Two game suspension

[SkunkedAgain]

First of all, Ray's wife is dumb but that doesn't discount all of the abused women that can't break away from their abusive boyfriends/fiancees/husbands. It sounds easy to walk away, but many people struggle with it. Money, love, insecurity all go into it. It's easy for us to condemn her on an internet forum, but she needs help just as much as him....unless she's doing it purely for the money. Kind of like when half of the world sat in a bar and said in the 1990s that they would take a Mike Tyson punch for a share of $50m purse. She likely is a victim that doesn't have the strength to break away from an abuser. The only difference here is that in contrast to the usual soccer mom or trailer park wife, her husband is famous and rich. The other circumstances of abuse are likely very similar.

What I read is that both videos were available. The NJ State Police did not investigate the incident because of jurisdiction. They handle crimes on the casino floor while the Atlantic City Police Department has jurisdiction in the elevators. The NFL requested the elevator video from the NJSP, but not the ACPD. Whether that was on purpose or not hasn't been disclosed. The hotel made copies of the videos and gave them to the ACPD. For some reason the NFL claims to have only seen the video from outside the elevator. The hotel also said that Rice's attorney received a copy of the video from inside the elevator from the police investigation. Clearly that could have been turned over to the NFL by his attorney, so Rice's attorney obviously withheld it.

The NFL suspended him for 2 games initially. Bad move. They then updated their domestic violence rules to 6-months for a first offense. They knew that Rice knocked his fiancee out. Suddenly the video is released and the offense is somehow worse? Rice also somehow gets walloped with more than the new 6-month penalty for domestic violence? These are very hypocritical moves for the NFL and the team. Rice deserved more than the 2 months that he got, yet, that was what the rules prescribed at the time. Even though there are no rules in the NFL against double jeopardy, American citizens generally reject that as a fair way to dole out justice.

I have no problem in general with the Ravens parting ways with Rice. That's their prerogative and probably should have happened on Day 1. However, the NFL and Ravens made the moves on Monday for public relations reasons solely. They had all of the evidence that they needed, including Rice's own admission that he struck his wife so hard that he knocked her unconscious. The video doesn't change anything, except that it is disturbing. This would be like convicting a rapist to 15 years based on all of the available evidence, then getting DNA evidence that proves it, and then adding another 30 years. Another example would be convicting a murder based on overwhelming evidence, then seeing a security camera video years later and deciding that now that one could see the actual killing, the offense is somehow worse. That's a terrible precedence. The only way this makes sense is if there was doubt about what actually happened, but that is not the case since Rice admitted to everything. The NFL knew that Rice knocked out his fiancee with a punch and dragged her out of an elevator. Nothing changed except for the public relations and the optics.

[harvey lee]

First of all, Ray's wife is dumb but that doesn't discount all of the abused women that can't break away from their abusive boyfriends/fiancees/husbands. It sounds easy to walk away, but many people struggle with it. Money, love, insecurity all go into it. It's easy for us to condemn her on an internet forum, but she needs help just as much as him....unless she's doing it purely for the money. Kind of like when half of the world sat in a bar and said in the 1990s that they would take a Mike Tyson punch for a share of $50m purse. She likely is a victim that doesn't have the strength to break away from an abuser. The only difference here is that in contrast to the usual soccer mom or trailer park wife, her husband is famous and rich. The other circumstances of abuse are likely very similar.

What I read is that both videos were available. The NJ State Police did not investigate the incident because of jurisdiction. They handle crimes on the casino floor while the Atlantic City Police Department has jurisdiction in the elevators. The NFL requested the elevator video from the NJSP, but not the ACPD. Whether that was on purpose or not hasn't been disclosed. The hotel made copies of the videos and gave them to the ACPD. For some reason the NFL claims to have only seen the video from outside the elevator. The hotel also said that Rice's attorney received a copy of the video from inside the elevator from the police investigation. Clearly that could have been turned over to the NFL by his attorney, so Rice's attorney obviously withheld it.

The NFL suspended him for 2 games initially. Bad move. They then updated their domestic violence rules to 6-months for a first offense. They knew that Rice knocked his fiancee out. Suddenly the video is released and the offense is somehow worse? Rice also somehow gets walloped with more than the new 6-month penalty for domestic violence? These are very hypocritical moves for the NFL and the team. Rice deserved more than the 2 months that he got, yet, that was what the rules prescribed at the time. Even though there are no rules in the NFL against double jeopardy, American citizens generally reject that as a fair way to dole out justice.

I have no problem in general with the Ravens parting ways with Rice. That's their prerogative and probably should have happened on Day 1. However, the NFL and Ravens made the moves on Monday for public relations reasons solely. They had all of the evidence that they needed, including Rice's own admission that he struck his wife so hard that he knocked her unconscious. The video doesn't change anything, except that it is disturbing. This would be like convicting a rapist to 15 years based on all of the available evidence, then getting DNA evidence that proves it, and then adding another 30 years. Another example would be convicting a murder based on overwhelming evidence, then seeing a security camera video years later and deciding that now that one could see the actual killing, the offense is somehow worse. That's a terrible precedence. The only way this makes sense is if there was doubt about what actually happened, but that is not the case since Rice admitted to everything. The NFL knew that Rice knocked out his fiancee with a punch and dragged her out of an elevator. Nothing changed except for the public relations and the optics.

Totally agree. Some men can totally control some women and there is no way any women deserves to be beaten. Many women in these abusive situations cannot get away as they fell insure so they stay. Takes a very small man to beat any women.

I am not sure how any man can best a women or as I said, that any women deserves it even if she stays with him in that abusive situation.

[harvey lee]

Creepman

you state- Um, Ray Rice was not married to this woman at the time he knocked her out. Now, they are either married or engaged, either way, she decided to take the next step in the relationship after Rice knocked her out.

Evidently, she did not hate it a lot, otherwise she would have left him.

How you can state that she did not hate it a lot is so far beyond me, I will never understand anyone making a statement like you have.

Many times, men can control some women beyond belief. They control them so bad, they can get them to do just about anything.

Abusive men have and do control women beyond what many can ever understand. dump like this happens every day.

Non of us here know the entire story or can even know what a women goes through what they do when they are in an abusive relationship.

[Getanet]

I agree with that yesterday's video really shouldn't have changed the initial punishment. Everyone can agree there is no justification for hitting a woman.

With that said, part of me wonders what roll playing football played in this. We're learning more and more about the effects of concussions on NFL players. Issues with depressions, severe mood swings, are taking their toll on recently retired players and you'd have to think current players deal with many of the same symptoms. Throw in the fact that he played a position for a number of years where you get tackled the most and you have to wonder if his brain is wired the same as when he entered the league.

I'm not making excuses for what he did. But by all accounts he was a model player, teammate and person prior to this.

[ozzie]

I agree skunked on all things you said!! I for one think it is a scam that they suspended him 2 games for what we all knew what happened and now that the video is released it is somehow worse?? That tells me that from his admission and the previously known video they couldn't add 1 n 1 and know what happened!! For that people need to be held responsible and that goes for Goodell also! Wish all these people would have taken this situation seriously the first time we had to see/hear that he did this!!!

[Hawg]

I bet anything this will go to court and the NFL will pay a big settlement for suspending him forever without a written policy saying they can do it. In the business world no one would be fired for an abuse charge, it's not pertaining to the conditions of employment and therefore it's a random punishment. I think the guy should be put in public stockades and stoned but I bet we haven't heard the end of this. This will be an illegal termination.

[Duffman]

I'm just glad that nobody saw an exposed nipple.

[PurpleFloyd]

I'm just glad that nobody saw an exposed nipple.

Great. Now I have to watch it again

[SkunkedAgain]

...part of me wonders what roll playing football played in this.

I'm not an expert, but most of the brain issues that I've heard about seem to come years later. The headaches and light issues are immediate effects, the memory and more startling effects develop over time. I have no doubt that all of these guys are doing damage to their bodies and brains. However, hitting a weaker person the way he did is 99% of the time attributable to a lack of brains and over-active testosterone levels. We've all encountered meatheads that never progressed beyond solving problems with their fists. Football players are paid combatants. It's easy for some to flip the switch from beast mode to gentle giant. Others need to keep it in gear.

I saw an interesting quote from Ray Rice saying that anyone who knows him, knows how he was raised only by his mother, and how much he loves his mother, would know that this is out of character. Part of me believes him, but the other part says he missed out on that important component of how men should act, which would have come (hopefully) from his father. Another sad commentary on how important both moms and dads are to raising a child.

[DrJuice1980]

Does the NFLs insurance policy cover spouse concussion?

[Big Dave2]

Quote:

Wife defends Ray Rice, slams media

Updated: September 9, 2014, 2:16 PM ET

A day after a new video surfaced showing Ray Rice hitting his then-fiancée in the face in a hotel elevator, prompting the Baltimore Ravens to release the running back and the NFL to increase his suspension from two games to indefinite, Janay Rice defended her husband and criticized the media.

"I woke up this morning feeling like I had a horrible nightmare, feeling like I'm mourning the death of my closest friend," she wrote in an Instagram post. "But to have to accept the fact that it's reality is a nightmare itself. No one knows the pain that the media & unwanted [opinions] from the public has caused my family. To make us relive a moment in our lives that we regret everyday is a horrible thing.

"To take something away from the man I love that he has worked his one-just-like-silly-me off for all his life just to gain ratings is horrific. 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!"

More from ESPN.com

Ravens GM Ozzie Newsome, who drafted Ray Rice and stood by him recently, must face the media about releasing Rice, Jamison Hensley writes. Story

Jason Whitlock writes that NFL commissioner Roger Goodell failed drastically in his handling of the Ray Rice incident. Story

As the Ray Rice news continues to flood in, it's helpful to reflect on some of the complicated issues that have arisen because of the Rice case. Story

O'Connor: Rice videos ruin Goodell's reputation

A Timeline of the NFL and Ravens' Reactions to Ray Rice Incident

Olney: MLB should act now on domestic violence Insider

ESPN's Josina Anderson spoke to the Rices by phone Tuesday. Asked how he was doing, Ray Rice responded, "I have to be strong for my wife. She is so strong. ... We are in good spirits. We have a lot of people praying for us and we 'll continue to support each other."

Rice added, "I have to be there for [Janay] and my family right now and work through this."

After that, Ray handed his phone to his wife. "I love my husband. I support him," Janay Rice said. "I want people to respect our privacy in this family matter."

TMZ Sports released the video that showed Rice assaulting his wife on its HSOforum Monday. Earlier Tuesday TMZ reported that sources connected with the Revel Hotel and Casino in Atlantic City told TMZ Sports no one from the NFL asked the casino for the video of the couple in the elevator from the Feb. 15 incident. Instead, the league apparently relied on previously released video that showed Rice dragging his fiancée -- who is seemingly unconscious -- from the elevator before determining that he would serve a two-game suspension. The penalty was levied in July.

The Ravens said Monday that they'd not seen the video released Monday by TMZ Sports, either. Asked why the team wasn't able to view the video sooner, coach John Harbaugh told reporters at a Monday night news conference: "I don't know why that would be a hard thing to understand. It wasn't available. It wasn't there for us. It wasn't something that we ever saw or had access to."

The Associated Press reported Monday night that it had viewed a higher-quality video provided by a law enforcement official, and that Rice and Palmer could be heard shouting obscenities at each other. According to the AP, after she collapses, he drags her out of the elevator and is met by some hotel staff. One of them can be heard saying, "She's drunk, right?" And then, "No cops." Rice doesn't respond.

The video, which is slightly longer than the TMZ version and includes some audio, was shown to the AP on condition of anonymity because the official isn't authorized to release it.

The NFL repeated Tuesday that authorities did not make available the video of the assault, despite a claim by TMZ.com that the league did not ask the hotel for it. In statements, the league said it had asked New Jersey State Police for it, and had "reached out multiple times to the Atlantic City Police Department and the Atlantic County prosecutor's office."

The Ravens reached their decision to release Rice in a quick meeting between Harbaugh, owner Steve Bisciotti, general manager Ozzie Newsome and team president Dick Cass, according to Harbaugh.

"The Baltimore Ravens terminated the contract of RB Ray Rice this afternoon," the team's statement read.

Bisciotti first saw the video on television and decided almost immediately that Rice had to be released, a source told ESPN's Ed Werder. Bisciotti called a meeting to confer with other members of the organization's hierarchy. Newsome called Rice to inform him of the team's decision. Harbaugh also spoke to Rice, while Bisciotti contacted NFL commissioner Roger Goodell.

The source said that Rice admitted to the Ravens from the start that he was guilty of striking Janay and, for the most part, accurately described what they eventually saw on the video. But the brutality of the assault when seen on the security video made a different impression.

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Andy Katz and Rick Klein welcome Senator Richard Blumenthal, Jemele Hill and Andrew Brandt to discuss Congress' role in helping the NFL stop domestic violence, if the league did their due diligence before handing down their original sentence to Ray Rice and more.

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"His description was not too much different -- except it looks more violent when you see it," a team source said. "He's a likable guy, and he's done so many things the right way in his career, but he's paying for what he did and the fact there was a video. You can't erase the video."

The source insisted the Ravens had requested copies of the video through multiple sources without success. At one point, a police officer who had seen the video described what it contained to Ravens officials.

"We hadn't seen the video," the source said. "The video changes the perspective."

The Ravens are not expected to further address the situation.

The NFL's two-game suspension of Rice was widely criticized at too lenient.

A spokesperson for the Atlantic County Prosecutor's Office told ESPN's Don Van Natta on Monday: "Mr. Rice received the same treatment in the court system that any first-time offender in similar circumstances has received. We have no comment beyond that."

Rice's lawyer, Michael Diamondstein, declined to comment when contacted by the AP.

Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger, who, in 2010 was the first player suspended under the NFL's personal conduct policy, said Tuesday he would pray for Rice and his wife. The Steelers visit the Ravens on Thursday.

Rice, 27, was charged with felony aggravated assault in the case and in May was accepted into a pretrial intervention program that allowed him to avoid jail time and could lead to the charge being purged from his record. Rice hasn't spoken often to the media since his arrest, but on July 31 he called his actions "inexcusable" and said this is "something I have to live with the rest of my life."

He added: "I know that's not who I am as a man. That's not who my mom raised me to be. If anybody knows me, they know I was raised by a single parent, and that was my mother. I let her down, I let my wife down, I let my daughter down. I let my wife's parents down. I let the whole Baltimore community down. I let my teammates down. I let so many people down because of 30 seconds of my life that I know I can't take back."

On Monday, teams were notified that any contract with Rice would not be approved or take effect until further direction is provided by Goodell, a league source told ESPN NFL Insider Adam Schefter.

The executive director of the NFL Players Association, DeMaurice Smith, told SI.com that the video is disturbing and jarring.

"The video is really all the information I've seen. I did learn on the way over to the facility about Mr. Rice being released, and have not yet talked to [Goodell] about any other discipline," Smith said, according to the report. "I did hear that [Rice had been suspended], but I tend to rely on the commissioner and learning all the facts first-hand. That's what we'll do, and once we know what those facts are, that will dictate our next steps."

Information from ESPN NFL Insider Adam Schefter and The Associated Press is included in this report.

[Mr.Seaguar]

Hitting people is not a solution but...Has no one been in a situation where they were drunk and did/said something they wished they hadn't? And had to apologize for it the next day? That's what this woman has done. And Rice had to too. This guy is beating his body to pieces. She said something that crossed the line. All the "supplements" that these guys take affect their brains too. The number of NFL players who have domestic assault charges is off the charts. I don't excuse his actions but there are better courses of action than taking away his job and the turmoil that brings

[toughguy]

I have been drunk many, many times and I have never hit anyone, especially my wife. There's no excuse for his actions. That's felony assault plain and simple. I'm guessing this wasn't the first time this has happened too.

[DrJuice1980]

You should change your name to "Softguy" then, toughguy's beat up people and their women.

[toughguy]

lol - I just thought of that too. It was a stupid nickname that came from a Common Man radio bit where he called Chicago a Toughguy team and a Toughguy town because Mike Tice did. It was on 10 years ago when I picked my name and I just typed it in. If I could change it I would

[Hoyt4]

Right. This guy has no excuse and for people to say drinking or supplments led to it are just letting him off. If you do things like this drinking or on drugs you should not be drinking.

Anyone that does what Rice did is not a man but a b!!!ch.

[Getanet]

I'm not an expert, but most of the brain issues that I've heard about seem to come years later. The headaches and light issues are immediate effects, the memory and more startling effects develop over time. I have no doubt that all of these guys are doing damage to their bodies and brains. However, hitting a weaker person the way he did is 99% of the time attributable to a lack of brains and over-active testosterone levels. We've all encountered meatheads that never progressed beyond solving problems with their fists. Football players are paid combatants. It's easy for some to flip the switch from beast mode to gentle giant. Others need to keep it in gear.

I saw an interesting quote from Ray Rice saying that anyone who knows him, knows how he was raised only by his mother, and how much he loves his mother, would know that this is out of character. Part of me believes him, but the other part says he missed out on that important component of how men should act, which would have come (hopefully) from his father. Another sad commentary on how important both moms and dads are to raising a child.

I don't know, a younger guy like Titus Young has went off the rails and his family thinks its due to brain injuries. I would have to think a guy like Junior Seau, who committed suicide within a year or two of retiring, had to be showing some effects of brain injuries prior to ending his career.

I'm just spitting into the wind here regarding Rice. All I'm saying is it wouldn't surprise me to read a feature story about things going even further downhill for him over the next 4-5 years, with brain trauma being the likely culprit.

[fishersofmen]

Yea he has brain injuries all right. Apparently he thinks his gal should have some too. The guy is an a$$ hole. There are plenty of folks out there just like him that don't play football.

[LMITOUT]

True or False:

If it were Michael Sam instead of Ray Rice, that video would have never seen the light of day.

[mrklean]

True or False:

If it were Michael Sam instead of Ray Rice, that video would have never seen the light of day.

If it were Michael Sam he would have been hitting another man so would it just be considered a fight?

[Getanet]

Maybe I'm misunderstanding the point of the question, but I would say false. Michael Sam was one of the biggest sports topics over the past six months or so and video of him knocking someone out in an elevator would have been big news.

[CaptainMusky]

True or False:

If it were Michael Sam instead of Ray Rice, that video would have never seen the light of day.

the hypocrisy in this question makes me laugh since you chastised me for posing a similar scenario involving NASCAR.

[Canon Guy]

True or False:

If it were Michael Sam instead of Ray Rice, that video would have never seen the light of day.

Probably false. Why do you ask this?

[fishersofmen]

I would agree with false since the source of the video going public was TMZ and they will do anything for exposure and profit.

[Big Dave2]

I can see where LMIT is going with that. Do you still say false if it is his boyfriend that he slugs?

My main question would be: why is everyone else so outraged about this when the person who got punched is not?

[Canon Guy]

My main question would be: why is everyone else so outraged about this when the person who got punched is not?

I don't think we know how the woman really feels. How can someone not be outraged at what happened on that video?

[LMITOUT]

If it were Michael Sam he would have been hitting another man so would it just be considered a fight?

No, I am asking if Sam was in the place of Rice and a female (regardless of their relationship) is still the person getting struck in the head.

[DrJill]

Forget about his occupation, forget about the sexes involved, forget about sexual orientations.

How is it possible to do that and not face a trial on criminal charges ?

I really couldn't care less about the NFL side of the story.

To me, the fact that the perpetrator didn't face a trial is incredible.

[Big Dave2]

I don't think we know how the woman really feels. How can someone not be outraged at what happened on that video?

Read the article I posted earlier, she tells you exactly how she feels.

[CaptainMusky]

I cannot believe that ANYONE would attempt to trivialize what was done in this video regardless of WHO or what sexual orientation of the perpetrator was. Seriously? The victim doesn't have a "problem" with it so that makes it OK? Now I've heard it all!

No excuse PERIOD. Ever think that she may not have a problem with it because the nut less Goodell had her in room WITH ray when asked about the situation? Seriously? As an attorney he should know better than that.

Ray Rice loses his career over this she stands to lose her money maker. I bet this marriage ends in months now. He promised her the world to keep her mouth shut. Now he won't be able to do that.