The National Football League has, to say the very least, had no shortage of players involved in criminal mischief. Our nation’s most popular sports league has long had an image problem in this way, seemingly unable to get players to put down the drugs, guns and fists.
Most recently, it has been Baltimore Ravens running back Ray Rice in the hot seat. Last February, Rice was at a casino in Atlantic City with his fiancee when an elevator security camera video recording caught him striking her and dragging her unconscious body away. Apparently, Ray and Janay made up, because they have since married and he has publicly apologized. Rice was charged with aggravated assault, plead not guilty, and is now in a counseling program which he says has changed who he is as a person.
A judge may have let him slip by without any real punishment, but NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell suspended Rice for two games today for violating the league’s personal conduct policy. It is certainly debatable whether two games is enough, but it is something. Such blatant violence towards women certainly cannot be tolerated and the league has acted on it, using Rice as an example.
Plenty of players have been suspended for one reason or another in recent years, ranging from violating social media policies to dangerous hits on defenseless players (or other on-field conduct) to player hazing/bullying to dog fighting. Michael Vick was suspended two games for the latter in 2009. Steelers fans will recall that Ben Roethlisberger was suspended a whopping six games in 2010 during an offseason investigation into his involvement in an allegation of sexual assault. That suspension was later reduced to four games and the Steelers quarterback was never charged due to lack of evidence and the accuser’s decision to not press charges anymore.
Regardless of any opinions on whether or not two games is too lenient or too harsh, the decision has been made and the Ravens will be without the starting running back for the first two regular season games. He will be allowed to participate fully in training camp and in all four preseason games. He will miss Week One vs. Cincinnati and Week Two vs. Pittsburgh on Thursday Night Football. Both of those games will be played at home by the Ravens and Rice will return to action in Week Three at Cleveland.
Maybe Rice’s absence will hurt the Ravens and force a bad start to the 2014 season. Maybe Bernard Pierce, Justin Forsett or another one of the backs will fill in just fine. Maybe Rice will be as mediocre as he was in 2013 and his presence will not even be noticed when he does play. In 15 games last season for the 8-8 Ravens, who missed the playoffs after a Super Bowl season, Rice ran for just 660 yards and 3.1 yards per carry. He scored four touchdowns and had over 20 carries in a game just twice, hardly a vital part of John Harbaugh’s offense.
Rice will lose over $500,000 in game checks, definitely some fans and support (especially from females, one would assume), and may even perhaps eventually fall out of favor in Baltimore, especially if he continues such paltry production into this season. For the Bengals and Steelers, defensive lines will have to face one less potentially punishing and game-changing back early in a season that we should expect to see four solid contenders in a crowded AFC North.
When the Steelers take the field at M&T Bank Stadium on the evening of Thursday, September 11, one of football’s bad boys will be stranded on the sidelines, probably feeling helpless. This will be, hopefully, a lesson learned for a man who made his victim feel very much that way just five months ago.
