When my fellow bloggers were writing about the Ray Rice/Adrian Peterson scandals and their impact on the NFL, I remained uncharacteristically quiet. I believe I posted one comment on Erik’s blog in which I wrote that domestic violence is never acceptable.

I decided to add my voice to the dialogue when I read that US Women’s National Soccer Team player Hope Solo will be going to trial in early November after being charged with two counts of misdemeanor domestic violence arising from allegations that she allegedly assaulted her sister and seventeen year old nephew. Solo, however, has been permitted to keep playing while her criminal case proceeds. Since the charges have been filed Solo has broken international records with, now, seventy-six shut outs.

Recently, Solo’s teammate Jillian Loyden announced her retirement from the team and wrote a powerful essay for USA Today wherein she publically declared that the USWNT should bench Solo as she awaits trial. She writes that the USWNT has made a mistake by not benching Solo and using the opportunity to make a statement about domestic violence. Loyden admits in the piece that her view is prejudiced by her own personal experience; Loyden’s sister was allegedly murdered by her fiancée. In contrast, the captain of the US Women’s team, Christie Rampone has publically supported Solo and the Federation’s decision to allow her to play.

I thought that, after reading Loyden’s moving piece, public pressure on the Federation to bench Solo would significantly increase. But it has not happened. Is it because Solo is a women that the public does not appear to be as outraged by her alleged behavior? Or is it because that there has been no determination in her criminal case? If you believe that she should be allowed to play until her criminal case has been adjudicated how do you reconcile that with Adrian Peterson, who was placed on the NFL’s Exempt/Commissioner’s Permission list-which requires that Peterson remain away from all team activities-before there was a judicial determination in his case?

Why is she being treated differently?