The criminal charges against Texans limited partner Javier Loya, pending for months and not discovered until today, have become one of the biggest stories in the NFL. Except, of course, on the online media outlet owned and operated by the NFL.
There is no story on NFL.com. Nothing. Nada. Zilch. Bubkis.
Loya, as previously explained, faces one count of rape, five counts of first-degree sexual abuse, and one count of third-degree sexual abuse.
As of this posting, the top offerings at Big Shield’s Internet destination range from Teddy Bridgewater joining the Lions to be the No. 2 quarterback, at best, to the 10 best fantasy quarterback values. There’s nothing about the very serious charges pending against a member of an NFL team’s ownership group.
And the excuse can’t plausibly be that the NFL doesn’t cover allegations. Here’s the item from February 2022 regarding the then-fresh battery allegations against Saints running back Alvin Kamara.
The simplest explanation is that the NFL doesn’t want to deal with criminal charges against a largely unknown figure in ownership circles. Still, to the extent owners are held to a “higher standard” than players (are they though?), it’s a story that NFL.com should not ignore. It’s just a bad look, and it underscores one of the most fundamental problems with leagues and teams owning and operating the media outlets that cover them.
Over the past two decades, most have gotten numb to the predictable reality that there are certain stories NFL.com and NFL Network will ignore. Obviously, however, that doesn’t make it right.
