There are currently many problems with how we handle the punishment of athletes. Many athletes buy their way out of trouble. Essentially, athletes get nothing more than a pat on the hand if they get into legal trouble. The NFL's average arrest rate for its approximately 3,000 players is 4% compared to 3% for the general population. This is much lower than the 10% rate for the equivalent population of men aged 20 to 34. The USA Today database states that domestic violence accounts for 85 of the 713 arrests of NFL players since 2000. Student athletes account for 19% of sexual assault perpetrators and 35% of domestic violence perpetrators. The conviction rate for athletes is only 38%, compared to 80%. It is speculated that the reason so many athletes get away with it is the money they earn, providing a way to solve the problem. Their employers also still have millions they can make from them, so they buy into the problem too. Another reason is that the general population admires them, so if there are accusations against them no one really believes it because people think there is a possibility of this happening. There should be harsher punishments for these athletes and we should have a way to prevent athletes from getting away with their crimes. Many athletes get away with doping to become better players, which is highly illegal. Some football players can get away with physical violence and continue to do so because they can get away with it. One last thing athletes get away with is sexual assault, especially during their college careers, this is possible if colleges and universities turn their backs on the cases. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay Doping is a hot topic in sports today because many players want to be the best of the best, so they use these drugs to improve their overall skills, therefore earning them more money which is the ultimate goal. Most athletes get a small suspension for this offense and must prove they are no longer using. The strange case is the one in which they lose their career. Armstrong built an empire on his cycling success, but it was all destroyed when the American cyclist admitted using enhancement drugs. Armstrong won the Tour de France seven consecutive times, starting in 1999 and ending in 2005, and also took home a bronze medal at the 2000 Summer Olympics. Armstrong was subjected to countless doping accusations but steadfastly denied any use of enhancement drugs throughout his career. After years of denials, the cyclist admitted in a now infamous interview in January 2013 that he had used enhancement drugs. Armstrong lost $75 million in sponsorships following the interview. He never served any time for using drugs to cheat his way to the top. This wasn't a harsh enough punishment for this case because he had earned so much money by winning these races and then just lost support. He should have served some time because he took all this money with no remorse for cheating for that money. Physical violence is another crime that many professional athletes get away with. Either they end up buying it or their employers need them to make money for them again, so they use everything in their power to get rid of the problem, from bribery to hiring the best lawyers for the athlete. An example of this is when Ray Rice was caught beating his wife in an elevator. Rice it was.