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Ray Rice's Domestic Abuse Presser Sends Wrong Message (1 Viewer)

No doubt Ray is a POS, but how does this not fall under the new domestic abuse program where 1st offense is 6 games? Why is there talk of an entire year or punishment beyond the new program the NFL just released less than 30 days ago. Isn't this fall under a 6 game suspension if a team where to sign him?

Is McDonald and Hardy all getting indefinite suspensions? This thing was a very sad story when it first released and is quickly turning into a disaster for the NFL.
Both a fair and excellent point. Goodell may be saying "suspended indefinitely" to publicly look hard on the offense since he received so much deserved criticism for originally being so soft on it. I image the the indefinite suspension will eventually become six games to match his new policy.There is also a chance that the suspension is indefinite rather than six games because Rice lied to Goodell about what occurred in the elevator, and the indefinite suspension is for not only the offense but also for the lies.

Likely the former instance, IMO.
I guess the thing that surprises me is the heavy hammer by both the Ravens and NFL after the video came out. Not condoning it in any way, but the NFL has had domestic violence situations since its existence, now all of a sudden a player is cut and suspended indefinitely almost like this is the first time it has happened. Again, never put hands on women, but odd that now it is in the public eye the NFL wants to take a stand on this.

I'll be curious to see if the other teams cut their players for domestic violence. Or how they justify it in the press conference.

 
No doubt Ray is a POS, but how does this not fall under the new domestic abuse program where 1st offense is 6 games? Why is there talk of an entire year or punishment beyond the new program the NFL just released less than 30 days ago. Isn't this fall under a 6 game suspension if a team where to sign him?

Is McDonald and Hardy all getting indefinite suspensions? This thing was a very sad story when it first released and is quickly turning into a disaster for the NFL.
Both a fair and excellent point. Goodell may be saying "suspended indefinitely" to publicly look hard on the offense since he received so much deserved criticism for originally being so soft on it. I image the the indefinite suspension will eventually become six games to match his new policy.There is also a chance that the suspension is indefinite rather than six games because Rice lied to Goodell about what occurred in the elevator, and the indefinite suspension is for not only the offense but also for the lies.

Likely the former instance, IMO.
I guess the thing that surprises me is the heavy hammer by both the Ravens and NFL after the video came out. Not condoning it in any way, but the NFL has had domestic violence situations since its existence, now all of a sudden a player is cut and suspended indefinitely almost like this is the first time it has happened. Again, never put hands on women, but odd that now it is in the public eye the NFL wants to take a stand on this.

I'll be curious to see if the other teams cut their players for domestic violence. Or how they justify it in the press conference.
I don't think it will become commonplace for teams to cut players based on domestic abuse. I think Rice fell prey to a perfect storm: his crime was caught on camera and there was already humongous backlash over Rice receiving such a short suspension. Neither is likely to happen in the future. Sucks for Rice, but that's the breaks, little man.
 
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Once you see that elevator video, it cannot be unseen.

Ray is never going to live that down. He may pay his penance to his wife and to society and he may be granted forgiveness by those whose forgiveness matters to him, but that video is his scarlet letter. It will refresh the faded memories at the push of a website button for all time, including the memories of those who may think of signing him years from now if his ban is lifted.

 
The_Man said:
It's getting kind of embarrassing to be a Ravens fan. And now Ray Lewis is going to talk about this on ESPN tonight. Like that won't be hideously cringe-worthy.
OK, here comes Ray Lewis on ESPN. Whatever happens, he will make this all about himself. As he does with everything.

 
Holy ####. Worse than I expected.
Why?

I don't understand this reaction or the reaction of the NFL and Ravens. WTF DID THEY THINK HAPPENED IN THERE?!?!?!?!? He dragged her out of there unconscious. Did they really need to see it to understand it was a brutally violent encounter?

 
Holy ####. Worse than I expected.
Why?

I don't understand this reaction or the reaction of the NFL and Ravens. WTF DID THEY THINK HAPPENED IN THERE?!?!?!?!? He dragged her out of there unconscious. Did they really need to see it to understand it was a brutally violent encounter?
The NFL and Ravens are reacting to the public reaction to the video. Both the NFL and the Ravens knew it was a brutally violent encounter for her to be knocked the F out. Had TMZ never published the video and had the public never reacted viscerally to seeing the image, both the Ravens and the NFL would have been perfectly content with a two game suspension knowing full well that the knockout blow was similar to what the public is just now seeing. Rice's fate today has little to do with either the Ravens or the NFL discovering new information, and almost everything to do with public reaction.

 
Holy ####. Worse than I expected.
Why?

I don't understand this reaction or the reaction of the NFL and Ravens. WTF DID THEY THINK HAPPENED IN THERE?!?!?!?!? He dragged her out of there unconscious. Did they really need to see it to understand it was a brutally violent encounter?
In my opinion when somebody makes it out to be a reflexive self-defense strike, maybe the way you'd push someone away with an open palm, and then you see that it was an actual windup haymaker. Then YES, I am a little surprised at how much worse it really was. Her being unconscious is almost irrelevant in my opinion. Some people can get knocked out with a slap to the face. The fact he threw a closed fist punch is what makes this that much worse. He could've killed her with a punch like that. Especially since she had no defensive posture, like her hands up, to absorb the blow.

 
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It's not a global question about the legal system. Society has a certain interest in the administration of justice, but the person who has the predominant interest in this case is Janay Rice. And if she says that she doesn't want her husband to go to jail and doesn't want to cooperate in putting him there, is it absurd for a prosecutor to consider that? Vindicating her interest in justice is a big part of that prosecutor's job.
Why does it suddenly change is she dies?

HYpothetically: let's say that when she hit her head on the elevator hand rail, it left her with brain damage. She was still able to speak, though, so she makes clear to police and prosecutors that she won't cooperate and doesn't want Ray to go to jail. After these statements, her health takes a turn for the worse, and she's 50-50 to make it through another 24 hours.

So, Ray Rice's fate is weirdly tied to her outcome. She pulls through, he gets off fairly lightly, it seems. She dies, does the state counter her wishes -- which you have averred as being very important to the prosecution -- and pursue manslaughter charges?

I know, I know ... it's different. I know. Sheesh.
Potential sanctions are tied to outcome in about every facet of anything.

 
krista4 said:
I'm sorry...what rice did is very very very wrong.

still shouldn't lose his job because of it
Please explain why not.
We don't know what she said for him to react like that?
shtick?
It's a tired shtick already tried and failed in this thread.
It was sarcasm to Belljr's post about how terrible it was he lost his job and how there isn't anything that could possibly NOT justify him losing his job IMO except to Belljr apparently there is.

Man, I thought you guys knew me.

 
krista4 said:
I'm sorry...what rice did is very very very wrong.

still shouldn't lose his job because of it
Please explain why not.
We don't know what she said for him to react like that?
shtick?
It's a tired shtick already tried and failed in this thread.
It was sarcasm to Belljr's post about how terrible it was he lost his job and how there isn't anything that could possibly NOT justify him losing his job IMO except to Belljr apparently there is.

Man, I thought you guys knew me.
i got it Bob.
 
Holy ####. Worse than I expected.
Why?

I don't understand this reaction or the reaction of the NFL and Ravens. WTF DID THEY THINK HAPPENED IN THERE?!?!?!?!? He dragged her out of there unconscious. Did they really need to see it to understand it was a brutally violent encounter?
The NFL and Ravens are reacting to the public reaction to the video. Both the NFL and the Ravens knew it was a brutally violent encounter for her to be knocked the F out. Had TMZ never published the video and had the public never reacted viscerally to seeing the image, both the Ravens and the NFL would have been perfectly content with a two game suspension knowing full well that the knockout blow was similar to what the public is just now seeing. Rice's fate today has little to do with either the Ravens or the NFL discovering new information, and almost everything to do with public reaction.
Exactly. This is now a PR situation. He should have been cut when the first video surfaced but the second video left them no choice.

 
krista4 said:
I'm sorry...what rice did is very very very wrong.

still shouldn't lose his job because of it
Please explain why not.
We don't know what she said for him to react like that?
shtick?
It's a tired shtick already tried and failed in this thread.
It was sarcasm to Belljr's post about how terrible it was he lost his job and how there isn't anything that could possibly NOT justify him losing his job IMO except to Belljr apparently there is.

Man, I thought you guys knew me.
i got it Bob.
Thank you Tim.

 
krista4 said:
I'm sorry...what rice did is very very very wrong.

still shouldn't lose his job because of it
Please explain why not.
We don't know what she said for him to react like that?
shtick?
It's a tired shtick already tried and failed in this thread.
It was sarcasm to Belljr's post about how terrible it was he lost his job and how there isn't anything that could possibly NOT justify him losing his job IMO except to Belljr apparently there is.

Man, I thought you guys knew me.
I got it, which is why I had deleted my post before this was posted. ;) But you must have been posting at the same time, so there it is for all eternity. :)

 
Assuming this wasn't the first time Ray Ray gave her beatdown... why would she come at him like that? Didn't she know what the outcome would be? Is this what Stephen A. Smith was talking about?

 
Playing devils advocate if Rice doesn't play for the NFL he wouldn't lose his job. If Rice was at say Directv and this same even happened he is still employed. Why should NFL players be held to a higher standard than the public?

 
Holy ####. Worse than I expected.
Why?

I don't understand this reaction or the reaction of the NFL and Ravens. WTF DID THEY THINK HAPPENED IN THERE?!?!?!?!? He dragged her out of there unconscious. Did they really need to see it to understand it was a brutally violent encounter?
In my opinion when somebody makes it out to be a reflexive self-defense strike, maybe the way you'd push someone away with an open palm, and then you see that it was an actual windup haymaker. Then YES, I am a little surprised at how much worse it really was. Her being unconscious is almost irrelevant in my opinion. Some people can get knocked out with a slap to the face. The fact he threw a closed fist punch is what makes this that much worse. He could've killed her with a punch like that. Especially since she had no defensive posture, like her hands up, to absorb the blow.
I watched it this morning and it seemed to me the worst part was probably the way she fell over, bashing her head on the metal hand railing in the elevator. I didn't see the fist open or closed, nor would I call it a "windup haymaker." I don't plan on watching it again to confirm, but that was my impression based on the one and only time I saw the video.

 
Holy ####. Worse than I expected.
Why?

I don't understand this reaction or the reaction of the NFL and Ravens. WTF DID THEY THINK HAPPENED IN THERE?!?!?!?!? He dragged her out of there unconscious. Did they really need to see it to understand it was a brutally violent encounter?
In my opinion when somebody makes it out to be a reflexive self-defense strike, maybe the way you'd push someone away with an open palm, and then you see that it was an actual windup haymaker. Then YES, I am a little surprised at how much worse it really was. Her being unconscious is almost irrelevant in my opinion. Some people can get knocked out with a slap to the face. The fact he threw a closed fist punch is what makes this that much worse. He could've killed her with a punch like that. Especially since she had no defensive posture, like her hands up, to absorb the blow.
I watched it this morning and it seemed to me the worst part was probably the way she fell over, bashing her head on the metal hand railing in the elevator. I didn't see the fist open or closed, nor would I call it a "windup haymaker." I don't plan on watching it again to confirm, but that was my impression based on the one and only time I saw the video.
So since Rice isn't throwing a "haymaker" and may have had an open hand ... Rice was showing restraint?

 
Holy ####. Worse than I expected.
Why?

I don't understand this reaction or the reaction of the NFL and Ravens. WTF DID THEY THINK HAPPENED IN THERE?!?!?!?!? He dragged her out of there unconscious. Did they really need to see it to understand it was a brutally violent encounter?
In my opinion when somebody makes it out to be a reflexive self-defense strike, maybe the way you'd push someone away with an open palm, and then you see that it was an actual windup haymaker. Then YES, I am a little surprised at how much worse it really was. Her being unconscious is almost irrelevant in my opinion. Some people can get knocked out with a slap to the face. The fact he threw a closed fist punch is what makes this that much worse. He could've killed her with a punch like that. Especially since she had no defensive posture, like her hands up, to absorb the blow.
I watched it this morning and it seemed to me the worst part was probably the way she fell over, bashing her head on the metal hand railing in the elevator. I didn't see the fist open or closed, nor would I call it a "windup haymaker." I don't plan on watching it again to confirm, but that was my impression based on the one and only time I saw the video.
Fair enough. My impression is that Rice didn't show demonstrable body language which indicated, "Oh my God! What the F did I just do?" His body language seemed like he was OK with the outcome (whether it was open hand or closed hand), and he just wanted to get her back to the room with the least amount of people noticing.

 
Not able to watch. What is Lewis saying?
I dunno, blah blah, blah, and blah for the most part. He was very somber, saying Rice is in a very low place(he should be he said), feels like the whole world is coming after him(rightfully so he said) and wants to help him out of it. Then rambled on about players taking care of each other.

 
Playing devils advocate if Rice doesn't play for the NFL he wouldn't lose his job. If Rice was at say Directv and this same even happened he is still employed. Why should NFL players be held to a higher standard than the public?
A no-name repair man at direct tv is not the face of the franchise like Ray Rice is for the Ravens. There are larger implications, advertisers, franchise image etc...

 
Olberman just said "Roger Goodell is an enabler of men who beat women."

Dayum

 
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No doubt Ray is a POS, but how does this not fall under the new domestic abuse program where 1st offense is 6 games? Why is there talk of an entire year or punishment beyond the new program the NFL just released less than 30 days ago. Isn't this fall under a 6 game suspension if a team where to sign him?

Is McDonald and Hardy all getting indefinite suspensions? This thing was a very sad story when it first released and is quickly turning into a disaster for the NFL.
Both a fair and excellent point. Goodell may be saying "suspended indefinitely" to publicly look hard on the offense since he received so much deserved criticism for originally being so soft on it. I image the the indefinite suspension will eventually become six games to match his new policy.There is also a chance that the suspension is indefinite rather than six games because Rice lied to Goodell about what occurred in the elevator, and the indefinite suspension is for not only the offense but also for the lies.

Likely the former instance, IMO.
I guess the thing that surprises me is the heavy hammer by both the Ravens and NFL after the video came out. Not condoning it in any way, but the NFL has had domestic violence situations since its existence, now all of a sudden a player is cut and suspended indefinitely almost like this is the first time it has happened. Again, never put hands on women, but odd that now it is in the public eye the NFL wants to take a stand on this.

I'll be curious to see if the other teams cut their players for domestic violence. Or how they justify it in the press conference.
Exactly. They aren't taking a stand because it's wrong. They are doing it because mainstream media caught on.

 
My take.

What Rice did was despicable.

I think in many cases, people become prone to violence because they were raised in violent homes or neighborhoods, and they are conditioned to believe violence is a way to resolve conflict.

I don't see that issue being any different from addiction, or anxiety or depression -- with treatment, one can be rehabilitated.

Therefore I don't necessarily condemn Rice any more than I would a person with a drug problem, provided they are remorseful and seek treatment.

In the video, the fiancé is violent toward Rice too, which is equally despicable. Neither violent act justifies the other.

Both of them need treatment to learn how to resolve conflict without hitting each other. If Rice is in treatment and is trying to be a better husband, then she needs to be part of that process and be a better wife too. We can all do better. We learn and grow until the day we die IMO. Some people have farther to travel than others.

I rewatched the press conference with Rice and his wife today. He seemed remorseful and got emotional. I don't know how genuine he was, or if he's in treatment. I don't pretend to know the intimate details of these peoples' lives. Maybe it was all for show, I honestly can't say one way or the other.

IMO, the NFL's policy should include a treatment component. This is a complex issue and there is no one-size-fits-all solution.

I'm almost as sickened by all the condemnation of Rice as I am of that video. For all we know, he could have learned from the experience, could be in treatment, and their marriage could be headed toward normalcy. I know he was an active role model in the community before this, and now he's just a pile of crap in the eyes of many. We are complex beings and none of us are 100% good or 100% bad.

The above is in no way excusing Rice's behavior, or blaming his wife, nor a case for letting him off scot free. I'm simply pointing out that the media and social media have completely torn down this human being based on the video, but I've seen nothing reported of what he's done since then to rehabilitate himself.

If people aren't capable of redemption, then the punishment for every crime should be the death penalty. If we can agree it's possible for Rice to rehabilitate himself through treatment, then there should be a path to reinstatement. In the meantime, it would be best if everyone would stop with the sanctimonious judgments.

 
Playing devils advocate if Rice doesn't play for the NFL he wouldn't lose his job. If Rice was at say Directv and this same even happened he is still employed. Why should NFL players be held to a higher standard than the public?
How do you know? How do you know that the guy running the regional DirecTV office in Minneapolis wouldn't fire an employee if he found out he was smacking women around?

 
McGarnicle, there are lots of people who grow up in violent homes who don't choose to be violent themselves. When you wrote that you view it the same as a drug addiction, you are absolving him of personal responsibility. Nobody is addicted to hitting women.

As far as being sickened by the condemnation, I don't get that either. It's a great thing that society loudly condemns this sort of behavior. I would be horrified and contemptuous of a society that was ambiguous.

 
The_Man said:
It's getting kind of embarrassing to be a Ravens fan. And now Ray Lewis is going to talk about this on ESPN tonight. Like that won't be hideously cringe-worthy.

The Ravens can't cut him, because that would put them $1.5 M over the cap, but they should come out right now and say he will never play for them again. Enough already. But the owner is such a jock-sniffer that I'm sure such an action will be impossible for him.

One really sad part of all this is that Rice really seemed to be a good guy. He was involved in anti-bullying stuff and my 10-year-old daughter loved him. She thought it was amazing that someone so little could be better than the huge guys he played against. He was kind of like a cartoon character, and her only jersey is a Ray Rice one. It's in the trash -- and it's been a chance to talk with her about being respected by boys/men and never tolerating any abusive behavior. But it still sucks.
Wanna bet?

 

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