NFL Suspends Ray Rice Indefinitely

In case you haven’t been following the whole Ray Rice/NFL/Domestic Violence story line, here’s a quick recap:

Rice, formerly a running back for the Baltimore Ravens was dealt a 2 game suspension from NFL Commissioner Roger Gooddell. His crime? Beating–nearly killing–his wife unconscious in a casino elevator, on camera. (Media outlets are always sure to point out that the victim was not his wife at the time of the incident, but his fiancee’. I get it for the sake of proper documentation of fact, but I really don’t think the label of their relationship is important. This is a horrible crime against women, no matter what words you stick to it.)

There has been much said lately of the seemingly arbitrary way in which Gooddell hands out suspensions. For instance, 49er linebacker Aldon Smith was suspended 9 games for substance abuse issues and wide reciever Josh Gordon was suspended for the entire 16 game season for repeated failures of drug tests, notably marijuana. I do not point these other cases out to cast any judgement on their respective suspensions, I’m positive I don’t know all the inner workings of these proceedings. However, common sense dictates that gross violence against women (or anyone for that matter) should warrant a harsher penalty than DUI’s and failed drug tests.

Anyway, Gooddell and the NFL at large have come under intense scrutiny over Ray Rice’s slap-on-the-wrist punishment. So much scrutiny, in fact, that Commissioner Gooddell recently installed a strict new policy on domestic violence. A first offense will net you a 6 game suspension, and a second offense will get you a lifetime ban from the NFL. Many wonder if this new edict even goes far enough.

Since this new ruling, TMZ released another video of the night Ray Rice beat his spouse. This prompted the Ravens to cut ties with Rice and the NFL to suspend him “indefinitely.” Basically, Rice is done in this league, and good riddance. I love football more than some of my blood relatives, but I in no way want the league associated with poor treatment of women (or children, animals, people). This reaction is long overdue.

Now it seems that the NFL and Gooddell (in particular) are once again under the gun as the TMZ report also insinuated that the NFL and Gooddell were aware of this video months ago.

The NFL, and sports in general, are (hopefully) waking up to a new generation of policy wherein domestic violence is no longer brushed aside for the good of the record book. I can only hope that the horribly outdated drug policy is also evaluated. Many players (past and present) want cannabis to be allowed for consumption. To be sure, a large speed bump in that process is federal law, but the NFL seems to be at least interested in taking steps to bring their substance abuse policy more in line with modern culture.