A Farewell

     It has been an amazing journey researching and writing about the infamous cases of professional athletes who found themselves in legal trouble under the scrutiny of the limelight. Through Athlete Crime Files, I had the opportunity to research and analyze these cases that once shocked the world, while providing insights into the intersections of fame, crime, and personal choices that led them to the point of criminal attention. I want to sincerely thank every reader who followed along with my blog throughout the semester. As the semester comes to an end, so does this blog. While I will no longer be posting new blogs, I hope Athlete Crime Files has given new perspectives on the darker side of professional sports. Thank you!

Negative Effects of Body Image Pressure Placed on Female Athletes

    
     In the world of aesthetic-based sports such as gymnastics and figure skating, the strive for perfection

not only focuses on technique, but also appearance. Women athletes in these sports face scrutiny over

their physique, often leading to a damaging toll on physical performance and mental health. These

athletes have the pressure of maintaining a thin appearance along with immense athletic ability,

ultimately leading them in pursuit of unrealistic body image. The pressure is not only a personal

struggle, but an issue put on them by coaches, judges, media and fans. I believe it's important to

acknowledge these struggles in order to redefine images and success in these sports by prioritizing the

health of  female athletes rather than setting them up for failure through unrealistic aesthetic ideals. 

One of the most concerning effects of body image pressure in these sports is the increase of eating disorders found among women athletes. The National Eating Disorders Association found that eating disorders such as anorexia, bulimia, and body dysmorphia are more likely found in women athletes compared to non athletes. Their article titled “Eating Disorders and Athletes” states eating disorders have been reported in 46% of women athletes.  The expectation to maintain a certain look leads to restrictive eating, excessive exercise and harmful weight control practices that can result in long term psychological and physical damage for these athletes. In a study produced through the National Library of Medicine researched the correlation between weight pressure put upon female gymnasts and eating disorders. The researcher had 269 gymnasts complete the Eating Attitudes Test and found “12.3% of the athletes scored ≥20 in the Eating Attitudes Test (EAT-26), indicating a significant risk for disordered eating behaviors" (p. 3.2). Competitive gymnasts were more affected, with "16.3% scoring above 20 on EAT-26, compared to 7.4% of non-competitive gymnasts"  Which highlights the increase in eating disorders found in competitive athletes who experience a much higher pressure to maintain a certain weight and appearance. 

Body image pressure not only plays a role in disordered eating among female athletes, but also puts a strain on their mental and physical health. This pressure can lead to anxiety, depression and career ending injuries. Olympic athletes have spoken out about this topic such as Gracie Gold, a figure skater that competed in the 2014 Olympics.

Gold stated that the pressure to remain thin had a major contribution to her depression. It ultimately led her to taking a break from skating to focus on recovering from disordered eating and mental illness. Annals of Joint published an article that discusses a study conducted by Yang et al., it found “  depression rates in competitive collegiate student athletes and found that female athletes have 1.32 greater odds of being depressed” Female athletes have a higher chance of developing this mental illnesses and  become even more susceptible through intense pressure put on their bodies. Several Gymnasts have spoken out about the standard to remain as thin as possible has affected their mental health and  physical performance. These personal accounts from competitive athletes, as well as extensive research, reveal a pattern of emotional and psychological strain caused by the relentless pressure to maintain an ideal body image. 

Body image pressure put on athletes in gymnastics, figure skating and other aesthetic- based sports is an issue that demands attention. Society cannot continue to  ignore the negative impact it has on these talented women. It is time for society and coaches to start celebrating women athletes' strength, skill and determination rather than praising them for achieving harmful body standards. Coaches, judges and fans need to redefine what success looks like for these athletes by taking steps to prioritize mental health and physical well being over appearance. These steps could include nutritional education, media coverage that promotes body diversity, and strict guidelines that protect athletes from body shaming that leads to unhealthy practices.

OJ Simpson Trial

OJ Simpson's criminal trial in 1995 is one of the most shocking trials in American history. Simpson was once a  Hall of Fame running back for the Buffalo Bills and San Francisco 49ers. However,  in 1995 his reputation was permanently damaged by charges of double murder that changed his legacy forever. In June of 1994, OJ Simpson was accused of murdering his ex-wife, Nicole Simpson, and her friend Ron Goldman. With millions of viewers tuning in daily to the trial, it became one of history's most watched court cases. The prosecution's case relied heavily on DNA that linked Simpson to the scene of his ex-wife's murder. Simpson's defense team also known as the “Dream Team” with the infamous Robert Kardashian as his leading Lawyer. The “Dream Team” created doubt in the juror's minds by questioning the reliability of the LAPD and how they handled the evidence used in the trial. Their strategy also focused on racial bias and misconduct, which hit home to many Americans battling racial injustice during the time of trial.

A verdict was reached on October 3, 1995, which acquitted Simpson of all criminal charges. This verdict sent the nation into a divided shock wave, with African Americans seeing it as a victory against systemic racism. In contrast, others strongly believed Simpson escaped the charge through his abundance of wealth and fame. This was not the end of Simpson's legal charges. In 1997, he faced a civil trial where he was ultimately found liable for the deaths of Nicole Simpson and Ron Goldman and ordered to pay $33.5 million. This created a debate within the public regarding justice and the role of celebrity influence in criminal trials. 

What do you think, was OJ Simpson innocent, or did his fame and wealth play a role in escaping the murder charges? 

The Downfall of Aaron Hernendez

 

Hello! My name is Karsyn Bennett and I'm currently a student at Salisbury University. I'm majoring in communication with a minor in marketing. I'm writing this blog for a sports communication class and I chose to focus on crimes professional athletes have committed either during or after their careers. I chose to do these topics because as interesting as the class has been, I've never had a real interest in sports in general. I played many sports in high school such as lacrosse, field hockey, and basketball, but I've never kept up with national sports. 

My first post is going to be about the story of Aaron Hernandez. Aaron Hernandez played with the New England Patriots as a tight end from 2010 until his arrest in 2013. He was drafted in the fourth round of the 2010 NFL draft. He was known for creating a force to be reckoned with alongside teammate Rob Gronkowski. In June 2013 during the off-season, Hernandez was arrested for the murder of Odin Lloyd. Odin Lloyd played for the new England patriots semi-professional football team, The Boston Bandits, from 2007 till the time of his death June 17, 2013. Odin Lloyd was said to be dating the sister of Hernendez’s Fiance, Shayanna Jenkins. 

The exact motive of the murder is still unclear. Some eyewitnesses testified to having seen Hernandez and Lloyd at a bar a couple of days before the murder took place. Hernandez was seen getting angry when noticing Lloyd talking to other people. He was said to have stormed out of the bar, returning with a handgun. It's alleged that this gun was used to kill Lloyd, but the murder weapon was never actually found. Hernandez was convicted of Lloyd's murder based on substantial evidence such as phone records, surveillance footage, and other evidence discovered at the crime scene. Lloyd's body was found with multiple gunshot wounds in an industrial park. Lloyd was last seen alive being picked up by Hernandez and two other parties who were later convicted of the murder. It was concluded that the three males picked up Lloyd, and drove him to the park, and Hernandez shot him three times, two being direct hits to the chest.  Aaron was found guilty of first-degree murder and was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole. Hernandez was found dead in a cell four years after the conviction. The cause of death was determined as suicide, he was 27 years old. 

The New England Patriots wasted no time when it came to dropping Hernandez. In other cases of professional player arrests, teams may go by “innocent until proven guilty” But the Patriots released Hernandez only a few short hours after his arrest. Aaron went to the team before his arrest and insisted he had nothing to do with the murder.

In 2017, an extensive examination of Hernendez's brain was conducted and revealed he suffered from chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) This is a brain disease that is linked to repeated head trauma, which is very common among professional football players. It is known to cause drastic changes in the behavior and personality of affected players. It’s speculated this could have played a role in the murder, causing the increased anger and violent behavior shown in Hernandez in the weeks leading up to the murder, but this was not used as evidence in court.

Do you think Hernendez committing first- degree murder can be attributed to the chronic traumatic encephalopathy found in his brain autopsy?

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aaron_Hernandez

https://www.sevenslegal.com/criminal-attorney/firstdegree-murder-conviction-nfl-star-aaron-hernandez/314/