ESPN’s Cris Carter took an emotional stand Sunday against domestic abuse of any sort and said the NFL needs to take greater responsibility in ending the culture of domestic abuse in the NFL, thereby setting an example for the rest of the country.
“This goes across all racial lines, ethnicities, religious backgrounds,” Carter said Sunday on NFL Countdown, at times coming close to tears.
“People believe in disciplining their children. People with any type of Christian background, they really believe in disciplining their children.
“My mom did the best job she could do. Raising seven kids by herself. But there are thousands of things that I have learned since then that my mom was wrong. It’s the 21st century. My mom was wrong. She did the best she could, but she was wrong about some of that stuff she taught me. And I promise my kids I won’t teach that mess to them. You can’t beat a kid to make them do what you want them to do.”
An emotional Cris Carter condemned child abuse on ESPN this morning saying "My mom was wrong" http://t.co/KjhcIF3KcL pic.twitter.com/L0jCnFhfb3
— New York Post Sports (@nypostsports) September 14, 2014
Carter didn’t elaborate on how he was raised, but suggests that his single mother used some form of corporal punishment as a method of discipline.
Fellow panelist Mike Ditka took a different stand on disciplining children, saying physical abuse as a child made him a better man.
Carter said the Vikings’ suspension of Adrian Peterson — following his indictment on one count of injury to a child after striking his four-year-old son with a switch in May — was one of the first positive steps taken during one of the darkest weeks in NFL history.
Thx NFL Brotha RT“@Trevor_Pryce: @criscarter80 wonderful job sir. Saddest week in nfl since 9-11. My god man.”
— Cris Carter (@criscarter80) September 14, 2014
“Thousands of things we have learned since then. And now we’re to the point, the only thing I am proud about is the team that I played for, they did the right thing. Take him off the field,” said the former Vikings’ wide receiver.
“As a man, that’s the only thing we respect. We don’t respect no dang women. We don’t respect no kids. The only thing Roger [Goodell] and them can do … take them off the dang field.”