A few thoughts: 1. Should BAL have to pay Rice for back-pay? 2. Should another NFL team sign him this year? 3. How do you feel about what his wife has to say about this?
Can you give a short synopsis of what happened with him and the NFL for those of us that don't follow football? Also, what did his wife have to say? Last time I heard about this, she was defending him. Anything new from her?
Certainly. By way of background, Ray Rice beat his wife in an elevator while intoxicated. He was suspended by Ravens for 2 games and NFL had a meeting set to discuss the incident. Reportedly, Ray Rice came clean and took responsibility and then the legal process went forward. There is controversy as to whether the NFL saw the infamous security footage of the beating in the elevator. (Awful stuff). After the leak by TMZ, he is both cut by Ravens and Suspended Indefinitely by NFL (meaning he can't play for anyone). Appeal just announced yesterday - the NFL's decision was arbitrary and not legal. Appears, wife has continued to 'defend' husband (think she wants to resume the same type of life they had financially and 'put this behind them' and move on and deal with her husband through counseling). http://abc13.com/sports/janay-rice-speaks-out-for-first-time-about-elevator-altercation/415507/ Rice may now be signed by any team that will have him. There is no question that Ray Rice could help an NFL team as he was ready to play this year after his suspension was up and has reportedly remained in shape. It also appears that despite the evil elephant in the room - spousal abuse under any circumstances is unacceptable - that Mrs. Rice wants Ray to play. The problem here is that any team that signs him has to take on all that comes with this. Mike Vick is still playing but it took a jail sentence and PR campaign.
Thanks for the breakdown. I hadn't seen an updated report on all of it. Kind of reminds me of Massa Sterling and his Clippers plantation. IMO, the NBA was under no obligation to take on all the bad PR from him, and I feel the same about rice if no team wants to deal with the blowback. He got himself in all this by being a wife beating a**. At the same time, I do believe that if someone is truly sorry for something they did, they should be afforded the chance to try to redeem themselves (Sterling never said he was sorry), so id have to see if I believed Ray Rice's apology.
Hard to compare a Racist to a Wife Beater. I think there is no excuse for either. That said, I get your comparisons and think that NBA did the right thing. NFL in dumping Rice (preventing him from earning a living) and forcing him to appeal vs. let the NFL owners have their voices decide is an interesting question. NFL looking to protect an owner (who wants to win) from taking the blowback for signing him during the public nightmare created by Rice's awful decision (intoxicated or not) seems to be out of line and far to protective of the owners. By comparison, NBA freezing out an owner who is racist was needed because the racist had the potential to continue to remain in power and threaten the NBA brand regardless of public sentiment. I think it will be very interesting if an NFL Team signs Rice this year.
I'm glad he won the appeal, everyone should be given a 2nd chance and even when I first saw the elevator video I knew and know that Ray Rice isn't that kind of guy. He'll get better as a man, father, and husband because of this and I hope that an NFL gives him his chance he deserves, which I'm sure one will.
No guaranteed contracts in the NFL, so no, the Ravens don't owe him a dime. They can cut him and anyone else they want for any reason they want. Should another team pick him up? From a football standpoint - no. His production fell off last year and I don't see him being an every down back anymore and he'll want the money of one. Throw in the negative media backlash and I just don't see it. His wife is supporting her husband. I have no problem with that.
^ Nail on the head. I don't see a team taking that risk at this point. I'd expect him back in someone's camp next season. The only teams that could risk him would be maybe a team in the playoff hunt that needs the boost (Maybe Carolina?). Maybe a team that's so bad they're looking to see if he's got something left in him to maybe build for the future (Oakland maybe? or Tampa?)
