Report: NFL rebuffs Marshall’s efforts at raising awareness on mental illness

This work is not mine. Zoneblitz stakes no claim to it. All the credit goes to Da Bears Blog where, earlier this week, Jeff Hughes wrote a highly compelling piece on mental illness, the league’s failure over the years to deal with head injuries among its own and how the NFL reacted when Brandon Marshall wore green shoes to raise awareness.

Marshall suffers from Borderline Personality Disorder, which manifests itself in a pervasive pattern of instability of interpersonal relationships, affects, and self-image, as well as marked impulsivity. Marshall announced his illness at his introductory press conference with the Bears and he has worked to raise awareness ever since.

NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell imposed a $5,250 fine on Marshall for wearing the green shoes.

Here’s an excerpt from Hughes’ Monday post, in which he takes the league to task for punishing one of its players for attempting to raise awareness of mental health issues when the NFL is bending over backward to do the same for breast cancer in a semi-shameless effort to get more women interested in the game:

This not a semantic argument. The NFL is stating very clearly by assessing Brandon Marshall a $5,250 penalty that he has conducted himself poorly on the playing field or committed an act detrimental to the integrity of the NFL. By wearing a pair of green cleats to raise awareness for a collection of illnesses that NEED awareness, that are DESPERATE for awareness, Marshall has done wrong. That is the statement being made by Roger Goodell.

I can’t do the post justice here. I just want to call attention to it. There is mental illness in my extended family. The post hit home. Hughes and Da Bears Blog did an excellent job bringing this to their readers and I want more people to read it. So if you have a few minutes and feel like doing so, click here.