Examining the Ray Rice Decision

Yesterday, a bombshell was dropped on the NFL, although it was one that many were not surprised by. In a seventeen page decision, Barbara S. Jones, arbitrator in the case of the NFL and running back Ray Rice, ruled that the NFL abused its process by suspending Ray Rice indefinitely, vacated that punishment and declared Rice eligible to play, effective immediately.

I took the time to read the entire decision, because I am THAT guy that is that intrigued to read the entire story, to understand exactly what was said. In reading that decision, the judge had no choice but to rule in Ray Rice’s favor. The decision a bigger flaw in the credibility of Roger Goodell.

This is not a statement as to whether or not a two game suspension was severe enough. I don’t believe it came close. However, this is a statement about the merits of the league’s case against Ray Rice, nothing more.

As we move ahead I am going to bring you excerpts from the decision. If you are like me and are interested, click here to read the entire decision.

The basis for being able to punish Ray Rice for a second time with the indefinite suspension was that the league felt that Rice lied to them. The decision includes this statement, ” In this arbitration, the NFL argues that Commissioner Goodell was misled when he disciplined Rice the first time.” When you read that, one might think that Goodell did the right thing. If Rice didn’t come clean to him, maybe he isn’t remorseful, and deserves the harsher penalties.

But, when we look at what the league presented as evidence to that belief, the league becomes less credible, as does commissioner Roger Goodell.

According to the decision, here is what Ray Rice said to the commissioner about the incident, notice the boldface:

“I hit her, [when] she was coming back towards me. . . . and I hit her, and she went down and she hit her head, and then by the time the elevator got up, the elevator opened, a security guard was right there and he said, after I was dragging her out, ‘you had assaulted her, get away from her.’”

Here is what commissioner Goodell said on the matter:

He recalled what Rice had said this way: that he and his wife got on the elevator and Mrs. Rice “struck him, he said that he slapped her, and that she fell, hit her head, and knocked herself out.”

Hmmmm…really commissioner?

Nov 24, 2014; Detroit, MI, USA; NFL commissioner Roger Goodell attends the game between the New York Jets and Buffalo Bills at Ford Field. Mandatory Credit: Andrew Weber-USA TODAY Sports

So Ray Rice says he stated, “I hit her, and she went down and she hit her head….” Commissioner Roger Goodell stated that he said “…he slapped her, and that she fell, hit her head, and knocked herself out.” This is what the NFL deemed the additional punishment necessary? They say that the decision “…was based on the fact that Rice presented a “starkly different sequence of events” than what was captured in the second video.” Does this seem “starkly different” to you? It doesn’t to me.

The league, in its files turned over in the case, didn’t even attribute any direct quotes from Ray Rice’s testimony. They had notes, but no direct quotes. Rice’s camp, on the other hand, had multiple quotes, that gave credibility to their account of the events.

If you are going into a serious situation, one that could have legal ramifications, wouldn’t you have detailed notes, with as many specifics as possible? Clearly Ray Rice’s side understood that concept, the NFL’s camp did not, and it cost them.

The arbitrator took it further than disagreeing that Rice gave a starkly different version, take a look:

Based on all of the evidence, I conclude that Rice said, “hit,” that he did not say “knocked herself out,” and that he did not mislead the League in the June 16 meeting.