....It was possible for some fans to line up and cheer for their favorite teams, and have a “show’s over, let’s move on” attitude when they knew just a little about what happened that night in Atlantic City and ignored the rest. They chose instead to concentrate on the apologies, the news conference with Rice and his wife sitting far apart but side by side, he pledging to be a better father to their young daughter, “a better husband, a better role model,” and his wife deeply regretting “the role that I played in the incident that night,” a jarring note the team repeated on social media, showing just how much the Ravens did not get it.
At Ravens practice in July, Rice was given a standing ovation and cheered when his image flashed on the big screen. Will fans still cheer? Football’s most devoted followers have shown a great capacity for compartmentalization, enjoying this most popular of spectator sports as past stars struggle with long-term effects of concussions and young stars, such as Rice, act Sunday game violence off the field against far weaker opponents.
That there seemed to be more controversy – and time served – when Michael Vick admitted to abusing dogs is not that surprising. This year, a report from the Black Women’s Roundtable showed black women making progress in business, education and political clout but vulnerable to health problems and violence. It said “black women are especially likely to be a victim of violence in America. In fact, no woman is more likely to be murdered in America today than a Black woman. No woman is more likely to be raped than a Black woman.” What happens next in Rice’s case might show just how much black women are valued.
To read more of Mary Curtis' essay, go to: http://www.washingtonpost.com/...king-ray-rice-video/
And a from ESPN's Jason Whitlock:
...Ray Rice committed a crime. People who commit crimes are generally reluctant to tell on themselves. Rice's cowardice and apparent dishonesty are not surprising. The NFL's apparent willful ignorance about what happened inside the elevator is quite surprising. It's difficult to believe TMZ has better investigators than the multibillion-dollar NFL.
Goodell elected himself the league's top cop. Is he Barney Fife? Did he not talk to the police or hotel security personnel who saw the tape?
Surely, as a matter of criminal procedure, Rice and his attorneys had access to the video as part of "discovery." Or maybe I've watched too many episodes of "Law & Order"? Assuming Rice and his attorneys had access to the video, given Goodell's unchecked power, he could've easily compelled Rice to hand it over. And, if Rice and his handlers were reluctant to do so, it would've been a damning piece of evidence that the video was damning.
Weeks ago, when Keith Olbermann used the Rice suspension as justification for calling for Goodell's removal as commissioner, I thought Olbermann was going way too far.
I was wrong.
For more: http://espn.go.com/nfl/story/_...ay-rice-developments
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