The Ray Rice Elevator Video

He sold out Janay Palmer? Didn't hear her complaining too much about him. She didn't like the evil media members who said bad stuff about Ray, but didn't hear her say too much about Harbaugh.

 

Read the story last night. It's outstanding work, and I'm someone who often criticizes ESPN's cozy relationship with the NFL.

We pooh-pooh it, but I recognize also the value of Adam Schefter breaking assistant coaching changes and Peter King knowing the dynamics of the league inside and out. But it makes me happy to see journalism with a capital "J" applied to a situation like this by guys who know sports. I feel a little uncomfortable praising it because Inknow the author will see it, but that's OK. Credit where credit's due in this case.

 

Ravens put out a statement that the story contains numerous inaccuracies. But they'll let you know what they are next week. After they have a few days to get their stories together. No one ever learns anything here, do they?

http://www.si.com/nfl/2014/09/19/baltimore-ravens-ozzie-newsome-steve-bisciotti-dick-cass-john-harbaugh-roger-goodell-ray-rice

 

I'm one of those people that largely have largely dismissed the notion that ESPN knows anything about journalism.

This doesn't make me do a 180 on that belief, but I'm glad to see this kind of effort.

 

With an equal dose of respect, short of saying you'd put a cap in all their asses 93Gangsta style, you don't know how you'd react after telling the bosses to cut the hero only to be told to stand down.

 

I know what I wouldn't do. I wouldn't walk out in front of God, country, and an audience of millions and imply repeatedly that it was her fault, too, in order to please the guy who signs the checks. I wouldn't do that.

 

Everyone always says what they would do, until it's time to do it.

 

That said, Harbaugh's not off the hook. Now he's has to own what those sources said.

That will be his truest test.

 

So what then? No one can ever be criticized for anything by anyone then?

 

If you want to criticize him, great. But while you're standing there all atwitter, noble gentleman, don't also proclaim to the world that you would've told the Ravens to shove it up their ass.

You don't think he's going to be grilled about what the sources said in the story, about him wanting Rice cut right there and then?

Let's see what he says now. Let's see if he's been told to shut his trap if he still wants his job Monday morning.

That doesn't mean I don't understand what you're saying, that he should've shown true grit and quit the moment he told bosses to cut Rice only to stand down and toe the line when he was ordered to do so. In fact that's exactly where his part of this story should resume: Why did he toe the line instead of cut the cord? He's chewing on a lot of mental cud right now.

If he comes out and says the story is a load of crap, well, then ...

 

Still trying to understand this ... To recap:

1: Ray Rice did a horrible, awful thing. No excuse for his actions.
2: He was honest about it to his bosses (The Ravens and the League).
3: The Ravens were at bare minimum aware (they had a description of the incident) of what transpired in the elevator.
4: The league - be it Goodell, or someone else in a security or a corporate suit - was also aware of the incident IN the elevator, but may or may not have seen the footage.
5: The Ravens conspired to save Rice by downplaying the incident. They did so to the public, the legal system (hiring a shit bag lawyer who lied to the media about the incident) and to the NFL office.
5A: In doing so, they ordered coach John Harbaugh to toe the company line.
AND ... None of these dumb bastards thought the video footage would come out? (This is stupidity of the highest order).
6: In a kneejerk reaction that would make a Congressional committee jealous, the NFL its teams have adopted a "kill 'em all" policy, whereby any player accused of DV is summarily punished before being judged by the legal system.

Is that about right?

To summarize Rice's incidents:
Ray Rice - again, did a terrible, horrible thing - admitted what he did.
He told the truth, the whole truth to the Ravens and the League, but is out of football; not so much for his actions, but because of the deceptive actions of the Ravens - and inaction of the NFL?

Do I have this right?


I'm sure the NFLPA is going to have a field day with this. And rightfully so.
I agree Rice's actions were bad. Not a two game suspension bad, but not out of football bad either.
Can't wait to see the Ravens front office punishment for this shit. Not only should a few people lose their jobs, the Ravens as an organization should be punished.

 

I don't have an issue with Harbaugh not cutting him. That's a call you can go along with. Difference of opinion. Management wins. Move on.

I have a serious issue with him making one statement after another about counseling and love and working it out and, hey, it takes two to tango.

I say wth great confidence that, no, I wouldn't have done that.