On Friday, Ray Rice walked out of a Manhattan court room a free agent, but nowhere near free of scrutiny.
The former Baltimore Ravens running back, who was caught on an elevator security camera punching his then fiancee, Janay Palmer, to the floor, sparked an intense, nationwide debate surrounding domestic violence and how the National Football League dealt, or failed to deal with, such incidents involving its players.
Now an arbitrator has ruled that the NFL’s indefinite suspension of Rice, which was issued after an initial two-game ban, was arbitrary, the player may sign with any team that will have him.
Given the magnitude of the situation, terms such as winners and losers are tough to apply. However, Friday saw the Rice camp begin their attempt to dictate the narrative surrounding the incident, while the reputation of the NFL and its commissioner, Roger Goodell, sank to even lower depths.
Over the coming days and months, we will begin to learn what the long-term ramifications are for Goodell, who judge Barbara Jones took to task in no uncertain terms, and Rice, whose actions have caused his family hardship.
For now, however, Rice, a 27-year-old, talented running back, and his wife Janay are going on offense. Janay, who blamed the media for the “nightmare” caused by the release of the video back in September, took her story to ESPN’s Outside the Lines. Her account of the incident sought to distance herself and Rice from others who have seen their lives shaped by domestic abuse:
I still find it hard to accept being called a “victim”. I know there are so many different opinions out there about me – that I’m weak, that I’m making excuses and covering up abuse – and that some people question my motives for staying with Ray. However, I’m a strong woman and I come from a strong family. Never in my life have I seen abuse, nor have I seen any woman in my family physically abused.
On Monday and Tuesday, NBC’s flagship Today programme will air a two-part interview between host Matt Lauer and both Ray and Janay Rice. On Friday, NBC released a teaser:
The Rices hope their attempt to provide a different side of the story will take some of the vitriol away from Ray and eventually open the door to his getting another job. That would need one of the 32 NFL owners to go out on a limb, inviting and enduring even more foul publicity in taking on a running back who, based on his 2013 numbers, could already be in decline. Of course, his statistics are a football question – whether or not Rice gets a gig goes well beyond the field.
How would women’s advocacy groups react if Rice were signed to play? That’s a question the Guardian put to Terry O’Neill, the president of the National Organization for Women:
What we have said consistently is that there is not a Ray Rice problem in the NFL. The NFL has a violence against women problem and it is so far beyond the single Ray Rice incident that, I just can’t say, ‘This is how women should feel about Ray Rice being back on the field.’ But the NFL has a violence against women problem, and Ray Rice swims in the water created by Roger Goodell.
My organization is really focused on getting rid of Roger Goodell, clearly a failed leader. And we want in his place a successor who will: a) conduct a comprehensive and independent investigation of the NFL’s treatment of domestic violence victims; and b) create policies that keep victims safe.
Meanwhile, what kind of reaction would a daring owner get for signing a player often described as “toxic”? A poll from ESPN SportsNation suggests it could be a negative one – 58% of more than 400,000 voters would not want their team to sign Rice. That is an unscientific tally, of course, and those numbers could vary radically by market. Regardless, as we’ve seen in other instances over the years, fans can be swayed, especially when a team has a need.
The Buffalo Bills are making a bid for the playoffs and could use a name back to fill in for the injured CJ Spiller. Then again, that would make Rice team-mates with Brandon Spikes, who had a few things to say when the incident was made public …
Someone should choke him out. See how he likes it.
— BrandonSpikes51 (@BrandonSpikes51) March 29, 2014
The Arizona Cardinals and Detroit Lions have two of the worst rushing totals in the league. The Denver Broncos run game is seriously lacking and Peyton Manning would enjoy having a pass-catching back in the huddle.
Rice would be available on the cheap and ready to go in a few weeks for the stretch run. Is it possible? Well, Michael Vick, whose participation in a grim dog-fighting ring drew ire well beyond the world of sports was signed by the Philadelphia Eagles three months after walking out of Leavenworth. The move brought protests home and away, but eventually Vick was able to move on.
One circumstance that may have opened the door more easily for a player such as Vick is that he served more than 18 months in prison. As gruesome as his crimes were, some fans may have been able to rationalize his return through the fact that he had paid his debt to society.
Rice has suffered hardship on a few fronts – he was released by the Ravens and the NFL ran roughshod over collectively bargained rights in handing him an indefinite suspension. Rice’s aggravated assault of his wife has carried minimal penalties via the legal system – the case will be dismissed after one year if Rice satisfactorily completes an anger management course, attends counseling and commits no further crimes. That fact may actually make him worse off in trying to get a job.
There is no question that Goodell has been severely weakened. That he has survived this long is a strong indication of support from team owners who have seen revenues soar under his leadership. That being said, do owners seeking to help rehabilitate the reputation of the commissioner want a reminder of an incident that wreaked havoc with the NFL’s already severely damaged public reputation every time Rice carries the ball? If they do not, one way of ensuring that never happens is to continue Rice’s indefinite suspension, off the books, by collectively keeping him off NFL rosters.
The Indianapolis Colts, despite the inconsistencies of Trent Richardson and a season-ending injury to Ahmad Bradshaw, have already declared their non-interest – that according to a report from the Indy Star citing sources close to the team.
That is just one franchise of course, and there’s still plenty of the season left. With injuries changing team perspectives weekly, Rice could still find a home in 2014. If not, he’ll be banking on someone taking a gamble on his services come training camp.
