Thoughts on Ray Rice getting (only) a 2 game suspension

[Slice of Life]

From Ray Rice's wife

In a post from her Instagram page Tuesday morning, and verified by the Baltimore Sun, Janay Rice writes, "I woke up this morning feeling like I had a horrible nightmare, feeling like I'm mourning the death of my closest friend. But to have to accept the fact that it's reality is a nightmare in itself."

She continued, "No one knows the pain that the media & unwanted options from the public has caused my family. To make us relive a moment in our lives that we regret every day is a horrible thing. To take something away from the man I love that he has worked his ass of for all his life just to gain ratings is horrific."

Rice ended the post by saying, "THIS IS OUR LIFE! What don't you all get. If your intentions were to hurt us, embarrass us, make us feel alone, take all happiness away, you've succeeded on so many levels. Just know we will continue to grow & show the world what real love is! Ravensnation we love you!"

Easy to come up with canned responses. But the bottom line is, any one of us goes to jail for domestic assault, we're getting canned. And we don't have millions of dollars to fall back on.

Dude deserves everything he gets now.

[newtogolf]

From Ray Rice's wife

In a post from her Instagram page Tuesday morning, and verified by the Baltimore Sun, Janay Rice writes, "I woke up this morning feeling like I had a horrible nightmare, feeling like I'm mourning the death of my closest friend. But to have to accept the fact that it's reality is a nightmare in itself."

She continued, "No one knows the pain that the media & unwanted options from the public has caused my family. To make us relive a moment in our lives that we regret every day is a horrible thing. To take something away from the man I love that he has worked his ass of for all his life just to gain ratings is horrific."

Rice ended the post by saying, "THIS IS OUR LIFE! What don't you all get. If your intentions were to hurt us, embarrass us, make us feel alone, take all happiness away, you've succeeded on so many levels. Just know we will continue to grow & show the world what real love is! Ravensnation we love you!"

I could feel her frustration and regret over what's happened in her quotes, very sad.  I'm sure they both will regret how they conducted themselves that one night for the rest of their lives.

Unfortunately, because her husband was in the NFL, they were under the microscope.  Rice's popularity led to endorsement deals that helped pay for their home and cars but also put him in the spotlight and fair game for the TMZ's of the world.  Their failure along with the NFL was to attempt to smother the story rather than let it play out and ask for forgiveness.

The fact the NFL, the Ravens and Rice tried to cover up the story is what led them to this ending imo.  Had Rice admitted to what he did, took his 6+ game suspension and not attempted to spin doctor what happened the outcome might have been different.

They all knew (Ravens, NFL, Rice) there was video from inside the elevator and that eventually it would be released, trying to cover it up was stupid.  I just hope it costs Goodell his job just as it cost Rice his.

[Slice of Life]

I just hope it costs Goodell his job just as it cost Rice his.

Yes Yes Yes 1000 times Yes.

[butt3r3dt0ast]

Yes 1001 times! But seriously, she is delusional if she's thinks these repressions are unfair.

[Gunther]

I have heard and read the same things which is why I've ripped Goodell since he made the policy change while everyone else patted him on the back for admitting his "mistake". I'm sure the NFL tried unsuccessfully to convince TMZ to not release the video though I still believe a deal was cut between the NFL and TMZ to hold off on it's release until after this past Sunday to not ruin the opening day. Sadly, a good portion of the media was willing to support the NFL smoke screen while a few stood alone.  Seems news agencies and journalists are all too willing to sell out their ethics and job duties to be a puppet for the NFL and government these days.  Bye Roger, don't let the door hit you on the ass on the way out.  :banana:

I was one who didn't subscribe to the conspiracy theory. But, it's not looking good for Goodell right now. If it happens that he had seen the elevator cam vid, he should lose his job.

[RJH999]

I have heard and read the same things which is why I've ripped Goodell since he made the policy change while everyone else patted him on the back for admitting his "mistake". I'm sure the NFL tried unsuccessfully to convince TMZ to not release the video though I still believe a deal was cut between the NFL and TMZ to hold off on it's release until after this past Sunday to not ruin the opening day. Sadly, a good portion of the media was willing to support the NFL smoke screen while a few stood alone.  Seems news agencies and journalists are all too willing to sell out their ethics and job duties to be a puppet for the NFL and government these days.  Bye Roger, don't let the door hit you on the ass on the way out.  :banana:

[quote name="newtogolf" url="/t/76121/thoughts-on-ray-rice-getting-only-a-2-game-suspension/200_40#post_1052765"]I could feel her frustration and regret over what's happened in her quotes, very sad.  I'm sure they both will regret how they conducted themselves that one night for the rest of their lives. Unfortunately, because her husband was in the NFL, they were under the microscope.  Rice's popularity led to endorsement deals that helped pay for their home and cars but also put him in the spotlight and fair game for the TMZ's of the world.  Their failure along with the NFL was to attempt to smother the story rather than let it play out and ask for forgiveness. The fact the NFL, the Ravens and Rice tried to cover up the story is what led them to this ending imo.  Had Rice admitted to what he did, took his 6+ game suspension and not attempted to spin doctor what happened the outcome might have been different. They all knew (Ravens, NFL, Rice) there was video from inside the elevator and that eventually it would be released, trying to cover it up was stupid.  I just hope it costs Goodell his job just as it cost Rice his. [/quote][quote name="Slice of Life" url="/t/76121/thoughts-on-ray-rice-getting-only-a-2-game-suspension/200_40#post_1052767"] Yes Yes Yes 1000 times Yes. [/quote][quote name="butt3r3dt0ast" url="/t/76121/thoughts-on-ray-rice-getting-only-a-2-game-suspension/200_40#post_1052771"]Yes 1001 times! But seriously, she is delusional if she's thinks these repressions are unfair. [/quote][quote name="Gunther" url="/t/76121/thoughts-on-ray-rice-getting-only-a-2-game-suspension/200_40#post_1052779"] I was one who didn't subscribe to the conspiracy theory. But, it's not looking good for Goodell right now. If it happens that he had seen the elevator cam vid, he should lose his job.[/quote] Bring back Tagliabue! :-D

[David in FL]

I was one who didn't subscribe to the conspiracy theory. But, it's not looking good for Goodell right now. If it happens that he had seen the elevator cam vid, he should lose his job.

Me too.

I still can't believe that either he, or the Ravens, saw that video.  They HAD to know that it would come to light some day and they would be toast.  If in fact they did see it previously, they need to be horribly ashamed, and will hopefully suffer appropriate consequences.

[dsc123]

I was one who didn't subscribe to the conspiracy theory. But, it's not looking good for Goodell right now. If it happens that he had seen the elevator cam vid, he should lose his job.

I think he should lose his job anyway.  Rice said he knocked her out, and the original video showed him dragging her unconscious body out of the elevator.  The new video only matters for two reasons: 1) it shows that the NFL lied when it implied that the video was exculpatory and 2) its a vivid image that ignites public opinion.  Neither of those should make a difference from the NFL's perspective.

[Gunther]

I think he should lose his job anyway.  Rice said he knocked her out, and the original video showed him dragging her unconscious body out of the elevator.  The new video only matters for two reasons: 1) it shows that the NFL lied when it implied that the video was exculpatory and 2) its a vivid image that ignites public opinion.  Neither of those should make a difference from the NFL's perspective.

Don't agree. He met with Rice and his wife, together. She pled for leniency. Rice has never been in any kind of trouble before and in fact, was an active member of the Balt community, helping youth, etc. He made an incorrect call initially but if he didn't have that evidence I can understand how Rice and his wife could have underplayed the incident and sort of swayed him into the 2-game suspension. Now, if he HAD seen the vid, that changes my position 180°. The violence of that shot (I ended up inadvertently seeing it on the news last night) would be enough but the cover up of having seen it is much worse. He needs to go in that case.

[Dave2512]

Actually, it depends on the woman. If she doesn't press charges they don't go to jail... Sadly, a lot of the time the don't.

Actually it depends on the state. Colorado has mandatory arrest laws. If a LEO responds to a DV scene and the suspect is there they will be arrested, the probable cause is the phone call that got them there. The victim cannot "drop" charges here. The DA controls the case from the minute a suspect is arrested. They do this to prevent victims of DV from denying the severity of the complaint due to all the reasons they commonly do. My guess is CO isn't the only state with strict DV laws.

[dsc123]

Don't agree. He met with Rice and his wife, together. She pled for leniency. Rice has never been in any kind of trouble before and in fact, was an active member of the Balt community, helping youth, etc.

That's a red flag right there.  And the rest of the paragraph is still true today.

He made an incorrect call initially but if he didn't have that evidence I can understand how Rice and his wife could have underplayed the incident and sort of swayed him into the 2-game suspension.

I just don't think its possible to underplay an incident in which the facts are 1) NFL player punches woman; 2) causing the woman to become unconscous; and 3) player drags woman's limp body out of elevator.  The only exception would be if they lied about what happened--like if they said that she was hitting him and kicking him and he pushed her away and she tripped and hit her head.  In my mind, that was what held me back from judgement initially--the NFL and police had more information, and I couldn't say for sure that that didn't happen.  Hell they even implied/lied that there was more to the story.  But the NFL has not suggested that Rice lied to them.  What we saw in the video was new to us, but not to the NFL.

[Jeremie Boop]

I think he should lose his job anyway.  Rice said he knocked her out, and the original video showed him dragging her unconscious body out of the elevator.  The new video only matters for two reasons: 1) it shows that the NFL lied when it implied that the video was exculpatory and 2) its a vivid image that ignites public opinion.  Neither of those should make a difference from the NFL's perspective.

Until the video was released nobody knew that he punched her besides them and those that saw the tape. Everyone else was assuming what happened. As I've stated before, there are many ways in which he could have caused her to be knocked out that would not have been nearly as horrendous as what actually happened. Also, when we have the woman saying that she caused the issue and also still marries the man after the fact that can tend to make people think perhaps what happened wasn't as bad as what could be imagined. I don't condone abuse at all, I just seriously dislike when people jump to conclusions without evidence. Now, had the NFL seen this footage then obviously they should have done more from the start, there's no question about that.

[Gunther]

That's a red flag right there.  And the rest of the paragraph is still true today.   I just don't think its possible to underplay an incident in which the facts are 1) NFL player punches woman; 2) causing the woman to become unconscous; and 3) player drags woman's limp body out of elevator.  The only exception would be if they lied about what happened--like if they said that she was hitting him and kicking him and he pushed her away and she tripped and hit her head.  In my mind, that was what held me back from judgement initially--the NFL and police had more information, and I couldn't say for sure that that didn't happen.  Hell they even implied/lied that there was more to the story.  But the NFL has not suggested that Rice lied to them.  What we saw in the video was new to us, but not to the NFL.

Not saying I agree with Goodell's initial assessment, indeed, I was strongly against it. I'm saying I can understand how he could have come to his ultimate incorrect conclusion. He heard the backlash and adjusted the rules around DV. Stumbling, bumbling, yes, I agree. But this in itself is not cause to lose your job. He screwed up, took accountability for the screw up and fixed it. If they saw the video and still only gave 2 games, that's not good. But denying they had access to it and trying to get the thing squashed, those are fireable offenses. But, given the submissive climate these days when high-powered people commit cover-ups, I'm not expecting much, although the media pressure here might be enough to force some action. I have a hunch, however, that he'll step down on his own. Wish the media would put this kind of pressure elsewhere but that's another thread.

[RJH999]

http://deadspin.com/heres-why-the-nfl-is-full-of-shit-1632370842

[Ernest Jones]

I have an incredibly hard time believing that TMZ was able to obtain a video tape that one of the richest, most powerful corporations on earth was supposedly unable to obtain. No way do I believe the NFL was ignorant of that tapes content, they simply believe that no one else would ever see it.

[dsc123]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jeremie Boop

Until the video was released nobody knew that he punched her besides them and those that saw the tape. Everyone else was assuming what happened. As I've stated before, there are many ways in which he could have caused her to be knocked out that would not have been nearly as horrendous as what actually happened. Also, when we have the woman saying that she caused the issue and also still marries the man after the fact can tend to make people think perhaps what happened wasn't as bad as what could be imagined. I don't condone abuse at all, I just seriously dislike when people jump to conclusions without evidence. Now, had the NFL seen this footage then obviously they should have done more from the start, there's no question about that.

Have you seen any claim by either of them that this is what happened?    I agree that we shouldn't judge people based on assumptions about what happened, but I think we can make informed decisions.   In Feb 2014, Mike Florio reported that police had video of him knocking her out. Also in February, ESPN reported that a summons claimed the same.  In an article titled "Ray Rice Knocked Fiancee Out":

Quote:

Baltimore Ravens running back Ray Rice struck his fiancée with his hand, rendering her unconscious, according to a summons obtained by ESPN.

http://espn.go.com/nfl/story/_/id/10484945/ray-rice-baltimore-ravens-knocked-fiancee-unconscious-altercation

I don't think any of this was questioned until the NFL came out and said they have the tape, and there was more to it than what the media was reporting.    So I don't think it would have been "jumping to conclusions" to suspect that this is what happened.  When he met with Goodell, he admitted to striking her.

But here's the thing that really gets me.  The NFL implying that it saw the tape, and that it showed her attacking him.  Since nobody else saw it, we had no choice but to accept that there was something exculpatory in it.  Here's what Mortensen reported:

Quote:

We saw the TMZ video of what happened outside—when he was dragging her out unconscious—but inside, I'm told from those who have seen the video, it wasn't pretty . In fact, she attacks him—we don't know the reason why—and he strikes her, strikes her hard . And her head—according to the sources I've spoken to—struck the rail inside the elevator and she was unconscious.

So the NFL line was that she attacked him, he hit her, and she hit her head and became unconscious.  They tried to feed that story.  He defended himself, went too far, and she hit her head on something other than his fist, making her go unconscious.  Yes, she hit her head, and yes, she attacked him, but watching the video, that is not the takeaway.  Suggesting that it is serves only to misrepresent the situation.  Deliberate misinformation.

And its not "jumping to conclusions" to believe the NFL had the tape, given the number of sources who at the time of the suspension reported that the NFL did have the video and certainly had the resources to get it.  Look at MLB's war against Arod--they filed lawsuits, subpoenaed documents, and bought off Tony Boesch.  If the tape was important, and the NFL didn't get it, then they simply turned a blind eye, which isn't any better.

Here's what Jane McManus said today (of course, this is burried on ESPNW, which nobody looks at)

Quote:

On Monday, after TMZ posted it, the NFL said the league had requested the video from prosecutors in the aggravated assault case, but hadn't been given it. This contradicts what two league sources had previously told me at the time the two-game suspension was announced, which was that the NFL had access to all the evidence that the prosecutors did.

Rice certainly had the tape--his lawyers would have gotten it in discovery and the NFL, if it wanted it, could have forced Rice to hand it over.

Now the NFL comes out and says the NJ state police have sole custody of the video, but wouldn't release it to the NFL, but the NJ state police say that's not true--Atlantic City Police have the video and the state police never saw it.

There is no reason to believe anything the NFL says at this point.

[newtogolf]

I have an incredibly hard time believing that TMZ was able to obtain a video tape that one of the richest, most powerful corporations on earth was supposedly unable to obtain. No way do I believe the NFL was ignorant of that tapes content, they simply believe that no one else would ever see it.

Exactly this, when the Jonathon Martin incident happened with the Dolphins, Goodell ordered interviews with all the players, requested the texts from all the phones, etc.  In this case they are claiming ignorance, nope we didn't see the video, even thought they were quoted as initially saying the video demonstrated that Rice was defending himself.

I've stayed at the Revel Casino / Hotel, it's pure high tech and it's obvious there are cameras everywhere even the elevator.  This is becoming a complete cover up and the media is assisting because they don't want to lose access to the NFL players, especially guys who pretend to always take the high moral ground like Peter King.

This isn't the first time Goodell has gone soft on player when the media wasn't looking or willing to cooperate.

Both Greg Hardy (Carolina Panthers) who was charged with DV and Ray McDonald who was arrested for striking a pregnant woman are playing this week and not much has been said about them, especially Hardy, because there wasn't any video for Goodell to worry about.

Josh Brent of the Cowboys was only suspended 10 games for intoxication manslaughter when his was arrested for DUI and driving over 110 mph that resulted in a crash that killed his teammate (Jerry Brown).  He went to jail for 180 days, after failing to adhere to court ordered monitoring and failing multiple drug tests.   He's eligible to return to the Cowboys in Week 11.  DV = 6 weeks, murder = 10, DV with video = indefinite suspension, got it.

One can only assume Rice was suspended indefinitely because he was sacrificed in order for the NFL and Goodell to save face, otherwise how can they justify their initial two game suspension, the subsequent "I'm sorry, I got it wrong" six week suspension or their handling of these other players?

Goodell and the NFL are all corrupt and the fact that owners like Kraft are standing behind Goodell sickens me.

[Grndslmhttr3]

Shouldn't he have gotten a six-game suspension since this is still his first offense? I love when people have these knee-jerk reactions just to save face.