There are problems with Tyreek Hill and his treatment

I don’t know Tyreek Hill but I’ve spent some time learning about him and I don’t much like what I’ve learned.

I’m a lifelong NFL and Dolphins fan and I honestly wish he didn’t play for either organization. Despite these sentiments, I still believe the way he was treated by Miami police last Sunday was wrong.

He has been arrested on a few occasions and you can look into those if you want but know the man once pled guilty to domestic abuse by strangulation of his then pregnant girlfriend. I have a term I use for men who assault women and it’s not appropriate for print or innocent ears, but Tyreek Hill is one of those things.

I understand that he is a big part of the reason my favorite NFL team won this weekend. He was rated the number one football player in the league by his peers for valid reasons. His play is electric and his impact evident on SportsCenter highlight reels.

I was invited to someone’s house this past weekend and, when talking about Hill’s dark history including allegations of child abuse with his son, the host and admitted Tyreek Hill fan was visibly surprised and disappointed.

In fairness, Andy (one of the gracious hosts I was speaking with) is also a dedicated Dallas Cowboys fan and it can be easy to only hear Dallas related football content 24/7. Still, it is a testament to how talented Tyreek Hill is that despite all that is public information, most people don’t know much more about him aside from how fast and entertaining he is.

I cannot forgot what I’ve learned though and I find it very hard to hope he performs well on Sundays. If he’s akin to a problem child, I wish he was someone else’s problem. The CFL seems like a good landing spot but I doubt they would have him.

That’s not going to happen though so Hill calls south Florida home and while I admittedly don’t hate the idea of him learning firsthand what it’s like to be physically abused by someone larger than him, I cannot condone it and believe it’s delivery by police in Miami to be worthy of discipline.

To have been allegedly choked and punched is something he and his son’s mother now have in common. What a tragic sentence to write.

Unfortunately, what happened to Tyreek Hill and the pregnant woman he assaulted were not isolated incidents that only happen to them. These are merely examples of what is a nationwide culture that allows for the abuse of power. If we don’t allow it, we certainly don’t do enough to prevent it.

All of this makes me wonder if it would be handled differently if the person being handcuffed wasn’t an NFL player or if his on the field play wasn’t as effective.

Would the body cam footage have been released? Would stories begin leaking about other off the field issues as the team looks for a way out of his contract? Is there a player on the Cleveland Browns that’s happening to right now?