ESPN’s Fagan: Radisson Abandoning Vikings ‘Huge Deal,’ Need To Hit NFL ‘Where it Hurts’

LUI Joining me right ░░░░░░░░ to discuss these latest ░░░░░░░░ Kate Fagan a columnist ░░░░░░░░ the ESPN W a ░░░░░░░░ of the espn com ░░░░░░░░ women as fans and ░░░░░░░░ Also domestic violence survivor ░░░░░░░░ advocate Leslie Morgan Steiner ░░░░░░░░ you both Kate I ░░░░░░░░ start with you here ░░░░░░░░ the Radisson now saying ░░░░░░░░ re going take a ░░░░░░░░ back on this Is ░░░░░░░░ enough to maybe instigate ░░░░░░░░ change which many critics ░░░░░░░░ hoping to see FAGAN ░░░░░░░░ I think it s ░░░░░░░░ huge news I don ░░░░░░░░ know when was the ░░░░░░░░ time a company walked ░░░░░░░░ from the NFL I ░░░░░░░░ that we re not ░░░░░░░░ the place I don ░░░░░░░░ think fans necessarily are ░░░░░░░░ off the NFL or ░░░░░░░░ buying tickets but where ░░░░░░░░ lot of damage is ░░░░░░░░ done is in sponsorships ░░░░░░░░ we see with Radisson ░░░░░░░░ other sponsors sort of ░░░░░░░░ squishy right now about ░░░░░░░░ they are with the ░░░░░░░░ as well as all ░░░░░░░░ teams rely on public ░░░░░░░░ and the common wealth ░░░░░░░░ well to support them ░░░░░░░░ you re going to ░░░░░░░░ a crack in the ░░░░░░░░ for the first time ░░░░░░░░ I think over the ░░░░░░░░ couple of weeks we ░░░░░░░░ really see how big ░░░░░░░░ crack is and what ░░░░░░░░ spills out about the ░░░░░░░░ and a lot of ░░░░░░░░ NFL internal issues as ░░░░░░░░ as what sponsors are ░░░░░░░░ to walk away and ░░░░░░░░ this is hurting them ░░░░░░░░ terms of TV ratings ░░░░░░░░ I doubt as well ░░░░░░░░ ticket sales which again ░░░░░░░░ also doubt LUI So ░░░░░░░░ re speaking the language ░░░░░░░░ of money And that ░░░░░░░░ what has been said ░░░░░░░░ order to get the ░░░░░░░░ to change you got ░░░░░░░░ speak that language You ░░░░░░░░ the Radisson going indecipherable ░░░░░░░░ you got TV contracts ░░░░░░░░ might be associated with ░░░░░░░░ as well What do ░░░░░░░░ expect to see changed ░░░░░░░░ might then instigate changes ░░░░░░░░ that space of money ░░░░░░░░ Yeah We have always ░░░░░░░░ this unwillingness by the ░░░░░░░░ to actually address the ░░░░░░░░ violence awareness as a ░░░░░░░░ issue of the NFL ░░░░░░░░ always been about the ░░░░░░░░ because domestic violence predominately ░░░░░░░░ by men and men ░░░░░░░░ a key demographic for ░░░░░░░░ So I think it ░░░░░░░░ always people who wanted ░░░░░░░░ get in this space ░░░░░░░░ always saying You have ░░░░░░░░ hit them where it ░░░░░░░░ with money And we ░░░░░░░░ seen that Now you ░░░░░░░░ seeing sponsors step away ░░░░░░░░ are seeing fans on ░░░░░░░░ media and fans in ░░░░░░░░ keeping this conversation at ░░░░░░░░ fore front which is ░░░░░░░░ what s making the ░░░░░░░░ now and NFL owners ░░░░░░░░ 32 owners get on ░░░░░░░░ and say Let s ░░░░░░░░ these three special advisors ░░░░░░░░ Let s bump up ░░░░░░░░ to be social responsibility ░░░░░░░░ of these things are ░░░░░░░░ that people wanted for ░░░░░░░░ very long time but ░░░░░░░░ could not get done ░░░░░░░░ it came down to ░░░░░░░░ LUI Let s move ░░░░░░░░ to hear Leslie I ░░░░░░░░ show you a Cover ░░░░░░░░ add which was part ░░░░░░░░ the campaign meant to ░░░░░░░░ female football fans It ░░░░░░░░ photo shopped to make ░░░░░░░░ that the model had ░░░░░░░░ black eye and went ░░░░░░░░ There it is The ░░░░░░░░ criticized as you know ░░░░░░░░ continuing to support the ░░░░░░░░ The company issuing a ░░░░░░░░ yesterday saying Domestic violence ░░░░░░░░ completely unacceptable We developed ░░░░░░░░ NFL program to celebrate ░░░░░░░░ more than 80 million ░░░░░░░░ football fans In light ░░░░░░░░ recent events we encourage ░░░░░░░░ NFL to take swift ░░░░░░░░ on their path to ░░░░░░░░ the issue of domestic ░░░░░░░░ So Leslie is that ░░░░░░░░ to get out statement ░░░░░░░░ that they are a ░░░░░░░░ driven company and based ░░░░░░░░ what they ve done ░░░░░░░░ I just showed you ░░░░░░░░ STEINER I just cannot ░░░░░░░░ how publicly mocked domestic ░░░░░░░░ is by the NFL ░░░░░░░░ by their associated sponsors ░░░░░░░░ that cover is a ░░░░░░░░ example And I think ░░░░░░░░ is completely reprehensible that ░░░░░░░░ Peterson has been reinstated ░░░░░░░░ I think it would ░░░░░░░░ reprehensible if Ray Rice ░░░░░░░░ reinstated We have a ░░░░░░░░ shed moment here in ░░░░░░░░ history where we have ░░░░░░░░ many powerful men 32 ░░░░░░░░ and Rodger Goodell who ░░░░░░░░ really show that they ░░░░░░░░ about domestic violence and ░░░░░░░░ truly think it s ░░░░░░░░ And the people who ░░░░░░░░ be held responsible are ░░░░░░░░ who commit abuse against ░░░░░░░░ loved ones children men ░░░░░░░░ women and people who ░░░░░░░░ it go unpunished And ░░░░░░░░ now the 32 owners ░░░░░░░░ Goodell are in the ░░░░░░░░ position of deciding whether ░░░░░░░░ punish or not punish ░░░░░░░░ abuse and domestic violence ░░░░░░░░ I as a survivor ░░░░░░░░ it would just be ░░░░░░░░ to me if they ░░░░░░░░ players continue to play ░░░░░░░░ have been accused of ░░░░░░░░ very very serious crimes ░░░░░░░░ just makes a mockery ░░░░░░░░ something that is a ░░░░░░░░ and that kills three ░░░░░░░░ every day in our ░░░░░░░░ LUI So you re ░░░░░░░░ Don t let the ░░░░░░░░ play What about Goodell ░░░░░░░░ MORGAN STEINER Well I ░░░░░░░░ that Goodell actually is ░░░░░░░░ signs of recognizing how ░░░░░░░░ this is He s ░░░░░░░░ it seriously He has ░░░░░░░░ three experts in the ░░░░░░░░ violence field and I ░░░░░░░░ it actually could be ░░░░░░░░ wonderful a water shed ░░░░░░░░ if we have a ░░░░░░░░ head of the NFL ░░░░░░░░ says that he s ░░░░░░░░ domestic violence seriously and ░░░░░░░░ s learning about it ░░░░░░░░ would like to see ░░░░░░░░ go spend a week ░░░░░░░░ two living in a ░░░░░░░░ violence shelter really understanding ░░░░░░░░ to his players themselves ░░░░░░░░ how violence has devastated ░░░░░░░░ lives I think it ░░░░░░░░ be a wonderful moment ░░░░░░░░ all of America if ░░░░░░░░ shows true leadership So ░░░░░░░░ think he should stay ░░░░░░░░ that he can do ░░░░░░░░ LUI You think he ░░░░░░░░ be the change agent ░░░░░░░░ Kate do you also ░░░░░░░░ that he s a ░░░░░░░░ agent He s brought ░░░░░░░░ again these three advisers ░░░░░░░░ s raising or promoting ░░░░░░░░ prominent female in the ░░░░░░░░ organization to try to ░░░░░░░░ this issue But is ░░░░░░░░ enough to have four ░░░░░░░░ that are very capable ░░░░░░░░ very prominent in the ░░░░░░░░ is that enough FAGAN ░░░░░░░░ I think it s ░░░░░░░░ really important step but ░░░░░░░░ don t think we ░░░░░░░░ just rely on the ░░░░░░░░ now to get the ░░░░░░░░ done I think the ░░░░░░░░ for its entire existence ░░░░░░░░ had predominantly only men ░░░░░░░░ those decisions sitting in ░░░░░░░░ rooms talking about where ░░░░░░░░ NFL needs to go ░░░░░░░░ it needs to do ░░░░░░░░ need to be more ░░░░░░░░ involved in decisions across ░░░░░░░░ NFL not just this ░░░░░░░░ little bubble we ve ░░░░░░░░ about social responsibility and ░░░░░░░░ violence which is absolutely ░░░░░░░░ But at the end ░░░░░░░░ the day the NFL ░░░░░░░░ on caricatures of masculinity ░░░░░░░░ femininity and we need ░░░░░░░░ women in the board ░░░░░░░░ day in and day ░░░░░░░░ that are going to ░░░░░░░░ the NFL move forward ░░░░░░░░ make better decisions across ░░░░░░░░ board MORGAN STEINER And ░░░░░░░░ s really true As ░░░░░░░░ survivor myself what would ░░░░░░░░ need is people in ░░░░░░░░ of power who really ░░░░░░░░ how complicated domestic violence ░░░░░░░░ And a lot of ░░░░░░░░ those are men police ░░░░░░░░ employers judges and attorneys ░░░░░░░░ we need those people ░░░░░░░░ understand how crazy this ░░░░░░░░ can be and that ░░░░░░░░ s never ever the ░░░░░░░░ s fault LUI Do ░░░░░░░░ think that Congress should ░░░░░░░░ involved That s been ░░░░░░░░ up by Senator Kristen ░░░░░░░░ MORGAN STEINER I think ░░░░░░░░ s been very effective ░░░░░░░░ the end rape on ░░░░░░░░ movement the Obama administration ░░░░░░░░ other politicians involvement So ░░░░░░░░ I think that they ░░░░░░░░ should weigh in and ░░░░░░░░ you know the stick ░░░░░░░░ all of this If ░░░░░░░░ NFL and other organizations ░░░░░░░░ t take domestic violence ░░░░░░░░ seriously as they need ░░░░░░░░ to have the government ░░░░░░░░ willing to step in ░░░░░░░░ be very very powerful ░░░░░░░░ Kate very quickly were ░░░░░░░░ surprised by the resonance ░░░░░░░░ this story has had ░░░░░░░░ far FAGAN I have ░░░░░░░░ LUI Why FAGAN I ░░░░░░░░ in this It s ░░░░░░░░ I think the news ░░░░░░░░ being so quick and ░░░░░░░░ power of the NFL ░░░░░░░░ how much the country ░░░░░░░░ this sport I thought ░░░░░░░░ we might be pass ░░░░░░░░ issue by now But ░░░░░░░░ we have seen things ░░░░░░░░ up with the Adrian ░░░░░░░░ case So that s ░░░░░░░░ this in the news ░░░░░░░░ I think is for ░░░░░░░░ who want to move ░░░░░░░░ story forward and continue ░░░░░░░░ about domestic violence awareness ░░░░░░░░ t be a better ░░░░░░░░ to get this done ░░░░░░░░ A confluence of factors ░░░░░░░░ FAGAN Uh huh LUI ░░░░░░░░ thank you so much ░░░░░░░░ appreciate your time Leslie ░░░░░░░░ well You both have ░░░░░░░░ great day.”