NFL 2014 Season Thread

[Boris Godunov]

Seeing the statement today from Ray Rice's wife, I really do feel bad for her. I'm not going to judge her relationship with him, not my place. It sounds to me like he is doing the things he needs to be doing since the incident, and I really do hope he comes out the better for it. I believe people can redeem themselves.

But the issue goes far beyond their marriage. It's not about the Rices, it's really about how the NFL should be responding to these cases. There was a responsibility to the public for the league to show zero tolerance for Rice's actions. And the simple fact is that the NFL's failed miserably. Rice should have been immediately suspended by the league when the initial video came out early this year. The Ravens should have cut him then. Ironically, if they had acted with these same punishments back then, it probably would have been far easier on the Rices. The media frenzy would be over by now.

[Guynemer]

Seeing the statement today from Ray Rice's wife, I really do feel bad for her. I'm not going to judge her relationship with him, not my place. It sounds to me like he is doing the things he needs to be doing since the incident, and I really do hope he comes out the better for it. I believe people can redeem themselves.

It reads as classic battered wife syndrome.

[rah]

I'll start with He's obviously a horrible human being and nothing condones what he did.

On the other side of the coin, if this had happened in the business world, would the person be fired and not be allowed to work for another company?
Heck, even after seeing the tape, he's not going to serve any jail time. In most cases you don't even have this much evidence.

A long suspension is called for, but he should have the opportunity to prove that he has gone through a program and improved himself.

My problem is that if the NFL wasn't so public, this wouldn't have even been an issue.


(That's not a good thing)

[MRT144]

I'll start with He's obviously a horrible human being and nothing condones what he did.

On the other side of the coin, if this had happened in the business world, would the person be fired and not be allowed to work for another company?
Heck, even after seeing the tape, he's not going to serve any jail time. In most cases you don't even have this much evidence.

A long suspension is called for, but he should have the opportunity to prove that he has gone through a program and improved himself.

My problem is that if the NFL wasn't so public, this wouldn't have even been an issue.


(That's not a good thing)

Depends - a few silicon valley types have been asked to resign from their C suite levels for various abuses.

[rah]

A few. Ok. But it's not a universal thing. And were those few banned from ever working in Silicon valley for life?

I'm not trying to make lite of this. But there's no coming back from this for him. Is that ultimately fair?

[MRT144]

A few. Ok. But it's not a universal thing. And were those few banned from ever working in Silicon valley for life?

I'm not trying to make lite of this. But there's no coming back from this for him. Is that ultimately fair?

In the big picture, I think it's fine result. The process is atrocious and unfair though.

[snoopy369]

I won't say as to whether it's fair for him not to work again; I think he'd have a hard time finding a job without this, honestly, he's clearly lost it as a RB (and is old for a RB), which is really why he's going to have a harder time then, say, Mike Vick, who did a worse thing. Not going to jail is the other real problem for him here; the lack of punishment in the court system means people are basically looking for the NFL to be a proxy for the court system. Had he been jailed for 6 months even, I think he'd be back in the next year - assuming he was good enough.

That's the real thing, though. He's just not that good anymore, so he's not going to get the same second chance Vick did, or Gordon or similar might.

Secondly: I think the video changes *nothing*, and I'm really disgusted by the reaction after the video. This is exactly what he said happened, and exactly what everyone thought happened. The presence of the video confirming our beliefs should have *no* effect. This is all about the NFL realizing they get a second chance at this, and taking it all the way. (Honestly I wonder if this was on purpose - try one, see if it works, if not then try again; or even better, come out with a too small penalty the NFLPA can't complain about, wait for obvious complaints showing public opinion is on our side, then when video is released come down hard with public support and no NFLPA objection.)

Very, very dumb, and bothers me quite a lot.

[Ben Kenobi]

really why he's going to have a harder time then, say, Mike Vick, who did a worse thing

Ugh. Mike Vick is a ****head who should be banned from football.

[SlowwHand]

She married him after the incident and is defending him now. She's a stupid gold digger, which doesn't excuse him, but I certainly don't consider her a poor little princess.

[Boris Godunov]

It reads as classic battered wife syndrome.

Maybe. Would it read any differently if she genuinely loved and forgave him for it?

So far there hasn't been a single story that's come out showing any similar behavior by Rice in his past. Nothing from ex girlfriends, former teammates at Rutgers, friends, acquaintances, etc. On the contrary, everybody who knows him has said positive things and that they feel the assault was an aberration. What if it was?

If more info comes to light that suggests a behavior pattern, then **** him, sure. But until then, I am willing to give the benefit of the doubt, so long as he continues to take steps to pay his dues. However, it is concerning that he apparently soft-pedaled the incident to Ravens management (at least according to the team, which could just being trying to save face).

[Ben Kenobi]

However, it is concerning that he apparently soft-pedaled the incident to Ravens management (at least according to the team, which could just being trying to save face).

Don't know. Was shocked myself to see that it was Ray Rice of all people who was involved. Plenty of others in the Ravens that I would have had concerns prior, but him, no.

This is why the law has rules concerning first offenders. I think he should be held and treated as any other first-time domestic abuser given that it doesn't seem to have done this before. It's best not to let this slide, because establishing the consequences for this behavior the first time it comes up is the best way to ensure there isn't a repeat.

Goodell, should also resign.

[Demonbinder]

Don't know. Was shocked myself to see that it was Ray Rice of all people who was involved. Plenty of others in the Ravens that I would have had concerns prior, but him, no.

This is why the law has rules concerning first offenders. I think he should be held and treated as any other first-time domestic abuser given that it doesn't seem to have done this before. It's best not to let this slide, because establishing the consequences for this behavior the first time it comes up is the best way to ensure there isn't a repeat.

Goodell, should also resign.

Yes, he should. He just didn't handle the issue well at all and is trying to say they couldn't get the video from inside the elevator. Really? I can see how the police might not want to give it to them, but they could have gotten it direct from casino who said they were never asked for it by NFL. Mike Wilbon on PTI said he has talked to many people in security and with other cases like this and they always give video when requested. But owners probably won't fire him and he won't resign.

It's not fair to Rice and he will have trouble trying to getting on another team. Of course, he is also getting his $25M.

[-Jrabbit]

Heard an interview with Lester Munson (sports law dude for ESPN) on radio today. He spoke at length about NFL security -- how well-funded, thorough, and expert they are. Lots of ex-FBI, ex-police chiefs, ex-CIA, etc. and how they are all over the place, covering the league's ass whenever there's a legal or behavioral player issue. He basically guaranteed that the league knew about all the video shortly after the incident, and that there is basically no way that Goodell was not both informed and involved in the course of action the league chose.

Munson was pretty convincing that this is all just a standard exercise in plausible deniability for the league.

What's interesting is that, before his ascent to the big chair, Goodell was the league's discipline czar, with a major reputation as a hardass.

[MRT144]

God, rewatching Carolina's offensive play calling at the end. When the hell are they going to stop using Tolbert? Jesus.

[Imran Siddiqui]

http://arstechnica.com/business/2014/09/nfl-is-about-to-lose-its-fight-to-save-tv-blackout-rules/

The 40-year-old federal rules that support the National Football League's TV blackout policy could finally be eliminated this month. Federal Communications Commission Chairman Tom Wheeler today scheduled a vote for September 30 on "a proposal to get rid of the FCC’s blackout rule once and for all," he wrote today.

"There is no better example of an FCC rule that has outlived its usefulness and deserves to be eliminated than our sports blackout rule," Wheeler wrote. "In 1975, the Commission enacted rules barring cable from airing a game that has been blacked out on the local television station because it was not sold out—strengthening the NFL’s blackout policy. Today, the rules make no sense at all."

Pro football doesn't need the government's help to boost ticket sales, "and we at the FCC shouldn’t be complicit in preventing sports fans from watching their favorite teams on TV," he continued.

Three votes on the five-member commission are needed to repeal the rules, and Wheeler is likely to get them. The FCC's preliminary vote on the issue last December was unanimous. Since then, the commission has taken comments from the public, and support for repeal remains bipartisan. While Wheeler is a Democrat, Republican commissioner Ajit Pai has also been outspoken in support of ending the blackout rules.

Ending the rules won't automatically ensure that all games are shown on local television, because the NFL could still enforce blackouts through private contracts. Still, the NFL has tried to convince the FCC to preserve the rules, and it led an astroturf campaign to make it seem as though fans support a policy that sometimes prevents them from watching games. The NFL claims blackouts are fan-friendly, limiting incentives to raise ticket prices and keeping games on free broadcast networks rather than paid TV packages. But economists have disputed that argument, and Wheeler isn't buying it either.