Two teams, eleven players on each side, one field, and one football. A game played every Thursday, Sunday, and Monday from September through February. Millions across America gather in front of the television to watch this sport, now a national spectacle. But what happens off the field? In recent years, the number of professional football players being associated with violent cases has increased. In a survey conducted by USA Today, the highest NFL arrest rate is domestic violence, which accounts for 55.4 percent of arrests conducted by the NFL. The most recent case of domestic violence in the NFL has circulated around Greg Hardy, currently a defensive end for the Dallas Cowboys.

On May 13, 2014, Hardy was alleged to have beat his ex-girlfriend, Nicole Holder. He was also accused of threatening her and even strangling her. This scandal drew much controversy, with NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell suspending Hardy for a total of ten games on April 22, 2015. On July 10, 2015, an arbiter reduced Hardy’s suspension from ten games to four games.

Recently, in November, Hardy’s charges of domestic violence for this case have been expunged from his own record.

“I think Greg Hardy did what he did, he committed a crime, and basically played a game, played the system, and was able to get out with a slap on the wrist,” said Richard Hansen, athletic director and football coach at St. Peter’s Prep.

On May 13, 2014, the day Hardy allegedly attacked his ex-girlfriend, he was arrested for assault and communication threats. Following on July 15, 2014, a judge found Hardy guilty for the assault and communication threats toward Holder. As a result, Hardy was sentenced to sixty days in jail, as well as eighteen months of probation. Hardy appealed the judge’s decision, and called for a jury trial. Holder never appeared in court to testify against Hardy. District Attorney Andrew Murray admitted to the judge that he and his colleagues went through “great lengths” to track Nicole Holder. Murray believed that Holder’s absence in court was intentional.

Previous associates of Greg Hardy have revealed to the media their opinions of him. Panthers coach Ron Rivera revealed how he felt comfortable coaching Hardy, despite his charges of violence, as reported by CBS Sports. On September 14, 2014, Hardy was deactivated from his previous team, the Carolina Panthers. Soon after, on September 17, 2014, the NFL put Hardy on the exempt list, meaning that Hardy could still earn his salary, but was no longer able to participate in team activities. In March 2015, Panthers owner Jerry Richardson made the decision to cut Hardy from the team, and when asked about his decision, he told ESPN that it was because “we do the right things.”

“I can almost guarantee you that it’s going to repeat itself,” said Hansen when asked his opinion on this controversy.

Other examples of NFL players accused of domestic violence and assault in recent years include Ray Rice and Ray McDonald. McDonald, a former defensive lineman for both the San Francisco 49ers and the Chicago Bears, has been arrested twice for domestic violence. The NFL’s policy on domestic violence states that a “one time charge for the crime results in a six game suspension from the league without pay; however, an arrest for domestic violence for a second time will result in a lifetime ban.” That has yet to hold true, and while McDonald was released from the Bears on May 25, the question remains if the NFL will ever enforce this policy. “He only ruins the integrity of the NFL. There is no room for people that see no wrong in violence,” said Anthony Crincoli, a junior at St. Peter’s Prep, when asked about his opinion of McDonald.

On February 15, 2015, Ray Rice physically assaulted his fiancee (now his wife), Janay Palmer, in a casino at Atlantic City, NJ. On March 27, 2014, Rice was charged with third-degree aggravated assault. As a result, the NFL suspended Rice for the first two games of the 2014 NFL season on July 24, 2014. When a tape of Rice attacking Palmer was released, which provoked national upheaval, the NFL suspended Rice from the league indefinitely, until he was reinstated through his appeal of the indefinite suspension.

“The NFL needs to hold them accountable, because it’s a reflection of the NFL, and it’s proven, it has a lasting effect on society,” said Hansen when asked about his views on the NFL’s response to players accused of domestic violence. In a survey composed of twenty-six students of St. Peter’s Prep, 88.5 percent of the participants stated that they believe the NFL should have conducted both its initial response of the scandal and its punishment differently.

There are a great number of fans who do not care what happens off the field and instead put their hearts  solely on the game on the field as the NFL continues to increase its popularity. The NFL must be held accountable for players accused of domestic violence and demonstrate a consistently mature, correct, and responsible manner in order to uphold the integrity of professional football as the prevailing sports entertainment medium in American pop culture.