high character as grounds for dismissal of these women. I sought out to find if this sort of phenomenon is something that is a side effect of social media, or if it is part of a longer running cultural problem. This collage cites a variety of newspaper articles between 1926 and 1979, with sources ranging from the New York Times to the Washington Post, and other more local papers.

Many of these publications pointed to an athlete's accolades or coveted personality as part of their story. It serves as a distraction from the accusation at hand. There is an inherent tendency to defend athletes at all cost built into sports culture, and it is problematic when women's rights and voices are silenced as a result. It can be traumatic for women to see their assailant publicly praised, especially when the accusations have already been made public. The ultimate lesson from this collage is to watch how we treat athletes that are accused of sexual assault, rape, or harrassment. Whether it is Tom Payne or Ben Roethlisberger and Deshaun Watson, 1926 or 2021, accusations against athletes should be handled with care and decisiveness. The full chronological list of newspapers cited in this collage can be found below:

The New York Times - February 4, 1926

The New York Times - July 17, 1940

The New York Times - September 22, 1946

Philadelphia Tribune - November 1, 1949

The Washington Post - February 10, 1951

The New York Times - September 30, 1952

The New York Times - October 15, 1952

The Washington Post - July 26, 1958

Philadelphia Tribune - April 16, 1960

Norfolk Journal and Guide - December 2, 1961

Philadelphia Tribune - January 22, 1963

The New York Times - May 20, 1972

The Hartford Courant - September 23, 1972

The Hartford Courant - August 27, 1975

The Washington Post - December 14, 1978

The New York Times - December 19, 1978

The Hartford Courant - March 7, 1979