Merged: Ray Rice Released and Suspended

[kassaiscool]

I like how ESPN has it as a developing story. Everyone has moved on, Ray Rice married her and is in domestic violence program. This is just throwing dirt on a dead body. The video is sad, but if the people involved in the incident moved on everyone should too.

[RobFuseRaven]

Opinion time:

What should the team do? Its a business still, but something, outside league punishment, needs to be done. If not just for a PR move.

Sit him the entire year!

 

I agree with sitting him the entire year. I love my Ravens and not punishing Ray Rice just seems like a bad move for the organization. They have been known for class. I don't want them to be known for condoning female violence.

[ratedr]

Kevin Byrne, Steve Bischotti, John Harbaugh, Dick Cass

I am calling you out.

You worthless pieces of [crap]! It's pretty sad that I am a huge fan of Byrne and his Friday articles and look forward to them each week. I am shamed today to be called a Ravens fan. You knew about this all this time and you simply condoned an act like this?

What's wrong with you? Would you be calm if someone did the same to your daughter?

The lack of *any* action by the Ravens is baffling. Byrne, you are just another hypocrite doing his PR job just like a criminal lawyer does his. Have some integrity.

Agreed. Waiting for the next article about how great of a guy Ray Rice is.

[jimmypowder]

I think the ravens have to suspend him even longer now that the NFL is stating they did not see the whole tape when making their decision.  Ravens should get in front of this and make a decision before the NFL.  

So if the NFL didn't see the entire tape,neither did the Ravens Front Office.

 

Well ,The NFL will definitely pressure the Ravens to suspend Rice for longer then 2 games.

[1/28/01]

I like how ESPN has it as a developing story. Everyone has moved on, Ray Rice married her and is in domestic violence program. This is just throwing dirt on a dead body. The video is sad, but if the people involved in the incident moved on everyone should too.

Ha, good one. Like this isnt a major issue...

[terp4life30]

I like how ESPN has it as a developing story. Everyone has moved on, Ray Rice married her and is in domestic violence program. This is just throwing dirt on a dead body. The video is sad, but if the people involved in the incident moved on everyone should too.

 

Every website (sportsline, yahoo, fox, cnn, etc) has this story linked on their front page.  Unfortunately, seeing the video draws a lot of traffic and ratings.  No way Ravens can stand still and do nothing.  They know it and I am guessing are working on a plan right now.

[RobFuseRaven]

I thought I read somewhere that Roger Goodell saw the tape. Am I wrong?

[Ricecake]

this is bad....the cover up was she attacked him

Obviously don't know what happened prior to the start of he video, but in the beginning you can see what looks like Ray spitting on her which is the reason why he slapped/tapped him in the face before going in the elevator.

[Florida Ravens Fan]

We pride ourselves in being a classy and one of the top notch organizations, and this is embarrassing and disgusting. If the coaches and front office saw this video and were still standing behind Rice and are ok with only a two game suspension they are messed up. Iv'e always been a Rice fan, but if they were to release him I will be fine with that decision.

[Gordo52]

I hear it being said that the Ravens had not seen this video. But the DA and the league didn't see it either? I just don't understand how that could be. This is a camera in the elevator of the hotel, not some private party filming some event that surfaces well after the fact. All parties would have known this video was available and would have requested it as a part of their rulings.

That is why I think most of us had to assume that there was video footage that all parties reviewed as a part of their ruling that was not made public. They had to have had it all along ... it just wasn't available to TMZ.

Agreed.

Man this sucks.

[dirtybird10]

I think the ravens have to suspend him even longer now that the NFL is stating they did not see the whole tape when making their decision.  Ravens should get in front of this and make a decision before the NFL.  

I agree, just to make a statement out of it alone. It would be easy for the Ravens to have sat back and said they are letting the league handle it and they support what ever the league decides. However, when it comes out this much worse, the penalty the league set was far too low, and the Ravens should do something for their own image and because its the right thing to do.

[theblackdog]

Very odd that there's disagreement on if the NFL, the Ravens and the NJ courts had access to the exact videos that we are seeing now.  If they did, then What the heck? guys?  My opinion has always been that it was up to the courts and the NFL to decide the appropriate punishment for Rice.  When he was given the option to go to a diversionary program, I thought that it basically meant that yeah, he screwed up and did it, but he was being given the same options as appropriate for his level of actions.  Now we see this and I wonder that if the courts saw this, would they even have allowed the diversionary program, or would the prosecution have said "Forget it!  He doesn't deserve to avoid jail time!"

 

As for the Ravens, Bisciotti, Harbaugh, and Ozzie are not stupid, and I suspect if they had seen this tape, there would have been a longer punishment than what we saw.

 

Goodell, who knows, the man basically lives in a bubble.

[mg90]

With the second sentence, you made it seem like the people that crucified Ray Rice before seeing the footage were wrong. Maybe I read it wrong.

Before this video, I had assumed it was possible that Rice wasn't a monster. With this footage, you can put a thought bubble over his head after Janay's first slap saying "Oh you just wait til you try that in the elevator and no one can see us".

In hindsight, he deserves every bit of criticism he received. I'm saying that in scenarios like this it's possible for something to look bad and turn out not so bad. Not the case here.

[codizzle]

If the PR team had any idea what they were doing at all and actually got somewhat of the truth from ray's "telling of the incident", then they should've already had an idea of a "if the tape gets leaked" approach...

Which opens a whole other discussion. If rice really told them the majority of the truth, how could the possibly have reacted as they did?

[PuRock]

Opinion time:

What should the team do? Its a business still, but something, outside league punishment, needs to be done. If not just for a PR move.

Sit him the entire year!

 

I would say suspend him at the minimum for the full six game suspension according to the new rule.  If the organization really wants to make a good PR move, suspend him for the full year.  

[RobFuseRaven]

Before this video, I had assumed it was possible that Rice wasn't a monster. With this footage, you can put a thought bubble over his head after Janay's first slap saying "Oh you just wait til you try that in the elevator and no one can see us".

In hindsight, he deserves every bit of criticism he received. I'm saying that in scenarios like this it's possible for something to look bad and turn out not so bad. Not the case here.

 

I get it. Being a massive Ravens fan, I wanted to believe something, anything would prove that it's not as bad as it sounds. I knew deep down that nothing could sugarcoat knocking a woman out.

[balfan23]

A lesson to all authorities in matters such as this ... you may as well make everything you have public immediately and deal with the situation up front and get it put to bed. It is a new world ... anything that is available to authorities is going to eventually be available to the public through less than scrupulous outlets (TMZ). 

 

Dealing with it completely up front is like ripping the bandage off in one quick motion. Allowing things to come to light in dribs and drabs over an extended period of time is far, far more painful. 

[Grapple Raven]

Wouldnt change my opinion.

That is quite possible, but as we don't know what was spliced out of the tape, or what was spliced together to make things look better or worse...we really just don't know what really happened is all I am saying.  I am just looking at the situation from a factual point of view, not an emotional one.  I think anyone in this situation would certainly want to be judged by the facts that occurred without special editing, and you always have to consider the source is the point I am trying to make.  I don't think anyone would argue the point that TMZ had an agenda. Just mho.

[Ricecake]

Before this video, I had assumed it was possible that Rice wasn't a monster. With this footage, you can put a thought bubble over his head after Janay's first slap saying "Oh you just wait til you try that in the elevator and no one can see us".

In hindsight, he deserves every bit of criticism he received. I'm saying that in scenarios like this it's possible for something to look bad and turn out not so bad. Not the case here.

Sad thing is you can see what looks like him spit on her which is what caused her to slap/hit him.

[codizzle]

Just can't believe that the almighty nfl didn't see that video

[Ginnie]

After seeing the video I want to know why he hasn't been arrested AND kicked out of the NFL.. There is no excuse for what he did and he needs to be arrested for it..

 

[RedFire]

Obviously don't know what happened proper to the start of he video, but in the beginning you can see what looks like Ray spitting on her which is the reason why he slapped/tapped him in the face before going in the elevator.

 

then he was still being aggressive. you don't spit on people anyways. she tapped him to get in the elevator. 

 

the video is conflicting the story...and then you got the people that give women impunity to get physical when a woman is not concerned about your health or safety either coming at people. People that apply childlike rules of behavior to women. 

 

the video doesn't show Rice reacting to an assault....which according to castle doctrine is well within his legal and moral right being in a public environment or domicile being entitled to your space. But all we see is Rice acting a fool....

[GrimCoconut]

Gosh, when will this topic die? This Ray Rice topic is like the Die Hard series. It should've died a long time ago but it keeps getting unnecessarily revived. 

[codizzle]

Gosh, when will this topic die? This Ray Rice topic is like the Die Hard series. It should've died a long time ago but it keeps getting unnecessarily revived.

Quite a big event in the story today, no?

[dirtybird10]

Gosh, when will this topic die? This Ray Rice topic is like the Die Hard series. It should've died a long time ago but it keeps getting unnecessarily revived. 

It was dying, until TMZ threw gas on the fire and released the actual video everyone was speculating about, and it turned out as bad as anyone thought. Now, rightfully so, this is not dying and has been kicked up again.

[SecretAgentMan]

Gosh, when will this topic die? This Ray Rice topic is like the Die Hard series. It should've died a long time ago but it keeps getting unnecessarily revived.

It's also like the Die hard series in that his 3 full seasons were great, but the other two are extremely forgettable

[Gordo52]

Oh boy we got Ashley Fox on sportscenter now. Horrible horrible

[cybercrabman]

For the Love of all things good, please Ravens explain to Ray Rice that 

 

HIS SERVICES WILL NO LONGER BE NEEDED.

 

I am a Ravens fan and approve this message.

 

Please .... Please .... Please .....

 

[52N19]

guys you can justify this anyway you want but the reality is the ravens are practicing hypocrisy if they talk about character in the locker room, character in the organization and character in the community.

 

i grew up down the street from rutgers university. i am a big ray rice fan but if you want to be a credible person or organiation you need to make the tough decisions to reinforce your beliefs which means you cut an impact player if that player defies the beliefs you espouse.

 

harbaugh either better stop taking about character or be prepared to lose credibility wiht his team and the community.

[theblackdog]

According to Aaron Wilson's twitter (RavensInsider) the NFL released a statement they asked law enforcement for all videos related to the Ray Rice investigation and they never saw this particular video until today.

 

Makes me wonder if the law enforcement had the video.  If they didn't, then I wonder how long TMZ sat on this.  Also makes me wonder if someone can be prosecuted for not handing that over to law enforcement when it was requested.