Transcript for Outrage after Cleveland Browns sign player seen assaulting woman
Growing backlash over the Cleveland browns’ decision to sign Kareem hunt after he was caught on video kicking and shoving a woman. The browns say he deserves a second chance and ABC’s T.J. Holmes is here with reaction. Not everyone agrees. T.J. I think a lot of us are believe in second chances. The question here is if Kareem hunt deserves a second chance, just 72 days after we see video of him shoving a woman to the floor and then kick her as she tries to get up. Well, the Cleveland browns say, yes, he deserves a second chance. A lot of people are saying no. The NFL hasn’t changed a bit. This is the video that cost Kareem hunt his job. The Kansas City chiefs cut their superstar running back just hours after this TMZ sports video came to light late last year showing hunt shoving then kicking a woman. Now, just over two months later hunt is being given another chance in the NFL. The Cleveland browns have signed hunt to a one-year $1 million deal. After doing our research, extensive research, analyzing the situation, we came to then could inclusion that, you know what, I’m willing to help a man with a second chance moving forward to be a better person. Reporter: Reaction was swift. Many wondered if it was too soon. One writing, I’m in favor of second chances but the guy should have to serve some time out of the league first. Hunt has been placed on the commissioner’s exempt list. That means he won’t be allowed to play, practice or even be at team facilities until the NFL finishes its investigation. Still, many say Cleveland’s move sends the wrong message that talent trumps all. Others continue to question how the NFL handles players accused of vice. I think you should get second chances for a lot of thing, hitting women isn’t one of them. I don’t care what the press release says, they’re looking at it from a football standpoint and believe he can help a young football team. Reporter: Hunt was an NFL star. He led the league in rushing in 2017. His rookie season. He was named to the pro bowl on his way to another stellar season before the video became public. In an interview on ESPN after his release from the chiefs, hunt took responsibility for his actions and apologized to the victim. It don’t really matter what happened. I was in the wrong. Reporter: Hunt apologized again in another statement released by the browns saying, what I did was wrong and inexcusable. I am committed to following the necessary steps to learn and be a better and healthier person from this situation. When the NFL finishes its investigation, it’s expected the league will suspend hunt under its personal conduct policy. Now, that incident on video, even though we only saw it a couple of months ago, it was a year ago and in that incident he was never in that he was never arrested at all and now he has been in unseling, alcohol counseling, anger management and going through that, he is as we speak still back in the league. You’re saying that the end of the investigation, almost certain to be suspended. Almost certain. Adam Schefter over at ESPN said this could be up to a ten-game suspension. The league can now suspend for six games and changed their policy after the ray rice incident. At least six games but he thinks it could possibly even be more and he’ll have to seat. Cleveland knows this already but think it was worth the investment. I’m pretty sure Cleveland said, somebody else is going to take a chance, we might as well jump in but 72 days after you watch that video — He’s a stellar football player. He’s a great football player and in that piece, talent trumps all in regards — That’s part of the problem that people complain about. Talent should not. It’s not a matter of Kareem — I think second chance, getting better, all of that is great but it seems so quickly they made a move that it didn’t matter as we see on video what he was doing and admitted to doing, we won’t even give it a minute. We’ll go ahead and take this chance and it’s worth it because of talent. They took it because if they didn’t somebody else would move in and say we got this great player before everybody else could jump in. Thanks. We move to that young
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