While (now) former Seahawks offensive lineman Chad Wheeler’s name has recently been circulating in the news, the coverage of his deplorable and dehumanizing acts have fallen short of reality. The Just Saying Team feels such reporting has not gotten the proper air time than other NFL-centered attacks of domestic partnership violence.
Chad Wheeler beat and strangled his Black girlfriend, Alleah (due to sensitivity of the case, we do not have a last name), in their apartment earlier last week. After Alleah awoke from being suffocated and beaten into an unconscious state, Wheeler’s first words at a sign of life was: “Wow, you’re alive?”. A statement suggesting he believed to have killed her in that moment.
Alleah had extremely heavy bruising and open cuts to match. There were clear hand marks around her neck, signifying violent and prolonged strangulation. Alleah’s face was swollen and bruised in addition to a dislocated left arm.
Why? Because she refused to physically ‘bow’ to him. That alone is outrageous, asking a fully grown independent woman to bow to a man. This is, in a word, disgusting. This is a repulsive act of violence that not enough sports outlets are covering. Wheeler’s actions are unacceptable; pleading not guilty on all accounts due to mental illness is NOT acceptable. Sitting on a bed next to what he assumed to be a lifeless body and proceeding to have dinner is NOT acceptable.
Let’s not beat around the bush; it is because Chad Wheeler is a white man and the survivor, a Black woman, that this deplorable act is only just now hitting big media. Let’s not shy away from the reality of white supremacy and patriarchy that is allowed to fuel the egos of so many NFL players who felt they had, and have, the right to degrade another human being in this way.
Take, for instance, Ray Rice of the Baltimore Ravens. In 2014 when Rice assaulted his partner by punching them in the face, it was circulating nonstop. Every major media outlet was quick to jump on the case and call Rice out for being an abuser as such media outlets should when one human baselessly assaults another. Yet it seems when a white man does the same to a Black woman, it only deserves a quick cursory glance, passed off as normalcy. Think about that. A Black woman being beaten within seconds of death is as valuable as a cursory glance. NOT on our platform. Just Saying will NOT allow Wheeler’s name to be hidden behind a vale of privilege, white silence, and patriarchal protection.
The Just Saying Team will NOT tolerate this kind of abuse of wealth and white privilege. We are here for the love of the game. Not for the filth brought on by such disgraceful players. We WILL NEVER condone such acts of domestic violence and want to push forward the conversation of acts of violence against Black women and anti-Black racism. We commit to reporting the truth of the game as well as the NFL organization. We will not shy away from this news or similar news from the NFL in the future. We are taking time to engage in social justice action and will be presenting a plan of report that highlights the cruciality of social justice in the game.
We hope you can take the time to learn more about what is happening with Wheeler’s case. It is up to us, fans and reporters, to work together and hold meaningful space for difficult conversations and crucial reflection of self and society, especially when the structural inequities perpetuated by the NFL organization are on full display. We at Just Saying are in the business of making the NFL excel, and we hope you’ll join us on our mission of learning and actionable change.
For further details on what is happening, we encourage you to please take a look at the links below.
https://www.cnn.com/2021/01/27/us/nfl-chad-wheeler-arrested-spt/index.html
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/chad-wheeler-arrest-charged-domestic-violence-assault-girlfriend/
Just Saying with Jack and Sean 
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