Ray Rice

[D.o.s.]

Related:

The National Domestic Violence Hotline has seen an 84 percent increase in phone calls in the two days since a video leaked of former NFL player Ray Rice knocking his then-fiancée unconscious in an elevator.

Katie Ray-Jones, the CEO of the hotline, said it normally receives 500 to 600 calls a day from domestic violence victims and their concerned friends or family members. But after the Rice video was circulated online Monday, the hotline received over 1,000 phone calls. The numbers continued to climb on Tuesday.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/09/10/ray-rice-domestic-violence-hotline_n_5798462.html?1410369898

[Ogaju]

NFL has a perfect excuse for 'burying' the video -- it was not good for business especially since Janay Rice was not making any noise about the assault. She definitely wasn't pressing charges. I don't know why NOW is scapegoating the NFL, they are not the ones that assaulted Janay Rice or charged with the responsibility to bring him to book.

N.O.W. should turn their outrage on two communities.

1. Law enforcement for letting Rice slide.

2. Everyone one of us that supports the NFL by consuming their product.

But asking the NFL to act against its own interest just does not make sense. The NFL acted when it had to. N.O.W. should not expect the NFL to act when it did not have to. Law enforcement and the fans should have taken the lead, and this is what ultimately would have forced the NFL's hand. Asking the NFL to self-police is letting the law enforcement and fans off the hook.

[Clench123]

This is getting way overblown.  The league should own up to it and just tell the truth.  They punished him as they saw fit.  What is wrong with that?

[D.o.s.]

This is getting way overblown.  The league should own up to it and just tell the truth.  They punished him as they saw fit.  What is wrong with that?

What's wrong is that that the punishment is grossly underwhelming,  especially in the context of the other NFL suspensions. They watched that video and said "yeah two games is enough," then they lied about it to protect their product.

It's not surprising that they lied about it, but it is surprising that people don't think the NFL should be nailed to the wall over it.

[fairweatherfan]

Supposedly the NFL called the investigator confirming it had received the Rice video.

Yikes!!  What was the league office thinking?  Did they not think the police would fight back on its claims.  Is the league now gonna say the police are lying?

The next logical move is to claim it never got to upper levels and scapegoat some poor schmuck early in the chain of custody.  Or barring that, at least shield Goodell and scapegoat some more culpable schmuck in the upper levels.

Well, I now know which CBer to reach out to for advice when I get in my first inevitable scandal a few years from now. 

You don't need me - just remember the one simple phrase: "That was Roy's department"   

[Ogaju]

This is getting way overblown.  The league should own up to it and just tell the truth.  They punished him as they saw fit.  What is wrong with that?

What's wrong is that that the punishment is grossly underwhelming,  especially in the context of the other NFL suspensions. They watched that video and said "yeah two games is enough," then they lied about it to protect their product.

It's not surprising that they lied about it, but it is surprising that people don't think the NFL should be nailed to the wall over it.

I thought we agreed that the NFL can only be nailed in the field of public opinion. How else do they get nailed? I certainly do not support extorting the NFL into providing money to fight what is a societal problem and not an NFL problem. Unless we want to get to the point that we blame the NFL for DV, then why should they be personally liable? A case may be made that football players are more susceptible to violence, but don't they acquire this trait way before they get to the NFL?

[D.o.s.]

I have no qualms about extorting the NFL for money. They certainly don't have a problem seeking public funding for their stadiums.

That said, I'm not sure what you mean? Do you think Goodell should remain the Commish?

[Ogaju]

absolutely not -- he lied. He is done as far as I am concerned.

I still don't think the NFL should be the target when one of the employees messes up. I think the marketplace should determine, and not pressure groups. I also believe that law enforcement should stop pandering to celebrities and athletes.

[knuckleballer]

One aspect of this story, that I think is largely being overlooked, is that Peter King and other respected writers claimed months ago that Goodell and his office reviewed the tape from the elevator.  King and others claimed that Rice's girlfriend initiated the attack which supported the initial light suspension.  Now Goodell insists that he nor anyone from the NFL ever saw the tape.  If true, why did they not correct King and the other writers?  They most definitely read those articles.  Now with this AP article, it does not look good for Goodell.  The owners needs to conduct a transparent investigation to find our what their commissioner knew.

[Eja117]

One aspect of this story, that I think is largely being overlooked, is that Peter King and other respected writers claimed months ago that Goodell and his office reviewed the tape from the elevator.  King and others claimed that Rice's girlfriend initiated the attack which supported the initial light suspension.  Now Goodell insists that he nor anyone from the NFL ever saw the tape.  If true, why did they not correct King and the other writers?  They most definitely read those articles.  Now with this AP article, it does not look good for Goodell.  The owners needs to conduct a transparent investigation to find our what their commissioner knew.

Tp to kb

[Ogaju]

One aspect of this story, that I think is largely being overlooked, is that Peter King and other respected writers claimed months ago that Goodell and his office reviewed the tape from the elevator.  King and others claimed that Rice's girlfriend initiated the attack which supported the initial light suspension.  Now Goodell insists that he nor anyone from the NFL ever saw the tape.  If true, why did they not correct King and the other writers?  They most definitely read those articles.  Now with this AP article, it does not look good for Goodell.  The owners needs to conduct a transparent investigation to find our what their commissioner knew.

Great point  TP.

Too bad Peter King is dialing back on his original report.

[indeedproceed]

The thought that protecting the source by claiming your own incompetence because you fear..I'm not sure what. Blacklisting by people who don't have the integrity to own up to a mistake? Not being invited to Super Bowl parties? Only Peter King knows what was at stake....

Well anyways, the thought is reprehensible, and a good example of why 'sports journalism' is a pretty dubious term that can mean a lot of different things to different people.

[D.o.s.]

It's a tricky spot, because if you're on the NFL gravy train (or working for ESPN, to-may-toe toh-mah-toe), you have to face serious financial (i.e. detrimental to your career) repercussions if you wind up reporting something that the league doesn't like. That's part of the reason so many of the goon squad that is the football media are looking like chumps, and why the ones that aren't are staying out of it -- no one wants to p--- off the NFL, even when the league is completely and utterly wrong.

That's part of the reason the guys like Scheffter have been so visibly p---ed: they essentially covered for the league and wound up looking like heels for doing so.

[Beat LA]

Checkmate.

http://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/nfl/2014/09/10/ap-newsbreak-source-says-rice-video-sent-to-nfl/15407231/

[indeedproceed]

Missed that post (by DOS). Scheffter's response, which was lauded by Deadspin (and I cannot believe that site has become my moral sports compass but it really has, I am constantly impressed by them, even when they're covering the more lascivious stories with as much zeal as breaking real inside journalism), seemed more petulant than t'd off. Nobody is salting the earth. Except Keith Olbermann.