How can the union allow this to happen? As a player I would consider the union the Goddell's B!#@%. The league suspended the player 2 games. Then you ban him AFTER tapes that you saw go released to the public. (I don't believe they never saw the unedited version they never thought tape would see the light of day).
Now, this 'new' tape comes out and something is so horribly worse that this latest reaction comes out?
Let's get real. He punched her. We always knew he punched her. The league and the Ravens knew he punched her. He admitted he punched her. So now there's a video, and absolutely nothing has changed in our knowledge of what happened.
He's not the first man to have punched a woman. he's not the first NFL player to have punched a woman. Under reaction to begin with. Over reaction now.
and Puhleeze...his first suspension was for carrying an unconscious woman out of an elevator? Believe that, and I've got a bridge to sell you.
Rice had a right to the tape because he was being accused of a crime and as such has a right to see evidence against him but that doesn't mean that the NFL can coerce him to hand it over to them.
I do not believe for a second that the NFL/Goodell wanted to see the tape. They handed down a 2 game suspension (which was the rule) then upped it once the heat got a little too hot for them.
Did anyone really need to see the video to know what happened? Other than even more public outcry, nothing actually changed from the first accounting of this until now - we just got to see it with our own eyes and it seems even more real.
Lots of bad guys in this scenario.
It didn't have to be a coercion..Goodell sat down with the both of them. Common sense says that there is another tape and he or his security team should have known that their lawyer had it..
Hey I dealt with Teamsters over the years who slapped their ladies around. Some got criminally charged; some did not. We could not fire them for their actions. What's different here?
Jon, I disagree. After hearing all this out, I think the NFL acted appropriately with respect to the tape and went as far as it could, which wasn't far because the tape was tied up in a criminal investigation and unavailable. The original suspension was light but they also acknowledged that.
That's from Goodell's letter to the owners in August. The NFL has the latitude to increase the suspension beyond 6 games.
Do you know whether or not Rice hasn't been paid every cent the Ravens owed him?
Or simply told Rice's lawyer, you want a deal, let me see the tape. The NFL had all the leverage..They punted..
And the union, if they don't step up and do their job here, are demonstrating that they have zero credibility in their role as an advocate for their membership.
It doesn't matter how many former FBI, police, military, Illuminati, whatever the NFL has on its payroll, it just doesn't have the authority to get into the middle of a criminal investigation involving a grand jury whenever it feels like it.
Also, they knew that Rice had the tape or at least had a right to view it as a defendant in a criminal proceeding but that doesn't mean they have a right to force him to turn it over to them.
Look, I understand it's frustrating sometimes but you have to dot I's and cross T's. When you don't, you get outcomes like Casey Anthony, George Zimmerman, OJ, etc.
This isn't ideal decisionmaking from Goodell but it's a minor footnote to the whole story.
Sorry, but this is conspiracy theory bullshit. An organization like the NFL doesn't just pin its hopes on someone like TMZ of all entities to play ball.
Being rich enough to pay good lawyers makes a hell of a difference in teh legal system
Or simply told Rice's lawyer, you want a deal, let me see the tape. The NFL had all the leverage..They punted..
GMAN,
You continue to not get it. No one is disputing that the NFL had the means to obtain the tape. What I'm saying is that they could not rely on it in a disciplinary proceeding against Rice because it's privileged information that it has no right to. For that same reason, they had no "leverage" to ask Rice for it. If they had, Rice's attorney would have told them to go pound sand and they couldn't do anything about it.
Further, if the NFL went ahead and obtained the tape in some back alley from some crooked hotel employee, who later told someone he sold it to the NFL, they potentially (likely) would have had to throw away their entire case against Rice.
People like Mort and TMZ have no obligation to follow due process against an employee. All they do is get their hands on information and make it public and hide behind first amendment protections. The NFL did not have that option here.
And the union, if they don't step up and do their job here, are demonstrating that they have zero credibility in their role as an advocate for their membership.
^^^^^
I agree with this. What Rice did was reprehensible but the NFL does not look good to me either.
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How the fuck did the DA/Prosecutor/Judge think that the diversionary program fit this crime after watching the video?
Being rich enough to pay good lawyers makes a hell of a difference in teh legal system
I mean, yea, obviously but.. Fuck. Come on people.
And the union, if they don't step up and do their job here, are demonstrating that they have zero credibility in their role as an advocate for their membership.
This is exactly what I thought when I heard about the new video.
The problem I have with all of this is I think Rice is a POC who deserved a full year suspension from the get go and there is no way to defend him.
Lets face the facts...whether we saw it or not you have to be a little naive to know not what had happened in the elevator. After all, she was unconscious when he was dragging her out.
And the union, if they don't step up and do their job here, are demonstrating that they have zero credibility in their role as an advocate for their membership.
Gary, how do you know the union didn't do its job? Until this tape came out, the only information they had at their disposal was whatever we all had plus whatever Rice felt like telling them. Do you think it's their job to protect a member who lied to them and put their whole union in this position? Union members have obligations, too, not just rights.
what also bothers me is how it went from 2 games because we feel that is appropriate to, Oh shit people are pissed, quick new policy. Right, so 6 games 1st offense, then lifetime ban.
video comes out that NFL definitely saw but vehemently denies and then dishes out a ruling of suspended INDEFINITELY...
WHAT HAPPENED TO 6 GAMES FOR FIRST OFFENSES?!?!?!?
I am not condoning or approving, but the jerk session that Goodell and the NFL is trotting out there is a fucking joke. Why hasn't anyone asked them what happened to the 6 game ban for first offenses?
how can that needle dick Goodell back out of that question.
by the way his Nora Noll interview was just BAD imo. he looks terrible in this and his back and forth just made him look worse.
he should definitely be fired for inconsistency, lying and just overall suckitude.
leave it to the NFL owners to "back" him as they are all of the MALE gender who thought sweeping other domestic violence cases under the rug was fine and just having Rice out 2 games was also just.
the dude made $44 MILLION dollars and is a gaping vagina.
Supposedly the State Senate is asking for a review of the prosecution regarding Rice.
but then what is Goodell's reason for going from 6 to indefinite?
he hasn't said.
Additionally, in the Nora Noll interview Goodell tells her that they didn't need to see the video because they assumed what was on their. then in the exact next question says once they saw the video though they essentially had to amend their ruling.
WTF... what do you think Domestic Violence is!?!?!? hugs and kisses?
i am more pissed off with the fact that Goodell is incompetent and a clown and should step down
2) It would appear strongly that the 6 month first punishment limit should apply here.
3) Goodell is a liar, a sham and a hypocrite, and the indefinite suspension is his way to pretend that he isn't, which is what liars, shams and hypocrites do.
Now the tape comes out of what actually happened...
I really wouldnt be surprised if Rice and his wife lied to both the Ravens and the the League about what truly happened in the elevator..
I cant stand Goodell at this point...he has a heavy hand for pot smokers and drinkers but other things its light punishment...
He is ruining the game in a lot of ways but again the only way he is fired is if the league starts losing money which it never will..
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How the fuck did the DA/Prosecutor/Judge think that the diversionary program fit this crime after watching the video?
Supposedly the State Senate is asking for a review of the prosecution regarding Rice.
That's Steve Sweeney more than the State Senate itself. Remember the old joke: "What's the most dangerous section of Washington DC? The section between Chuck Schumer and a TV camera." Well that goes double for Sweeney. Even a lot of left of center people don't have a high opinion of him, and he basically keeps his job via patronage and party line voting(not that that's anything unique).
if enough pissed off fans the owners can boot him for another puppet twat
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How the fuck did the DA/Prosecutor/Judge think that the diversionary program fit this crime after watching the video?
Being rich enough to pay good lawyers makes a hell of a difference in teh legal system
you are so wrong that its not even funny. He got the same sentence that anyone else would have received under the circumstances. You have a guy without a criminal record and a victim who didn't want to prosecute. it would have made zero sense to prosecute this case as some here are claiming should have been done. It had absolutely nothing to do with money or privilege. In fact if they did prosecute, it would have been because he is rich and famous. In other words his status would have hurt him.
ok well then why couldnt the NFL get the tape once the Rice's sentence was handed down? Goodell did not punish him right away he waited..so why couldnt he get the video AFTER the sentencing was already done...
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How the fuck did the DA/Prosecutor/Judge think that the diversionary program fit this crime after watching the video?
Supposedly the State Senate is asking for a review of the prosecution regarding Rice.
You guys would be surprised what doesn't get prosecuted.
I'm still shocked by the reaction to the video. What did people think happened when they saw the first video... that she slipped on a banana peel? I didn't need to see the second video to know that whatever happened in the elevator was fucked up.
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I do agree Goodell likely forced a new deal on Rice after the video got out, after cutting the first deal "ignoring" the video evidence they didn't ask for in the hopes it would go away.
Jon, I disagree. After hearing all this out, I think the NFL acted appropriately with respect to the tape and went as far as it could, which wasn't far because the tape was tied up in a criminal investigation and unavailable. The original suspension was light but they also acknowledged that.
RB, I hear you and do agree it's unlikely the NFL would go to TMZ in any official capacity for the video. But, it seems everyone agreed as to what happened, rendering the video something they could try to sweep under the rug and hope it goes away. Clearly, this didn't happen once said video reached the public eye. At that point, RG felt he had to renege and impose more severe punishment.
In addition, Rice loses a time out.;-)
Goodell could be a bad Commissioner/acted poorly in this case AND Rice could deserve to have his punishment change for the worse (for him).
Rice had a right to the tape because he was being accused of a crime and as such has a right to see evidence against him but that doesn't mean that the NFL can coerce him to hand it over to them.
They can't coerce him in the sense that they can't go to court to force him to turn it over. But, they absolutely had the right to suspend him until he cooperated with their investigation by turning over the tape.
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than gold digger tendencies.
what the fuck
I haven't posted on a single Ray Rice thread bc it's just am ugly can of worms and I can keep my opinions to myself. But I will now, bc motowns comment is ignorant, uninformed, and ultimately one of the prevailing attitudes that allows DV to continue, to allow victims to be judged and stigmatized, and hurting future victims by making them less likely to come forward.
I met Rice and Janay a couple times, as I had friends who played for RU. Ray and Janay were high school sweethearts, if she was a gold digger she probably wouldn't have hitched her wagon to an (at the time) undersized 3 star recruit who was lightly recruited but decide to stay in-state at the football powerhouse that is Rutgers.
There's no greater ignorance than having a strong opinion about a topic you are uninformed about...
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