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The Baltimore Ravens released running back Ray Rice on Monday. The National Football League suspended him indefinitely. Better late than never? Well, presumably so because the league already had suspended him two games for domestic violence — a punishment considered fairly light in light of the fact that the NFL suspends players for lesser crimes (substance abuse, among others) for longer periods.
Locating video of Lisa Morales is what some of us like to call work. See below.
The NFL and the Ravens decided to take their actions because of a sense of doing the right thing. Because reflection made each reconsider the severity of Rice’s actions and the leniency he had received for his behavior.
OK, not that at all.
Because video of Rice knocking his then-fiancee out with a punch in an elevator hit social media and elsewhere. Reaction to the video was swift — from players, media and mere human beings. Overwhelmingly (though not totally) outraged by what they saw.
When the Ravens, commissioner Roger Goodell and others involved in the league saw the reaction, they acted. Officially, Rice is suspended because of domestic abuse. Unofficially, he is out of a job because the NFL is embarrassed. Embarrassed to be seen as not grasping the impact domestic violence can have on an individual in particular and on the world at large.
The guy who also should be out of a job is Goodell. Not an original thought, I realize. But the difference between before the video surfaced and after is what exactly? Greater specificity regarding what Rice did. As if most human beings couldn’t figure out that his future wife didn’t knock herself out.
Oh, people could see Rice smash her with his fist on the video. As if knocking a woman unconscious in a hotel elevator is OK as long as the entire incident isn’t public knowledge.
Goodell and Ravens officials say they had not seen the video before Monday. Reports from reliable reporters say otherwise. Web site TMZ.com says it has video to support the claim that the NFL had seen the violent video.
Domestic violence is unacceptable. Period. Exclamation point!
For the NFL not to understand that — especially as it tries to market its product to females — would be laughable if such behavior weren’t so serious.
Let someone knock out Goodell’s or Ravens coach John Harbaugh’s wife or sister or daughter and see how lenient they would be about punishment. First-time offender? No problem. Let’s wait till more severe damage is done. Yeah, that’s a good idea. Really?
The NFL already has “Breast Cancer Awareness” month, which is mostly a marketing tool to sell merchandise to line the pockets of the teams. Maybe the NFL can add “Domestic Violence Awareness” month to its schedule, too.
It would be the least the NFL can do. And when it comes to domestic violence, the NFL is very good at doing the least it can. Well, unless maybe there’s video of it.
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