This video above from TMZ shows Ravens "star" Running Back Ray Rice as he is dragging his girlfriend (and now wife) Janay Rice from an elevator after he allegedly knocks her out on the way up to the floor where the video is taken.
Stemming from the video evidence, people from around the NFL came to the conclusion that the NFL was going to stand up once and for all against violence against women, and lay the hammer down on Ray Rice. Instead, Ray Rice is suspended for 2 games from the NFL for his wrongdoing.
2 games, or 14 days (even though he will probably be able to still train during the week) is a weak punishment from the NFL, in a time where they could have set an example for the rest of the league, and gained more respect from the female audience and male audience alike.
To put it into more perspective, Steven A. Smith, a co-host on ESPN's First Take, was just suspended for 7 days (or 1/2 of Rice's suspension) for stating on last Friday's show that women provoke men and that is a cause of domestic violence. Now, such a comment is stupid (as is a lot of what Steven A. Smith says), but he simply uttered the word "provoke" and now he is facing a suspension half the length of the "man" who beat his girlfriend.
Another shocking thing that I found when researching this story was on the Baltimore Ravens Twitter page. On May 23rd, 2014 the @Ravens page tweeted "Janay Rice says she deeply regrets the role that she played the night of the incident."
The role she played? The ROLE she played? My goodness.
I don't care if your girlfriend/wife calls you a name, threatens to call the police, threatens to leave you, shuts you out, ignores you, doesn't answer her phone, or stands you up at the restaurant because she forgot your anniversary that does NOT give any man, a right to hit any women, at any time.
Janay Rice, now the wife of Ray Rice should be sorry for one things though, and that is going back to Ray after the accident happened. She took him back and then MARRIED him a few weeks later. I know he makes a lot of money and that could be a huge reason, but have some more respect for yourself. She almost made it seem like what Ray did was okay, so the NFL was almost given free reign to give him a lighter sentence. Had Janay left Ray, I believe the NFL would have lengthened the suspension.
Ray Rice appeared in a scrimmage last night and when his name was announced, the fans cheered and applauded, like nothing had ever happened. I can't tell you what I would have done, had I been put in that situation, but I don't think cheering would have been the first thing that would have crossed my mind. People are defending him, saying that, "nothing was proven," in which I ask them why he is going to a year long counseling session on how to deal with his anger if he didn't actually hit Janay? Answer me that.
The NFL, for as much as I love it (and we all know how much I do), made a mistake here. This could have been the perfect situation to implement a rule about abuse and domestic violence and crack down on it once and for all by making a harsh penalty for any player who abuses their spouse. Instead, 1/8 of Ray Rice's season will be lost in 2014 and then everyone will go on with their lives. Ray will continue to make millions, the NFL will continue to act like they care about player's wives and Janay Rice will have to live in fear of her husband beating her again.
It is sad to me that in 2014, an NFL player can hit a women, and get suspended for 2 games, but if he is found smoking weed, they want a 4 game minimum suspension. Get a clue NFL, your priorities are all wrong.
