When asked by David Letterman on CBS’s “Late Show,” Bill O’Reilly wasn’t shy about presenting his take on the ongoing domestic violence scandal in the NFL. He also came prepared with a very clear solution.
“If I’m the commissioner of the National Football League, you have a rule,” he said. “If you’re arrested for a felony, you’re immediately suspended, your salary is put in escrow. If you’re acquitted of the felony, you get the back pay and you’re reinstated. If you’re convicted, you’re done forever.”
As he sees it, it’s as simple as that. “Have some rules and that’s what eliminates chaos,” he said. No more questions asking what is an appropriate suspension length for what happened between Ray Rice and his wife in that elevator, or for the allegations of child abuse against Adrian Peterson.
This led to a passionate rant from David Letterman about the whole situation, during which he said that he wants the NFL to shut up already, as this is not their problem.
“The problem is violence against women,” he said. “It doesn’t make any difference whether it’s the NFL. It doesn’t make any difference whether it’s the Red Cross. It doesn’t make any difference whether it’s the Rotary Club, it’s violence against women.”
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He cited reports that the rate of violence in the NFL is no greater than it is in society at large, so the issue is clearly bigger than this one organization. That said, though, the NFL is a huge money-making machine, so why not “take that money and direct it toward education and building of shelters and programs.”
O’Reilly was on board, and even threw Letterman’s name out as a possible future commissioner of the NFL.
He is retiring from “Late Show” soon, after all.