14 DAY TRIAL // Ray Rice seems to have opened a very touchy subject and very uncomfortable chapter in the history of the NFL: that of players behaving violently off the field. The Baltimore Ravens running back, Ray Rice, has been holding the first page of newspapers in the United States for weeks now, after the video in which he could be seen knocking out his wife landed online.
Today, the Baltimore Sun newspaper is reporting that Ray Rice is going to appeal the NFL's decision to suspend him indefinitely after the video became viral on the internet.
Rice got suspended “indefinitely” after he was initially only given a 2-game suspension
The incident took place in February this year in Las Vegas, and initially, the player was only suspended for two games for his conduct, but after the video was posted online, people were outraged that Rice was still allowed to play after such inappropriate behavior.
On September 12, the NFL sent out a letter to the NFL Players Association, in which they explained his indefinite suspension, “This video shows a starkly different sequence of events from what you and your representatives stated when we met on June 16, and is important new information that warrants reconsideration of the discipline imposed on you in July.”
The letter goes on to say that “Based on this new information, I have concluded that the discipline imposed upon you in July was insufficient under all the circumstances and have determined instead to impose an indefinite suspension.”
The player is now taking the matter to court, to see if he can overturn the decision
The suspension cost Rice several million dollars in salary for this season. Ironically, Rice's most avid supporter has been his wife, the woman in the video, who married him only one month after the attack. Her decision to marry him despite his attack has also been widely discussed and opened up a new perspective on domestic violence.
Now, experts are wondering if Ray's decision to fight the suspension is the best idea under the circumstances. Players have returned to the field after being suspended for bad things they did off the field, but in Ray's case, taking the case to court might actually do him more harm than good in the long run.
Rice can make a case in court, thanks to Article 46, Section 4 of the collective bargaining agreement governing “One Penalty.” This states that “The Commissioner and a Club will not both discipline a player for the same act or conduct. The Commissioner's disciplinary action will preclude or supersede disciplinary action by any Club for the same act or conduct.”