The Ray Rice Debacle
- Thread starter amarshal2
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Harry Hooper said:
There is absolutely no way I'd give the player's association lawyer anything either, unless the CBA compelled me to---they are, as a matter of institutional orientation, inherently more biased than even Goodell himself. Their job is to protect the players (and in most contexts, any individual player) not to find the truth. This is a PR move for them, on Rice's behalf.
I believe Goodell acted completely inappropriately in this situation, by the way.
That is correct.
However, the NFLPA ought to fold its tent and dissolve if it does not clamp down on this like a saltwater croc.
I understand people being put off by Rice and what he did. But if you put that aside, you will probably conclude that this may be the most outrageous miscarriage of player "justice" in NFL history.
The NFL's position here is ludicrous. Putting aside all the other substantial evidence in Rice's favor -- e.g., Ozzie Newsome's acknowledgment that Rice leveled with him -- how can you possibly claim to have been misled when the world has seen a videotape of a woman dragged from an elevator like a sack of potatoes after she had been knocked the fuck out?
So this boils down to -- we'll double down on the discipline and tell a boldfaced lie about it to get out of a PR nightmare.
This is why I don't settle if I'm Rice. I force the whole crew to raise their right hands and spin this fantastic tale to the federal judge serving as hearing officer. Which will only enrage the judge because they will be insulting the office and her intelligence.
However, the NFLPA ought to fold its tent and dissolve if it does not clamp down on this like a saltwater croc.
I understand people being put off by Rice and what he did. But if you put that aside, you will probably conclude that this may be the most outrageous miscarriage of player "justice" in NFL history.
The NFL's position here is ludicrous. Putting aside all the other substantial evidence in Rice's favor -- e.g., Ozzie Newsome's acknowledgment that Rice leveled with him -- how can you possibly claim to have been misled when the world has seen a videotape of a woman dragged from an elevator like a sack of potatoes after she had been knocked the fuck out?
So this boils down to -- we'll double down on the discipline and tell a boldfaced lie about it to get out of a PR nightmare.
This is why I don't settle if I'm Rice. I force the whole crew to raise their right hands and spin this fantastic tale to the federal judge serving as hearing officer. Which will only enrage the judge because they will be insulting the office and her intelligence.
dcmissle said:
Yeah, there's almost no question that the NFL violated it's own procedures which they are not allowed to do it. What's amazing is that the NFL's team has its own teams of lawyers and all of them know this. And yet the NFL did it anyway, which tells you how much they were in "reaction mode," which tells you just how surprised they were, which tells you just how UN-seriously they took domestic violence.
I agree with maufman and think they're just waiting for the line to play out--perhaps taking as long as humanly possible--and be compelled to reinstate Rice and pay him with what amounts to them as the loose change lost in the couch.
Goodell slept much better at night when hand-picked investigator Bob Mueller was the one gathering information. Ooooops.PedroKsBambino said:
BornToRun said:
That costume tore the envelope up, shredded the pieces, and then lit them on fire. And then vacuumed the ashes and dropped the vacuum into Mount Doom.
According to the NFL's notes, Rice presented an "ambiguous" account. Yet the NFL probed no further (which it could have done easily) and felt it had enough command of the facts to issue the 2-game suspension.
What's that smell?
What's that smell?
This is ludicrous. The minute Ozzie said that Rice leveled with the Commish -- and Ozzie was in the room -- it was game over because they indisputably had the tape of her being dragged unconscious from the elevator. Ozzie has now repeated this under oath.
No less appropriate that asking the victim of domestic violence what happened right in front of her alleged attacker...Ed Hillel said:
I thought it was undisputed that Rice admitted to striking her. When Goodell said that Ray Rice misled him about what happened, I thought he meant something else -- most likely, that Rice had exaggerated the extent to which his wife initiated the incident (leaving aside whether that should have mattered). Did I miss something?
I'm assuming that Goodell's version is that Rice told him he struck his fiancee after the two had been arguing, she was really provoking him, it was defensive not offensive, hit her a little harder than he intended, she slipped and banged her head on the railing knocking her unconscious - that would be misleading based on what we've seen on the video. Of course, this presumes that Goodell had not yet seen the video.
Yaz4Ever said:
I realize that this is Roget Goodell we're talking about, but if we're going to slice the onion this finely, virtually any argument can be made about the act in question.
The plain truth is that Goodell knew everything and he's now being exposed as the liar we all assumed he was.
What would sufficiently provocation or mitigation -- if she were brandishing a gun or knife? The hairs that are being split do not warrant turning a 2-game suspension into an indefinite one. I suspect that the retired federal judge will view this as it was, PR driven.
This is exactly it. The notion that Rice could have used ambiguous language without a follow up to tighten up his version is only barely plausible, but even if true, it's no less loathsome than a two game suspension for a fully honest account anyway.Harry Hooper said:
This is delicious. When a party as sophisticated as this one is fighting about a distinction that doesn't affect the bottom line, it's because they have nothing.
Kraft continues to lead the "Golly Gee, Goodell is Great" contingent.
Florio notes:
It should be noted, of course, that getting the word out that Mueller's is being very tough is exactly the message the NFL tactically would want to leak as long as the final report comes out in the NFL's favor.
Florio notes:
It should be noted, of course, that getting the word out that Mueller's is being very tough is exactly the message the NFL tactically would want to leak as long as the final report comes out in the NFL's favor.
NYT article on the NFL's cultural practices aiding the silencing of victims of DV, including help from Marvin Lewis:
http://www.nytimes.com/2014/11/18/sports/wives-in-domestic-abuse-cases-say-nfl-culture-made-them-feel-trapped.html?hp&action=click&pgtype=Homepage&module=second-column-region®ion=top-news&WT.nav=top-news
http://www.nytimes.com/2014/11/18/sports/wives-in-domestic-abuse-cases-say-nfl-culture-made-them-feel-trapped.html?hp&action=click&pgtype=Homepage&module=second-column-region®ion=top-news&WT.nav=top-news
That article is as unsurprising as it is depressing.
Two big takeaways are 1) that the teams essentially are encouraging wives and couples to use in-house services so that word doesn't get out, and 2) that when they do try to leave, wives are so dependent on the money that none of them stick up for the others.
Not sure what the solution is. The NFL can make as many services available to couples as they want (and I would venture to guess, they already do and were) – but pretty much the only viable solution for most (all) of these women is to leave. And short of writing contracts that entitle spouses to half the money outright, that doesn't happen until it's way too late.
Two big takeaways are 1) that the teams essentially are encouraging wives and couples to use in-house services so that word doesn't get out, and 2) that when they do try to leave, wives are so dependent on the money that none of them stick up for the others.
Not sure what the solution is. The NFL can make as many services available to couples as they want (and I would venture to guess, they already do and were) – but pretty much the only viable solution for most (all) of these women is to leave. And short of writing contracts that entitle spouses to half the money outright, that doesn't happen until it's way too late.
Ray Rice Decision Expected By Thanksgiving; NFL Reinstatement Seems Likely
The article delineates four reasons to believe that the NFL’s indefinite suspension of Ray Rice will not stand.
The article delineates four reasons to believe that the NFL’s indefinite suspension of Ray Rice will not stand.
Seeing some action on Twitter that says Rice won his appeal and will be available to play soon.
Former Ravens RB Ray Rice wins appeal - NFL sources
— PzFeed Top News (@PzFeed) November 28, 2014
Former Ravens RB Ray Rice wins appeal - NFL sources
— PzFeed Top News (@PzFeed) November 28, 2014
Why would an already eliminated team want to pick up a guy who "might" be a slight upgrade at backup RB?BigSoxFan said:
Ray Rice was pretty terrible in 2013, and hasn't played at all this year,
There is no way that the possible marginal upgrade at RB is worth 1) the PR nightmare and 2) the possibility of angering the Commish,
even if you assume he'd be going to a bad team for '15.
even if you assume he'd be going to a bad team for '15.
Goodell blackballing Rice would be the cherry on top of the shit sundae. Please make it happen.
Goodell has been inconsistent with his rulings and seems to have dictatorial power. It's an unknown, but it's there that he'll do somethingBigSoxFan said:
Dan to Theo to Ben said:
HIs attempt to be dictatorial with respect to the Rice case just got overruled and makes him look like a jackass while reinjecting it back into the news cycle.
The Kraft vote of confidence in him that peeved so many of us here underscored the fact that Goodell relies on the owners support, not vice versa.