Baltimore Ravens: Do What’s Right and Cut Ray Rice

As a society, we’ve always been prone to snap judgments and knee jerk reactions when something happens that rocks us to the core. Its part of our nature as human beings, and it’s a right that is guaranteed by the First Amendment of the Constitution.

In this day and age of social media and the 24-hour news cycle, there are lots of people with opinions. Whether they’re right or wrong, everyone is entitled to theirs. There are certain cases where there shouldn’t be a right or wrong opinion. One opinion should be shared by the majority of the population.

The domestic violence case involving Baltimore Ravens running back Ray Rice is one of those cases. This is one of those scenarios where we as a society have to unite as one because it’s the right opinion to have. It’s the ONLY opinion to have when it comes to domestic violence.

To put it plainly, domestic violence is wrong. Period. No matter the cause. No matter what previous events occurred before hand. Domestic violence is wrong and should not be tolerated.

By now, the latest video released by TMZ showing Rice’s disgusting assault on his then fiancee has been seen by tens of millions. It is a video that has rocked us to the core as a society, and there have been tons of knee jerk reactions on both sides of the argument. There should only be one. What Ray Rice did is 100 percent inexcusable, and the two game suspension handed down from NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell was a joke.

There has been so much confusion as to how the NFL came to decide on two games. What did the NFL know? What did Ray Rice tell them? According to reports from Baltimore Ravens media, Rice spared no details in what happened on that night in February in Atlantic City. Was Rice as forthcoming with the NFL as he was with his own organization?

ESPN’s Adam Schefter hinted on SportsCenter today that some people in the NFL had seen the new video that was released this morning. If this is true, then Goodell is going to have A LOT to answer for. Goodell must come out TODAY and say precisely what his organization knew prior to Rice’s suspension. That part of the scandal — and make no mistake that this is now a scandal — needs to be cleared as soon as humanly possible.

Let’s say Goodell and the higher ups at the NFL have seen this video and said, “Ok. Two games is enough.” That’s beyond asinine. My brain refuses to process that information because no logical human being would see that video and not say: “Get out. Get out of my league. Forever.”

The most common defense for the misguided Ray Rice supporters — who made many of us ill with their standing ovation at a Baltimore Ravens training camp practice — is that we “don’t know what Janay Palmer Rice did”. Not that it matters at all, but we know now. The answer is not enough to warrant the kind of assault she endured. As Janay Palmer Rice was entering the elevator, her fiancee decked her. Palmer-Rice’s head then bounced off a railing in the elevator before she collapsed to the floor. Unless Ray Rice’s life was being threatened, there’s zero excuse for that, and to insinuate otherwise is an embarrassment to those who choose that narrative.

In a league where Josh Gordon (one year for substance abuse), Wes Welker (four games for PEDs), and Robert Mathis (four games for PEDs — which could be a byproduct of taking fertility drugs) have all been suspended for moderately less culturally shocking crimes, the NFL could not have done worse.

Under the new domestic violence policy that the NFL has enacted (six games for first offense, second offense is lifetime banishment), Ray Rice would undoubtedly get more than six games. Unfortunately, the NFL has a “double jeopardy” policy in place where one player can’t be punished for the same thing twice. (The NFL should be making a special exception for this case, but I doubt that will happen.)

There is a chance for this to be righted. The team that employs Ray Rice — the Baltimore Ravens — can succeed where the NFL failed. If the parent company that the Ravens operates under will not do the right thing, then the company itself can make it right … by cutting Ray Rice today, or tomorrow, or at any point before he’s scheduled to return to the team next week.

Owner Stephen J. Bisciotti and General Manager Ozzie Newsome can cite “conduct detrimental” as a reason to waive Ray Rice, and it would be the best thing to do for their franchise. Rice would cost the team an $8 million cap hit, but if you’re Bisciotti and Newsome, you have to understand that $8 million is a small price to pay when it comes to the image of your fan base which is at or around 50 percent women.

Rice’s on-field talent may be behind him as evidenced by his putrid 3.1 yards per carry last season. Now is the perfect time to move on from him and give the ball to former Temple product Bernard Pierce — whom my friend lovingly refers to as “Mr. Glass Jaw”. Pierce can take over the reigns in the Baltimore backfield, and the Ravens can move on from someone that has cast such an eerie, black shadow on their franchise.

Once Ray Rice is waived by the Baltimore Ravens, his career is likely over. If you think it was hard for a team to sign Michael Vick (dog fighting), Tim Tebow (media circus nightmare), or Michael Sam (openly gay football player), imagine what Rice is going to deal with for the rest of his life. No team in any league is going to want to sign him, and I, personally, don’t feel bad for him one iota. You reap what you sow, my friend.

We’re now in stage two of the Ray Rice scandal. Roger Goodell and the NFL completely and utterly whiffed in stage one. If the NFL won’t do anything to retroactively punish Rice, then the Ravens should step in and do the work. If you want something done right, you have to do it yourself. ESPN and Grantland’s Bill Simmons says it all with this tweet:

Ravens have to waive Rice today or they are cowards. New video is appalling. I’d like to see someone in the NFL do the right thing for once.

— Bill Simmons (@BillSimmons) September 8, 2014

Do the right thing, Baltimore. Step up. Stand tall.

Update: The Baltimore Ravens have terminated Ray Rice’s contract:

The #Ravens have terminated RB Ray Rice’s contract this afternoon.

— Baltimore Ravens (@Ravens) September 8, 2014