In early 2014, news was made in the NFL. A young defensive end, Michael Sam came out as gay publicly. In the NFL’s 94 year history, Sam is the first openly gay player. I had found it astonishing  that there have been no players before Sam to come out. However, once I read this article I quickly understood why current and past players have been apprehensive about publicizing their sexual orientation. Players, coaches and other personnel involved in the sport of Football have been quoted as saying “we should round up all the gays” and “nuke them.” Comments like this tend to be unacceptable by the general public. Contrarily, the NFL has not done anything to punish those who make these comments. If the league is not able to control what its representatives do and say they may see tough times ahead. As news revolving around the NFL continues to be released, the league’s reputation continues to disintegrate. It is my assumption that if the league continues to ignore these problems it will start to lose its fan base and potentially its sponsors. Therefore, diminishing the value of its brand. Personally, I think it is good that Michael Sam has come out and put this issue into the spotlight. This will give the league an opportunity to improve its current reputation by showing the public that it is a non-issue. Subsequently, the league may benefit rather than receive criticism for its lack of compassion toward this sensitive issue. 

Social responsibility is the idea that an organization or individual has the obligation to make decisions that best serves society. In Milton Friedman’s article, he suggests that the sole social responsibility of a business is to make profit. This idea has the implication that making money comes before all else. However, Friedman does mention that a business must “[stay] within the rules of the game.” In other words, the business must use its resources without deceiving or committing fraud. Freeman, contrarily, expresses the idea that the business’s job, social responsibility, is to align the interests of the stakeholders. Freeman goes on to explain that a business will go into a decline if each stakeholder’s interest is not realized. He stresses the point that each stakeholder is an integral part to the success of the business. I am of the belief that the biggest contribution a business can make to society is maximizing its profit. Although this can lead to neglecting the interest of some stakeholders, I feel maximizing a business’s profit is still the most beneficial to society. Sometimes knowing what’s right does not translate to doing what’s right. For example, perhaps one’s social conscience states; choosing to make a higher profit over pleasing all stakeholders is wrong. In the long run, a business making the highest profit possible is the most beneficial to all parties.

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