Ray Rice released by Ravens and banned indefinitely by NFL

padraig_f · 10-09-2014 1:00pm

Seems like the NFL were at least wilfully negligent in not wanting to see the video. Apparently Rice claimed he was drunk when it happened, so they were happy to to take a drunk guy's account of what happened, and not get the video, which they had to know existed.

I'd like to think this could lead to Goodell being ousted, but Andrew Brandt is probably right...

@adbrandt: "While some call for Goodell's ouster, his bosses (owners) take note that one of least valuable franchises, the Bills, may fetch $1.1B"

poldebruin · 10-09-2014 1:18pm

eagle eye wrote: »

And the real truth of that is that as long as it was behind closed doors they were willing to let it slide but as soon as the public seen that video and they observed the reaction to it that they decided to pretend they never seen it.

Unfortunately this seems to be the truth of the matter, not just for Goodell, the NFL and the Ravens, but for the public and media at large. Nobody was calling for Rice to be suspended indefinitely and sacked by the Ravens, before the video was seen. People were asking for 4 or 6 game bans.

The NFL were put in a tough spot once the DA/Judge let Rice enter the pre-trial intervention program. You would think that if the DA didn't think there was anything they could make stick, then the NFL might be in dangerous territory by handing out punishment.

poldebruin · 10-09-2014 1:19pm

From the Onion:

NEW YORK—Following public outcry over his mishandling of Baltimore Ravens running back Ray Rice’s aggravated assault of his then-fiancée, NFL commissioner Roger Goodell announced Tuesday that the league has adopted a new zero-tolerance policy toward all videotaped domestic abuse.

“We hold our players to the highest standards both as professional athletes and as people, so any violence toward women that is recorded, authenticated, and then publicly distributed will be met with an automatic suspension and fine,” said Goodell, adding that the new, stricter guidelines reflect the league’s hard-line stance against any spousal abuse that is clearly and irrefutably captured on film.

“I can assure you that any member of this league who strikes a woman in front of a live camera will face swift and heavy consequences. I also want to stress that this utterly reprehensible behavior is something we will in no way tolerate as long as the footage is completely uninterrupted and the entirety of the assault takes place within frame.” Goodell went on to clarify that in such cases, the NFL will cooperate fully with local authorities as soon as the league can no longer prevent incriminating evidence from being leaked to the media

http://www.theonion.com/articles/nfl-announces-new-zerotolerance-policy-on-videotap,36885/

raze_them_all_ · 10-09-2014 1:26pm

LMFAO wow they aren't even hiding it, do it at home in secret lads, not where the public can see, makes us look bad like

eagle eye · 10-09-2014 1:28pm

poldebruin wrote: »

Unfortunately this seems to be the truth of the matter, not just for Goodell, the NFL and the Ravens, but for the public and media at large. Nobody was calling for Rice to be suspended indefinitely and sacked by the Ravens, before the video was seen. People were asking for 4 or 6 game bans.

The NFL were put in a tough spot once the DA/Judge let Rice enter the pre-trial intervention program. You would think that if the DA didn't think there was anything they could make stick, then the NFL might be in dangerous territory by handing out punishment.

The prosecutors felt that once his now wife was backing Rice that there was very little chance of a conviction I'd imagine.

Realt Dearg Sec · 10-09-2014 1:31pm

raze_them_all_ wrote: »

LMFAO wow they aren't even hiding it, do it at home in secret lads, not where the public can see, makes us look bad like

The key word was "onion"

Pudsy33 · 10-09-2014 1:35pm

raze_them_all_ wrote: »

LMFAO wow they aren't even hiding it, do it at home in secret lads, not where the public can see, makes us look bad like

Whoooosh

raze_them_all_ · 10-09-2014 1:38pm

ah didn see that got distracted reading though

Knex* · 10-09-2014 2:51pm

This is the same organisation that stood by Ray Lewis, in what has to be one of the most dodgy trials I have read about.

Still not believing them about the video. Rice has only been released as they would get too much flak if they kept him now. It would be a circus.

mikemac1 · 10-09-2014 8:08pm

Baltimore Ravens ‏@Ravens 7m
The Baltimore Ravens will offer an exchange for Ray Rice jerseys at stadium stores. Details to come.

Was to be expected. The Patriots got some good press when they did this for Hernandez jerseys

eagle eye · 10-09-2014 8:51pm

Knex. wrote: »

This is the same organisation that stood by Ray Lewis, in what has to be one of the most dodgy trials I have read about.

Still not believing them about the video. Rice has only been released as they would get too much flak if they kept him now. It would be a circus.

Yeah fully agree. The reasons for letting him go now are firstly to save face and secondly because he would be heckled at every stadium they visit and probably at home games as well.

And you know what happens in situations like that is the other players have seen the video and they don't like it one bit either and there is unrest in the locker room.

helimachoptor · 10-09-2014 8:59pm

Schefter just posted this

@AdamSchefter: A law enforcement official told the AP he sent a video of Ray Rice punching his then-fiancee to an NFL executive three months ago.

If true and there's proof it's a bloody damning indictment of the nfl

Itssoeasy · 10-09-2014 9:10pm

helimachoptor wrote: »

Schefter just posted this

@AdamSchefter: A law enforcement official told the AP he sent a video of Ray Rice punching his then-fiancee to an NFL executive three months ago.

If true and there's proof it's a bloody damning indictment of the nfl

Oh if that's true then oh oh the league is in trouble. It's probably a coincidence but it seems neither the around the nfl and rich eisen podcasts are up yet.

It's a conspiracy ted .

helimachoptor · 10-09-2014 9:11pm

Literally just breaking on twitter now

Itssoeasy · 10-09-2014 9:13pm

Adam shefter is saying the source played a few seconds clip of a voicemail confirming receipt of the video.

This just keeps on getting worse.

eagle eye · 10-09-2014 9:19pm

I'll have Goodell's head on a platter please:D

Itssoeasy · 10-09-2014 9:26pm

Oh it gets better it's apparently a female voice who confirms they got it and says, "your right. It's horrible." It's also dated to April which is five months ago.

helimachoptor · 10-09-2014 9:29pm

Itssoeasy wrote: »

Oh it gets better it's apparently a female voice who confirms they got it and says, "your right. It's horrible." It's also dated to April which is five months ago.

Wow..

mikemac1 · 10-09-2014 9:40pm

Goodell covered himself

He told NFL Network that he never saw it and neither did any league employee to his knowledge

Maybe some lowely VP is going to get fired for not passing it upwards

Itssoeasy · 10-09-2014 9:44pm

Report: Law enforcement sent Rice video to NFL exec months ago
Posted by Michael David Smith on September 10, 2014, 5:04 PM EDT
AP
A new report is calling into question NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell’s claim that no one in the NFL had seen the infamous Ray Rice video until it was published on Monday.
The Associated Press is reporting that a law enforcement source sent the security camera footage to an NFL executive months ago.
That law enforcement source also played a voicemail from an NFL office number for the Associated Press. In the voicemail, a female voice confirms receiving the video, expresses thanks for sending it, and says, “You’re right. It’s terrible.”
There is one discrepancy in the Associated Press report: Although the AP says the video was sent three months ago, the same report says the voicemail was dated April 9, which is five months ago.
The NFL has come in for harsh criticism over the last three days after TMZ published the video showing Rice brutally assaulting his wife in a casino elevator. Goodell has insisted that neither he nor anyone else in the league office saw the video.
The Associated Press is not publishing the name of either the law enforcement source or the NFL official who received the video from that source.
Shortly after the Associated Press report was published, the NFL released a statement saying the league will look into it.

Yet the league are still saying they are not aware of tape and are looking into the APs report.

Knex* · 10-09-2014 9:45pm

This is some mess. Take a bow, NFL. Take a bow.

Itssoeasy · 10-09-2014 9:51pm

Listening to Philly sports radio. A caller said that cris carter was asked about the video on twitter on Monday morning and his response was this.

@criscarter80: I've seen the video along time ago“@bewithmike: @criscarter80 @SKoelmeyer thoughts on new ray rice video?”

JaMarcusHustle · 10-09-2014 10:07pm

This is spiralling out of control now. How on earth did they think they could get away with saying they didn't see the video?

Chucky the tree · 10-09-2014 10:07pm

Let's be honest, this isn't surprising. Goddell/NFL operate in a purely "what's best for the NFL" world. They don't give a **** about anything outside of that. I'm just shocked they have been stupid enough to take this route.

JaMarcusHustle · 10-09-2014 10:15pm

https://twitter.com/SportsCenter/status/509812598842593281

MoyVilla9 · 10-09-2014 11:03pm

Deny, deny, deny.

raze_them_all_ · 10-09-2014 11:44pm

MoyVilla9 wrote: »

Deny, deny, deny.

hey look behinds you

*cheeses it*

Lee_Torre · 11-09-2014 2:02pm

The punch heard around the NFL has been big news obviously.

Ray Rice got cut from the Ravens, the dude's not even on the Madden video game anymore. Everybody is proud to stand up against domestic violence, then his wife writes a long message on Instagram(I think it was Instagram) talking about "thanks for ruining our lives" to the media and fans.

In a way I understand what she's saying because she personally got past it and now her husband(and source of financial security) is losing his job and probably super-depressed at the house causing a crappy living environment. But still it really irks me how so many battered women seem to take up for their attackers so easily. I can't understand how she could get back with him in the first place. The guy punched her like she was a dude!

Did anyone else see her message and do you think she was right to tongue-lash the media?

-Lee

eagle eye · 11-09-2014 2:10pm

Nobody heard the punch, we all seen it but there was no sound.

Lee_Torre · 11-09-2014 2:13pm

eagle eye wrote: »

Nobody heard the punch, we all seen it but there was no sound.

Haaaa, you got me on a technicality right there. No argument here, lol.

Masked Man · 11-09-2014 11:57pm

That Steve Bisciotti interview on CBS really rubbed me the wrong way. Kept on about the failings of the legal system and how he's embarrassed now but he'll be proud in 5 years if this is a seminal moment in hoe society deals with domestic abuse.

Paully D · 20-09-2014 12:33am

Superb reporting from ESPN here and the best summary of events which has been compiled from numerous sources that you will find:

http://espn.go.com/espn/otl/story/_/id/11551518/how-ray-rice-scandal-unfolded-baltimore-ravens-roger-goodell-nfl

Very interesting that Harbaugh wanted him released straight away but was overruled from above.

padraig_f · 20-09-2014 1:09am

Paully D wrote: »

Superb reporting from ESPN here and the best summary of events which has been compiled from numerous sources that you will find:

http://espn.go.com/espn/otl/story/_/id/11551518/how-ray-rice-scandal-unfolded-baltimore-ravens-roger-goodell-nfl

Very interesting that Harbaugh wanted him released straight away but was overruled from above.

Ravens come out of this pretty badly (except for John Harbaugh). Seems like they knew exactly what went on, and it was basically a cover-up.

Also explains why he got off lightly on the legal route.

"less than 1 percent of all assault and aggravated assault cases in New Jersey are resolved by pre-trial intervention, according to data obtained by "Outside the Lines."

but essentially Rice got it because he had an expensive lawyer and he was a football player, had letters vouching for him from Rutgers and the Ravens.

It's implied in the report also that Rice was truthful with both the Ravens and Goodell about what happened. So that makes his appeal quite interesting, esp in terms of what it means for Goodell.

padraig_f · 20-09-2014 1:55am

A lot of stuff in that article, but just to pick out one:

With his wife sitting by his side in a conference room, Rice told Goodell that he hit her and knocked her out, according to four sources.

I heard Goodell tonight say what Rice told him was inconsistent with what the tape showed.

mikemac1 · 21-09-2014 4:36pm

Paully D wrote: »

Superb reporting from ESPN here and the best summary of events which has been compiled from numerous sources that you will find:

Kevin VanValkenburg was a writer for the Baltimore Sun and was the best they had. He also got involved in message boards so fans could chat to him. An excellent writer for sure and was a good hiring by ESPN.

Anyway the team have responded and say it's an inaccurate article and with several mistakes. They'll reply later next week and didn't have time to do it immediately as Bisciotti is out of the country and there is a road game to prepare for.

Ray Rice released by Ravens and banned indefinitely by NFL

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