It seems that every week a different athlete is in the news, accused of some sort of domestic violence or violence in general. I contend that the problem is the amount of violence that is allowed within the games themselves; violence in the workplace.

Example: MLB has its “bench clearing brawls” and fans adore the action, entertainment. Punches are thrown, pushing, shoving, tackling, etc. If those same actions happened in the parking lot outside the stadium, the police would be called, arrests made, followed by criminal prosecution and judicial punishment.

However, professional athletes appear to be immune from criminal prosecution when they engage in criminal behavior within the stadium, their place of work. Are these athletes not getting preferential treatment because of who they are and where the incident occurred?

Of course they are, so why should they not think they will be immune outside the workplace? If violence in the workplace is “just a part of the game” and there are no consequences, is there any wonder why they feel that violence at home is “no big deal?” Until MLB stops the violence with lifetime bans from the game, it will continue; violence in the workplace and in the home.

The same scenario can be applied to any sport, in any venue. The rules are not changed because those who make the rules think the paying public likes to watch the violent altercations.

If league officials and owners really wanted to, they could stop violence in the workplace in every sport with immediate life time bans on the athletes who engage in “at work or at home criminal behavior.”

How many athletes will start throwing punches at work…or at home…if they knew that the rules were “One and done?”