This is my second piece on domestic violence and including rough beatings.
Unless you have lived under a rock this week, you know exactly who Ray Rice is and what he did. The details are clear, but it appears the timing of the video evidence is in doubt.
There is also Adrian Peterson and Greg Hardy. Hardy had a CDV case pending from the summer and in the wake of the Rice debacle, was deactivated from this week's game. AP28 was also inactive after pictures of his severely beaten child surfaced.
OK now I am not going to devote much time in this article to AP or to Hardy as the details are still fuzzy and it appears commissioner Roger Goddell is simply trying to make an example out of everyone with his zero tolerance policy on many issues.
Now don't get me wrong. I am very much against any blatant domestic violence. There are differences between discipline, defending yourself and simply beating the brakes off of someone when there are alternate methods. Also, I applaud Goddell and his efforts to keep the league safe and family friendly. He is setting a strict standard.
However, it appears the video was in his hands longer than he admitted. Why he is avoiding that issue (which he has been known to do) is a mystery.
Now in my mind, you cannot justify the Rice situation. He beat his then-fiancee like a man, and then try to drag her out of the elevator. He definitely deserves to be punished, possibly for the entire season. However, another team should give him a second chance if he can show he can control his anger and try and handle things, such as his alcohol intake, more carefully.
Either way, Goddell will still be league commissioner and he will continue to run it in a no-nonsense fashion. The NFL players need to get used to that and realize while they are human, the public eye is always on them.
Do you think Ray Rice should play football again? Do you agree with Goodell's punishments?
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