NFL Player: Will Be 'Tough' to Penalize 'N-word' Mostly Blacks Use

NFL Player: Will Be 'Tough' to Penalize 'N-word' Mostly Blacks Use

Pittsburgh Steelers safety Ryan Clark said that it will be difficult for the NFL to police the use of the N-word with 15-yard penalties, especially because the word is used so often, especially by black players. 

“I think it’s going to be really tough to legislate this rule, to find a way to penalize everyone who uses this word,” Clark said on Sunday during ESPN’s Outside the Lines’ special report on the “N-Word.” “And it’s not going to be white players using it toward black players. Most of the time you hear it, it’s black players using the word.”

The NFL is reportedly considering penalizing players 15 yards if they use racial or anti-gay slurs on the playing field. 

John Wooten, the head of the Fritz Pollard Alliance, a group that monitors diversity, said last week that he “expects the league to institute a rule where players would be penalized 15 yards for using the N-word on the field.” Baltimore Ravens general manager Ozzie Newsome said the competition committee is looking at any unintended consequences of the potential rule, which may be adopted next month when the owners meet. 

COMMENTS

Please let us know if you're having issues with commenting.