Ray Rice let go by Ravens

[swoopem]

The Ravens have Thursday night football this week. I suggest everyone goes to a loud bar for the game so you don't have to listen to 3 hours of Ray Rice talk.

[ChicosBailBonds]

BREAKING: NFL HAD ACCESS TO THE VIDEO 3 MONTHS AGO, per the AP.

Take that Chicos.

And I'm telling you, the people that gave the suspension or high ranking NFL execs didn't see it.  Did they avoid it, who knows. Did they know it was even there?   Did they truly have that video and not the other video, who knows.  More will come out, I assure you. If they did see the video and they are lying....then they are toast and there will be firings, resignations, etc. 

As I mentioned yesterday, I'm friends with the wife of the PR director at the Ravens....they had never seen the video until yesterday.  An honest broker forever with them and I trust them to the nth degree.  They are also friends with the Rices, and she point blank told me today that no words can describe what was on the video.  They were heartbroken to see it and the brutality of it.  If that video was seen by the right parties, the outcome would be different.  No question in my mind.

We'll see how it plays out.   

[brandx]

And I'm telling you, the people that gave the suspension or high ranking NFL execs didn't see it.  Did they avoid it, who knows. Did they know it was even there?   Did they truly have that video and not the other video, who knows.  More will come out, I assure you. If they did see the video and they are lying....then they are toast and there will be firings, resignations, etc. 

As I mentioned yesterday, I'm friends with the wife of the PR director at the Ravens....they had never seen the video until yesterday.  An honest broker forever with them and I trust them to the nth degree.  They are also friends with the Rices, and she point blank told me today that no words can describe what was on the video.  They were heartbroken to see it and the brutality of it.  If that video was seen by the right parties, the outcome would be different.  No question in my mind.

We'll see how it plays out.   

CYA - yourself and goodell.

[Dish]

The Ravens have Thursday night football this week. I suggest everyone goes to a loud bar for the game so you don't have to listen to 3 hours of Ray Rice talk.

Better yet...don't watch. Want to send a message? Don't watch the game, at all.

Thursday night games suck to begin with...Ravens/Steelers is no longer a "good" game...the Ravens are playing...don't watch.

[jesmu84]

Looks like the Ravens turned a blind eye to it as well. http://abcnews.go.com/Sports/ravens-tip-video-ray-rices-lawyer-sources-abc/story?id=25414533

Also, a law enforcement official sent a piece of evidence in an ongoing trial to the suspect's employer? Is that normal?

[swoopem]

Better yet...don't watch. Want to send a message? Don't watch the game, at all.

Thursday night games suck to begin with...Ravens/Steelers is no longer a "good" game...the Ravens are playing...don't watch.

I actually can't watch it. I'll be driving back to Detroit from Chicago

[nyg]

Looks like the Ravens turned a blind eye to it as well. http://abcnews.go.com/Sports/ravens-tip-video-ray-rices-lawyer-sources-abc/story?id=25414533

Also, a law enforcement official sent a piece of evidence in an ongoing trial to the suspect's employer? Is that normal?

No, it is not.  If the case had not been adjudicated, the only individuals allowed to see the tape would be Rice's defense counsel through the discovery process. If true, it could have been a courtesy copy sent to one of the ex-law enforcement officials at the NFL. If case was not adjudicated at the time of sending, then the individual who sent it, could be in trouble with his/her agency or the court.   

[brandx]

No, it is not.  If the case had not been adjudicated, the only individuals allowed to see the tape would be Rice's defense counsel through the discovery process. If true, it could have been a courtesy copy sent to one of the ex-law enforcement officials at the NFL. If case was not adjudicated at the time of sending, then the individual who sent it, could be in trouble with his/her agency or the court.   

These guys are ex-cops, ex-FBI, ex-Secret Service and have inside connections with lots of law enforcement agencies.

[nyg]

These guys are ex-cops, ex-FBI, ex-Secret Service and have inside connections with lots of law enforcement agencies.

Well aware of that fact, and that's the point.  I mentioned a "courtesy" copy and that courtesy would be between the law enforcement official that sent it and whoever at the NFL.  Just speculation on my part, but if it happened that way, the sender could be in some trouble if case wasn't over in courts. 

[Dish]

Rice spat on his wife multiple times, the video starts with him as the agitator, spitting on her before entering the elevator. Rice then approaches his wife in the elevator, gets in her face, and spits again. She tries to defend herself, and then takes the left hook.

There is also a much clearer video, HD quality, that exists.

[reinko]

Interview from the Baltimore Sun, published today.

Did the video match the story Ray Rice told you?

Ozzie Newsome: "You know. Ray had given a story to John [Harbaugh] and I. And what we saw on the video was what Ray said. Ray didn't lie to me. He didn't lie to me."

[NavinRJohnson]

If it is possible for these clowns to look any worse in this whole thing, someone will have to explain how. What a bunch of cretins. As I said in another thread earlier...

Did they see the tape?  Did they not see the tape?  Did they ask to see it? Did they not ask to see it?  Were they not granted access? Did they do enough to get access? In the end the answers to those questions all lead to the exact same  place...the NFL and the Ravens simply don't care about this. It isn't/wasn't important to them. There is just no getting around it.

They aren't reacting now because they are concerned about domestic violence, they are reacting because of the public's reaction. They are reacting because they have to. Their concern around domestic violence on the part of their players is about the impact on their business, not the impact on the victims. Everybody can see that plain as day now, and it is for that reason that goddell's days are numbered. They will fond someone else who can make them money, but I just don't suspect they will be able to continue with him as the face of that office.

[Dish]

The buck stops with Goodell.

Either he's the most incompetent commissioner in the history of sports, or he's lying. It's absolutely one or the other.

I'm sure he won't resign, I'm sure he won't be fired (although I'm adamant he should). Will say this though...excited at the thought of the NFL draft being in Chicago next year...and it has nothing to do with the draft. I'll bring anyone and everyone with me to vocalize loudly against Goodell.

[GGGG]

The owners don't understand this yet, but Goodell has to go.  He really does.  In today's PR world, you have to take quick decisive action.  You can't treat this like a generation ago and wait it out.  This is the tact the Catholic Church took...it got defensive and looked inward.  Bad news is just going to pile on deeper and deeper until they do something.

If Goodell is just doing what the owners want, they can find someone else to do that.  Delaying this is just making it worse.

[Dish]

The timing of this AP story is not a coincidence, hours after Goodell went on CBS (had to be a coincidence that he happened to pick CBS after they just picked up the Thursday night package), this AP story broke.

Someone within the league, or someone very close to this situation, leaked this today. Bravo to whoever he/she is.

[GGGG]

One more mini-rant.

If you make a salary of $44M per year running a tax free entity, I don't have a problem with it IF YOU UNDERSTAND the responsibilities that come with it.  The problem a lot of people have with salaries like that these days is that you get to take credit for all the good things that happen under your watch, but you don't take any of the blame.

Simply put, if you are getting paid that much, you HAVE to be better at your job.  And being better can't just be measured in short-term profits.  You are a caretaker of a brand, and you are failing miserably right now.

[MU82]

And I'm telling you, the people that gave the suspension or high ranking NFL execs didn't see it.  Did they avoid it, who knows. Did they know it was even there?   Did they truly have that video and not the other video, who knows.  More will come out, I assure you. If they did see the video and they are lying....then they are toast and there will be firings, resignations, etc. 

As I mentioned yesterday, I'm friends with the wife of the PR director at the Ravens....they had never seen the video until yesterday.  An honest broker forever with them and I trust them to the nth degree.  They are also friends with the Rices, and she point blank told me today that no words can describe what was on the video.  They were heartbroken to see it and the brutality of it.  If that video was seen by the right parties, the outcome would be different.  No question in my mind.

We'll see how it plays out.   

I dunno.

Sure sounds a little squirmy!

[martyconlonontherun]

One more mini-rant.

If you make a salary of $44M per year running a tax free entity, I don't have a problem with it IF YOU UNDERSTAND the responsibilities that come with it.  The problem a lot of people have with salaries like that these days is that you get to take credit for all the good things that happen under your watch, but you don't take any of the blame.

Simply put, if you are getting paid that much, you HAVE to be better at your job.  And being better can't just be measured in short-term profits.  You are a caretaker of a brand, and you are failing miserably right now.

I just hate when people make a point to say the NFL is tax free. Correct me if I'm wrong, but even if they weren't tax exempt it wouldn't matter since teams are taxed at that level and nonprofits go through the NFL.

[Dish]

Hard to believe it, but Rhianna is doing the Thursday night tv intro song (can't make this stuff up).

Also, hard to believe this independent investigation is just that...independent. 2 NFL owners are overseeing it, and the lawfirm Mueller works at has represented the NFL in multiple cases/negotiations. There's a lot of intertwining between the NFL and WilmerHale. If they come out transparent about this from the get go, that's one thing. But if not...it just keeps getting worse.

[brandx]

Hard to believe it, but Rhianna is doing the Thursday night tv intro song (can't make this stuff up).

Also, hard to believe this independent investigation is just that...independent. 2 NFL owners are overseeing it, and the lawfirm Mueller works at has represented the NFL in multiple cases/negotiations. There's a lot of intertwining between the NFL and WilmerHale. If they come out transparent about this from the get go, that's one thing. But if not...it just keeps getting worse.

Kinda like the cops investigating themselves every time they shoot somebody. Pretty incestuous relationships.

[MUsoxfan]

Kinda like the cops investigating themselves every time they shoot somebody. Pretty incestuous relationships.

No. I've read in this thread that Goodell and the NFL are above reproach. They're too rich and powerful to be wrong or greedy

[Dish]

Kinda like the cops investigating themselves every time they shoot somebody. Pretty incestuous relationships.

Man, the digger you deep on the WilmerHale law firm, the more people you find in the NFL that came from that firm. Now Goodell can not speak on the subject because of "an ongoing investigation". Even why they try to show they are getting it right, they get it wrong.

I'm not going to watch the Ravens/Steelers game tomorrow. Not that it matters/makes a difference, but I can't in good faith to myself, as a husband/dad to a young daughter...I just can't. I know I'll watch games on Sunday and can be called a hypocrite then, but I'll tell you what, I know I'm not going to feel good about it. If fall/pumpkin places opened this weekend (most in Chicago burbs open the weekend of the 20th), I'd probably rather be at one of those places all day Sunday then watching the NFL.

[Dish]

One more mini-rant before I try to sleep...

I know there's nothing good that can probably come of it, but shame on Virginia McCaskey for at least not showing some sign of life on this. I know she doesn't do that kind of thing, I get that...but as one of two principal female owners in the league (Martha Ford the other), and as the bloodline daughter of essentially the founder of the NFL, shame on her and her family for not being a voice in any of this.

I know nothing good could happen, either she'd piss off the other owners or piss off the public by supporting Goodell (which I know she has to do publicly), but it ticks me off. This is the same woman who banned the HoneyBears because they were deemed offensive to women, so it's not like she hasn't taken a stand on something/anything previously.

[MUsoxfan]

One more mini-rant before I try to sleep...

I know there's nothing good that can probably come of it, but shame on Virginia McCaskey for at least not showing some sign of life on this. I know she doesn't do that kind of thing, I get that...but as one of two principal female owners in the league (Martha Ford the other), and as the bloodline daughter of essentially the founder of the NFL, shame on her and her family for not being a voice in any of this.

I know nothing good could happen, either she'd piss off the other owners or piss off the public by supporting Goodell (which I know she has to do publicly), but it ticks me off. This is the same woman who banned the HoneyBears because they were deemed offensive to women, so it's not like she hasn't taken a stand on something/anything previously.

$$$ is her lord

[forgetful]

There is a lot of bad publicity going on for the NFL right now.  Regardless of when they saw "the video" it is time for Goddell to resign immediately.  Ultimately he is responsible and it is his job to find these things out.  He either failed to find out what really happened (get the video) or worse saw the video and didn't properly act on the information.

Either way he needs to resign immediately.  He should also apologize to women and fans everywhere.

Also, the Ravens have no credibility here.  Heck they are building a monument to Ray Lewis.