After the release of the video by TMZ Sports on Monday, showing Baltimore Ravens running back Ray Rice punching and knocking out his then fiancee Janay Palmer in an elevator, blame has been placed all over the league. The Ravens terminated Rice’s contact on Monday, and the NFL suspended him indefinitely.
Before Monday, all the public had seen was Rice dragging Palmer out of the elevator, and laying her down on the floor. The video seemed to show him hit her once, then she came toward him, and he punched her again, and her head hit the handrail around the inside of the elevator, and she was knocked out.
When the elevator door opened, a non-remorseful Rice picked her up, face down, and with her feet dragging, attempted unsuccessfully to just get her out of the elevator. Her feet were still in the elevator. Then as he reached down to get her feet out of the elevator, security came over to the scene.
On Tuesday, NFL commissioner Roger Goodell denied in an interview with CBS, that anyone in the league had seen the video before Monday. But then on Wednesday, the Associated Press (AP) reported that the video was sent to the NFL back in April. Goodell responded that former FBI director Robert Mueller will conduct an investigation into these allegations.
This whole situation reminds me of a line George Constanza said in a Seinfeld episode, “it’s like an onion, the more you peel away, the more it stinks”. The incident occurred in February, and Rice and Palmer were married in March. So apparently she got over it, or it only happened once. If it’s happened before, maybe she likes that treatment. There are some women like that, as hard as it if for me to understand.
With Rice being 27 years old, which is young, but 30 is considered as getting old for a running back, and having his worst season of his career last year, his possible return to the NFL is in serious jeopardy. Rice, who never averaged less than 4.0 yards per carry in a season, which is the NFL average, only averaged 3.1 yards per carry in 2013.
The indefinite suspension from the NFL basically means you’re out forever, unless we decide you can have another chance. The embarrassment this caused the Baltimore Ravens and the NFL will have a lingering effect. Even if he is eventually reinstated, who will want to sign him, after his worst season, and the backlash that will occur to any future team?
Now Goodell is under increased scrutiny also. Some have called for his resignation, or even for him to be fired. If the AP report is true, why would Goodell bury this video? Yes, it is embarrassing to the league, but so are the many positive drug tests and drunk drivings committed by players and even the owner of the Indianapolis Colts, Jim Irsay. Goodell and the Ravens should have reacted like they did on Monday, back when they received the video.
Guess who is on Thursday Night Football this week, the Baltimore Ravens. They host the Pittsburgh Steelers in an AFC North division game. We might have more “stink” to hear about by the time the game is televised. This may be just the beginning of this ordeal.
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