Goodell to NFL: Don’t get caught on tape
I want one thing to be absolutely clear. What Ray Rice did was wrong. It shouldn’t have happened and he was punished accordingly. The end result was just — his contract terminated and an indefinite suspension from the National Football League. What isn’t right is how inconsistent the NFL is in the way it deals with suspending players.
I may be the first to say it but I will. I feel bad for Ray Rice. What he got was a fair sentence for what he did. I feel bad because he was treated unfairly in comparison with many others in the NFL.
As soon as I say that, I’m the bad guy: a terrible person for feeling bad for someone who beat his wife. I want to point out I feel bad not for what he got, but for what other players didn’t get.
Many other professional athletes have either committed or been accused of similar crimes. However, they are still playing today.
That doesn’t make Ray Rice’s or anyone elses actions right, because they aren’t. Their actions deserve to be punished, but they should all be punished equally. Next time you think about chewing out Ray Rice for his awful crimes, take a look at who you cheer for on Sunday and consider this — maybe they deserve the same treatment you’re giving Rice, you just don’t realize it.
Julian Edelman, one of the New England Patriots’ top wide receivers, was arrested in 2011 for indecent assault and battery after allegedly groping a woman at the club underneath her Halloween costume. I watched him catch six passes on Sunday.
Ben Roethlisberger, starting quarterback for the Pittsburgh Steelers, has been charged with rape three times. He’s served a few suspensions over the years but still starts in the NFL today.
Adewale Ojomo was cut by the Tennessee Titans following his arrest for participation in a prostitution ring. According to the arrest report, Ojomo offered an undercover officer money for sex. The Dallas Cowboys recently signed him to their practice squad.
Daryl Washington of the Arizona Cardinals was suspended for one season after pleading to guilty to aggravated assault of his ex-girlfriend. One season, not a lifetime ban or indefinite suspension, but one season.
Dez Bryant, Ray McDonald, Ray Lewis, Eric Waldon and Rolondo McClain all have similar stories. Hell, even Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones has some sexual assault issues following him right now. There are so many more issues and stories to tell, I don’t have enough space to write about them. Look these things up and see how fair you think the NFL is when divvying out punishments.
What made the Ray Rice situation different? The video footage is really the only thing that sets this case apart from many of the others. However, just because something is caught on video doesn’t mean it’s more real.
If I were to ask one of the other victims if their assault was somehow lesser just because it wasn’t caught on camera I’m sure they would disagree. The fact of the matter is these other things really did happen. The victims are suffering just as many repercussions from the attacks as Janay Palmer, now the wife of Ray Rice, is suffering.
The real difference in the cases is no real punishments were given for the other players who weren’t caught on tape. Many were able to privately settle their cases outside of court or received a short suspension and fine from the league. A simple slap on the wrist and then back out to the field, no more questions asked.
Commissioner of the NFL, Roger Goodell, has been extremely inconsistent in the way he has dealt with off-field issues in the league. What Goodell did to Ray Rice likely ended his career. When you look into the discipline policy of the NFL and all the players still playing, something isn’t right.
— Kalen Taylor is a sophomore double-majoring in Journalism and Spanish. He’s all about football, basketball, tennis, hockey and anything to do with sports… except for baseball, that’s just not his thing. Watch for him living the dream on ESPN one day. Contact him at kalentaylorusu@yahoo.com or on Twitter @kalen_taylor.