What do wife beaters, drug users and accidental murderers have in common? They have all been famous football players. Football has faced several infractions in the form of players over the past few years, both in college and the National Football League (NFL). Ray Rice, former Baltimore Ravens running back, commited the latest scandal, and was consequently fired by the Ravens and suspended indefinately by the NFL. A video of Rice recently surface of him beating his fiancé.
While it is agreed that Rice deserves his suspension punishment, there is some contention as to whether or not he should be allowed to play in the NFL again.
Rice should definitely be allowed to come back into the NFL after he has served his time for the beating of his then-fiancé, who has since become his wife and has publicly stated that she does not hold any grudges against him. The apology, blame, and lack of anger for his actions against her is another issue in itself, though. However, in terms of the allegations and subsequent punishment, Rice has been a model citizen prior to this incident, especially compared to other players over the years who have been allowed to come back to the NFL.
Michael Vick, the then-quarterback for the Philadelphia Eagles, was placed in the federal penitentiary for 18 months in 2007-2008 after being convicted of running an illegal dog-fighting operation where the losers were drowned, electrocuted or shot.
Donte Stallworth, ex-wide receiver, was convicted in 2009 for drunk driving and the DUI manslaughter of Mario Reyes in Florida, also served a short stint of 30 days in prison.
Leonard Little, a former defensive end for the St. Louis Rams, spent 90 days in jail for the drunk driving and subsequent killing of a mother whose car he plowed into after running a red light in 1998.
Warren Moon, a former Minnesota Vikings quarterback, beat and choked his wife in their home almost to the point of unconsciousness, and, somehow, still managed to make it into the NFL Hall of Fame.
Many of these infractions included the death of both humans and animals, yet all three of these players were allowed to return to the NFL. If these three players, who were a part of events that resulted in either death or serious injury, as well as other players who have engaged in domestic violence, were allowed to return to the world of football, why, is Rice suddenly the example for all egregious acts made in the NFL?
There is no disagreement that his suspension is a fair punishment. Rice should not get off easily for beating his fiancé, whether she forgives him or not, because domestic violence is always a serious infraction that should be handled immediately to ensure it never happens again.
As Stephen A. Smith, a sports analyst, stated on an episode of First Take while discussing the Ray Rice incident, “there are a lot of women out there who have a right to feel what they feel when they say he should never be allowed to play in the NFL again…because women who are victims of domestic violence have a heightened level of sensitivity.”
However, while he deserves his punishment, it would be a grievous double standard to forever ban Rice from the NFL when the same has not been done for players. Previous offenders have been responsible for the deaths of others, or, in the case of recently-traded wide receiver Wes Welker, have been repeatedly charged with illegal drug use, despite the NFL policy outlawing such activities.
Also, Rice’s possible banishment from the League comes off as excessive when considering the new information recently revealed stating that the Ravens had a copy of the tape proving Rice’s transgressions months ago, long before it came to light. This is a direct contradiction to Commissioner Roger Goodell’s claims.
Additionally, Goodell announced a new league policy for domestic violence reports a month ago, which included a six-month penalty without pay for the first offense, and a lifetime ban for a second offense. Banning Rice from the NFL for his first offense, despite the seriousness of the infraction, goes against Goodell’s new policy.
With all of the information that continues to come out about the Ray Rice incident, including the League’s involvement, the possible banishment of Rice now seems like a cover-up for the mistakes the League made months ago in not dealing with the clip of the tape they received prior to the public becoming aware. If Rice is banned, it will not be simply for his indiscretions, but also to assist the NFL in saving face for their own mistakes in dealing with this issue.
