Rice Pays the Price

“Rice Pays the Price”

By E.J. Merlo

photo attributed to google

photo attributed to google

My first initial thought on the Ray Rice domestic violence case against his then fiancé was that, he will get away with it somehow- someway because that is the way it is perceived when professional athletes get in trouble. I grew up with a father who taught me to respect women and to never put your hands on a woman regardless of the situation.  I obviously was disturbed by the Story of Ray Rice.  After watching a press conference on ESPN with Rice himself speaking about the situation, I thought he spoke sincerely and honestly about the incident. I believed he was sorry and he understood the significance of the mistake he made.  What really hit home for me is how he spoke about his daughter finding out about the incident when she gets older and how he is going to have to live with that.  The suspension itself of two games instantly led me to believe there was going to be controversy about his punishment considering Josh Gordon, a receiver for the Cleveland Browns, had been suspended for a whole season for failing a drug test because of marijuana.  How could Rice only receive the initial suspension of two games for assault and battery of his wife?

photo attributed to google

Now months later a video is released by the television show TMZ showing Rice punching his now wife in the face, so hard she fall down, hits her head and becomes unconscious.  If that is not bad enough, we then see him dragging her out of the elevator rather than picking her up. The video goes viral.  People are outraged that his initial punishment was so light.  The NFL commissioner, Roger Goodell, has now decided that Ray Rice is now suspended indefinitely and kicked off his team.  What changed in the evidence? Why now just because there was video documentation does the punishment fit the crime?  On USAToday.com, Denver Bronco player stated on through twitter “that man should be thrown out of the NFL and thrown into jail”.    Reading on Bleacher Report.com the quote from Jason Whitlock’s tweet that said “I don’t see Rice playing professional football again” made me realize that my hope is that along with his suspension he would be charged and convicted of his crime, maybe then some of these professional athletes would realize they are not above the law. A professional athlete admits to and is shown hitting his wife on national television, yet the controversy is how long his suspension will be and not the fact that he may get away with domestic violence. If a non “celebrity” was to be broadcasted on television hitting a woman, would they be looking at a suspension from their work place or criminal charges and jail time? Where does the real problem lie?