NFL's donation to Chicago charity sparks an online storm — and reveals a case of 'do-gooder syndrome'

When University of Illinois at Chicago professor Dave Stovall heard about the NFL making a donation to a Chicago nonprofit that helps young boys in Englewood, he had his reservations. As a professor of African American studies and criminology, and a community activist, he says, "I have very low expectations" around this kind of corporate charity.

So it hardly seemed surprising when, on the day that the NFL held its opening celebration in Chicago, Stovall and other skeptics were treated to a Twitter storm that exploded around Crushers Club, the boxing program that would be getting $200,000 from the NFL's Inspire Change social justice campaign,