In case anyone hadn't decided on the KC Star yet

[DJ's left nut]

They're doubling down and hiding behind an 'editorial board' byline so nobody has to put their name on this shit.

https://amp.kansascity.com/opinion/e...mpression=true

Now that the full 11-minute recording of Chiefs wide receiver Tyreek Hill and his now former fiancee, Crystal Espinal, talking about violence in their relationship has been aired, many fans are saying wow, this changes everything.

It does? That Hill, who didn’t know Espinal was taping him, denies ever hitting her or their son in what he thought was a private conversation is neither surprising nor exculpatory.

Abusers typically tell not only the police but friends, family, therapists, priests and even themselves they’ve never done anything wrong.

And if anything, the fact that Hill now says he didn’t hit punch or choke Espinal in 2014 makes him look worse rather than better. He pleaded guilty to those charges, publicly apologized, went through extensive therapy and declared himself reformed after probation. If he’s now back to saying that none of this ever happened, that’s not just a lie but a worrying one.

“I didn’t touch you in 2014,” he says on the tape. “And put that on everything I love, bro. That’s the real truth.”

That Espinal isn’t screaming at him that no, it’s not the truth, real or otherwise, is taken by some supporters as proof that he is innocent.

But why a woman who has been injured by him before and he’s threatening to hurt again might not do that should be obvious.


When she instead repeatedly asks him where her bruises came from if he never hit her, he doesn’t answer because there isn’t an answer that he likes well enough to repeat.

On Thursday, Espinal filed a petition in Johnson County seeking a paternity test for their newborn twins. She has full custody of them — they live with her — and she is asking for child support and only supervised visits for Hill. Her lawyer in the matter is legal counsel for SAFEHOME, a Johnson County group that supports survivors of domestic violence.

The NFL, meanwhile, seems ready to let Hill off with a brief suspension because the legal case against him isn’t going anywhere, but these things are still true:

Hill’s son was removed from his home after a child abuse investigation was launched. The Johnson County district attorney said the 3-year-old child had been hurt, but he didn’t have enough proof to prosecute.

On the tape, we heard Hill threaten the mother of his children with physical violence: “You need to be scared of me, too, dumb bitch.” He berates and belittles, calls her “bro” and “bitch” and of course, claims she ruined his life.

Denial of all wrongdoing is so standard in abuse cases that just a look at Thursday’s Star provides other examples, including that of Scott Hacker, the now former Parkville police officer charged with domestic violence after allegedly shooting his gun inside his home, throwing the woman who called 911 onto the couch, grabbing her by the throat and blaming her for “ending his career” by calling for help. Both before and after the cops arrived, he said he hadn’t shot the gun or touched her. But oops: A security camera in the living room apparently recorded the assault.

What Espinal was trying to get was the audio equivalent of that video.

If the NFL lets Hill back on the field this season, it will send the message that making threats and showing you’ve learned nothing from probation is no real problem, as long as you can run fast enough. The help he needs is not more denial, but just the opposite.

To the rest of you who are intent on seeing Hill as the victim, KCTV as a villain for not immediately releasing the full tape, and Espinal as a “manipulator” for wanting evidence to back her up in court, we could suggest some reading on the well-researched subject of abuse. But why, when you seem to prefer not to know?

[carcosa]

Man, I'm beyond ****ing ready for this ordeal to be over.

[RealSNR]

"Abusers typically deny that they did anything wrong. It's quite common behavior."

Hill: "But I'm not an abuser"

"THAT'S JUST WHAT AN ABUSER WOULD SAY!!!!"

[Hoover]

Newspaper editorial boards are jokes. They think they have some sort of authority on telling the public how they should think on any particular issue.

What a crock.

Traditional news media is a joke, and the Hill situation has exposed that in the KC area.

[AdolfOliverBush]

Originally Posted by Eleazar

It's an opinion piece. The facts are correct. The rest is opinion. You can agree, disagree, be triggered by it, or disregard it. Up to you

Yes it's an opinion piece, but when it's filled with statements like this, they are intentionally trying to pass off opinion as fact:

"What Espinal was trying to get was the audio equivalent of that video."

Oh really? That's quite an assumption. Two can play that game.

"What Espinal was trying to get is leverage to extort Hill, because she's a sociopath and knows Hill is leaving her."

Prove me wrong.

[44yearsandcounting]

I’m sure TH’s agent feels this way, and I’d assume the Chiefs organization does as well, but at some point very soon, a concerted effort should be made to rehabilitate Hill’s image. Barring any further revelations, recordings, or hit pieces, it would seem obvious that neither Hill personally, the Chiefs organization, nor especially the NFL, want this lingering into the season. Opposing fan bases won’t care what the facts are, but the NFL can’t go into the regular season with ambiguity about such a high profile case. Something needs to break big and soon.

[MVChiefFan]

Originally Posted by RealSNR

"Abusers typically deny that they did anything wrong. It's quite common behavior."

Hill: "But I'm not an abuser"

"THAT'S JUST WHAT AN ABUSER WOULD SAY!!!!"

When I hear it this way, I get even more infuriated!!! There’s no winning with these idiots!

[Lprechaun]

NFL needs to get a ruling and get this squashed. We need training camp and some wins under our belt so we can get back to talking football again

[Mecca]

It's really infuriating for the local paper to basically call for one of the teams best players to be suspended when we are going for a bowl this year.

Do they need a suspension as some type of validation that they are right? Is that really what this is about in the end?

[Hammock Parties]

Originally Posted by Mecca

It's really infuriating for the local paper to basically call for one of the teams best players to be suspended when we are going for a bowl this year.

Do they need a suspension as some type of validation that they are right? Is that really what this is about in the end?

They refuse to admit they are wrong or offer apology, another than Sam The Man.

They think they are morally right, which supersedes the law or logic.

**** 'em.

[Lprechaun]

Originally Posted by Mecca

It's really infuriating for the local paper to basically call for one of the teams best players to be suspended when we are going for a bowl this year.

Do they need a suspension as some type of validation that they are right? Is that really what this is about in the end?

That's what happens when you hire people from outside your area to cover your sports who also come in with an agenda.

[IowaHawkeyeChief]

A couple of points. They say it is typical for an abuser to deny... Why also didn't they say it's typical for an abuser's behavior not to change. Hill had no history of his abuse before OKC 2014 and he has had none since. That doesn't jive with their narrative.

I also love the liberal editorial board not understanding what most conservatives even get: We do have a two tiered justice system and if you are black and out of money and relegated to a public defender after being accused of punching and choking your pregnant girlfriend in Oklahoma, you plea, especially if it is expunged after 3 years and your are 19.

Also, if the evidence of this abuse in 2014 was concrete and graphic, do you think the prosecutor goes with this being expunged after 3 years, or should it be on his record?

Also do you think the judge would have said what he said during the sentencing if the evidence of this horrible abuse was evident and without doubt?

SJWs on their high horses and contradicting previous positions...

[Mecca]

Originally Posted by Lprechaun

That's what happens when you hire people from outside your area to cover your sports who also come in with an agenda.

I was fully certain that Pryor viewed this exactly like Joe Mixon and she used that story to get a promotion....it's really ****ed up when the whole department does it and basically doubles and triples down on it.

[redfan]

Originally Posted by Hoover

Newspaper editorial boards are jokes. They think they have some sort of authority on telling the public how they should think on any particular issue.

What a crock.

Traditional news media is a joke, and the Hill situation has exposed that in the KC area.

The "news" has been merely a vehicle to sell ads for quite a while now. It's just like reality TV; no actors or writers!
It should be easy: Something happens, then reporters report what happened.
The story itself should be enough, otherwise why report it? But that's not good enough anymore, a lot of people want to be told how they should feel about any particular event.
Traditional news media can't die quick enough for me.

[petegz28]

Originally Posted by Eleazar

He plead guilty and paid the penalty for 2014, that matter from a legal standpoint is resolved. But CP can't go around claiming he was innocent back then when he said the opposite, even though we would all feel better if he hadn't abused her.

And with respect to the Star piece, they just pointed out that it's typical for even admitted abusers to later claim, and sometimes truly believe, that they never did anything wrong. Doesn't necessarily mean that describes Hill, but it's still true.

I didn't know you were a witness to the situation....good to know

[RollChiefsRoll]

Assume for a moment that this eventually does blow over, Hill serves whatever suspension he's going to get, and football resumes as normal. If you're Hill, when the time comes, ask yourself why the **** you would want to re-sign to play in this market.