Source says Ray Rice video was sent from law enforcement to NFL back in April

[oldunclemark]

There is also a report there might be a 12 second voice mail from NFL office number about the tape having arrived; and along the lines of 'You're right, it's terrible'.  We'll see if that is true too.  The integrity of the NFL is going downhill fast.

That sounds fake....anonymous sender..anonymous receiver

just enough audio to be culpable..

Do you REALLY believe that?

[jvan1973]

believe it...

Roger Gioddell..is in legal trouble (certainly liable to Ray Rice's attorney team) if he has evidence sent to him anonymously by some police official before judgement has been made

You cannot do that...

how would goodell be in legal trouble if someone sent him the video? You can't control what someone sends you

[oldunclemark]

She has Stockholm syndrome, and maybe if we had a society that wasn't so keen on blaming women when they are victimized, this wouldn't be a problem.

Maybe but ....nobody really cares about the women who got knocked out..

its all about the evil Roger Goddell

[Jhaze55]

Oh noes a woman in the man's job!

 

Your misogyny is showing, not that you try to hide it.

All he was saying that someone with the last name Rice would come in and take the job. Just a funny little occurrence.

 

How is that misogyny? come on man

[oldunclemark]

how would goodell be in legal trouble if someone sent him the video? You can't control what someone sends you

It was pending legal criminal case.....and Goddell had yet to rule on Ray Rice as well..

He cant legally get (or admit he got) evidence that the police did not release...

Its a criminal case

[jvan1973]

It was pending legal criminal case.....and Goddell had yet to rule on Ray Rice as well..

He cant legally get (or admit he got) evidence that the police did not release...

Its a criminal case

It doesn't change the fact that you can't control what someone sends you. Crimes are captured on cell phone videos everyday.

[Buck Showalter]

Here's how the Ravens felt about the poor woman

 

 

yeah lame spin on the issue..

[SkyBane]

It doesn't change the fact that you can't control what someone sends you. Crimes are captured on cell phone videos everyday.

Goodell is in no way shape or form going to get in any legal trouble, he has a team of lawyers to make sure of that.

 

Where he gets in to trouble, is the fact that the NFL is a public company that is reliant on the goodwill of it's consumers to continue viewing their product and purchasing related merchandise (read: fans). If said fans feel there is a vote of no confidence in Goodell maintaining the integrity of the league and begin to view it as a league of thugs with Goodell sweeping it under the rug to accommodate them, they have a PR issue. One that is easily solved by firing one guy, who already takes heat from the fans for his adjustments in the rules to refocus the game on offense and high scoring.

 

So, to sum up, Goodell is fine legally, his job though...

[oldunclemark]

That is irrelevant...

He will never say he saw it...even if he did.

And it s likely that whoever got it never gave it to him because he wouldnt take it.

All kinds of legal problems (even with the NFLPA) if he gets evidence of a crime by a player that the police didn't give him..

......trust me.....Goddell didnt 'see it' even if he did see it

[ColtsBlueFL]

That sounds fake....anonymous sender..anonymous receiver

just enough audio to be culpable..

Do you REALLY believe that?

 

if it were a rag tag media outlet, probably not.  Since the Associated Press broke the story, not the Onion, I'm on the jury, court is still in session, and I'm still taking the evidence in.

 

http://www.coj.net/departments/parks-and-recreation/recreation-and-community-programming/waterways-%28boating,-kayaking,-more%29/jacksonville-water-taxi.aspx

[jvan1973]

Goodell is in no way shape or form going to get in any legal trouble, he has a team of lawyers to make sure of that.

Where he gets in to trouble, is the fact that the NFL is a public company that is reliant on the goodwill of it's consumers to continue viewing their product and purchasing related merchandise (read: fans). If said fans feel there is a vote of no confidence in Goodell maintaining the integrity of the league and begin to view it as a league of thugs with Goodell sweeping it under the rug to accommodate them, they have a PR issue. One that is easily solved by firing one guy, who already takes heat from the fans for his adjustments in the rules to refocus the game on offense and high scoring.

So, to sum up, Goodell is fine legally, his job though...

Oh i agree that it will be a PR issue. I have no doubt he will be fired if they can prove he saw the video before TMZ released it.

[jvan1973]

That is irrelevant...

He will never say he saw it...even if he did.

And it s likely that whoever got it never gave it to him because he wouldnt take it.

All kinds of legal problems (even with the NFLPA) if he gets evidence of a crime by a player that the police didn't give him..

......trust me.....Goddell didnt 'see it' even if he did see it

Watching a video of a crime someone sends you is not a crime

[oldunclemark]

Goddell cannot acquire bootleg evidence from an anonymous source and then rule on Rice...

....he cant look at it

[jvan1973]

Goddell cannot acquire bootleg evidence from an anonymous source and then rule on Rice...

....he cant look at it

Yeah, still not a crime. Maybe some kind of CBA violation, but not a crime

[SkyBane]

Goddell cannot acquire bootleg evidence from an anonymous source and then rule on Rice...

....he cant look at it

He sure can, otherwise how would he know it was evidence. Your fallacy is that you assume he has to treat everything that he is told is evidence as evidence, when in fact police would care more if he wasted their time with red herrings. In fact, if he received it first, it would be his civic duty to view it first, then report it to the police if it was relevant. The only way he gets in trouble is if he viewed it, then attempted to hide it from police, which is accessory to domestic abuse.

 

You have it completely backwards with this idea that he can't view it at all without police present, it's absurd.

[12isthenew18]

If were the consumers and are helping goddell only thing we can hope for him leaving is players strike

[-JJ-]

Makes you wonder what was on the Spygate videos Goodell got rid of before the public could see them

Not to go off topic and I get the skepticism in general but what else would the tapes show? I actually saw two more tapes..they were only up for like less than a half day but it was the same ol' video of down and distance.

[ruksak]

But why?

Makes no sense. I think this is all the public's imagination running wild due to media injection. 

[jvan1973]

Not to go off topic and I get the skepticism in general but what else would the tapes show? I actually saw two more tapes..they were only up for like less than a half day but it was the same ol' video of down and distance.

We will never know. Why destroy them at all? Why not use them as a training tool in what not to do ? If they are as innocent as you claim, what was the need to get rid of them?

[Superman]

Goodell- miscalculated punitive measures... not once... but now twice.

 

How so? I agree the initial suspension was insufficient. But what's the twice about?

[krunk]

How so? I agree the initial suspension was insufficient. But what's the twice about?

 

 

I think he's referring to bounty gate

[Superman]

I think he's referring to bounty gate

 

Can't be. Bountygate was the exact opposite, and might be part of the reason Goodell didn't come down harder on Rice in the first place.

[B~Town]

Of course the NFL would wanna keep this under the rag. I hope goodell gets fired

I hope so

 

Makes you wonder what was on the Spygate videos Goodell got rid of before the public could see them

It will be known one day ...  

[ColtsBlueFL]

How so? I agree the initial suspension was insufficient. But what's the twice about?

The 6 games in the newly contrived policy..  Turns out that may not pass muster.  But on his his second try at Ray Rice, he even bypassed that and went straight to indefinite suspension.  So which one is the one he was supposed to do from the get go?

[Narcosys]

Yet the NJ attorney general said it would have been illegal to give them the video.

[Superman]

The 6 games in the newly contrived policy..  Turns out that may not pass muster.  But on his  his second try at Ray Rice, he bypassed that and went straight to indefinite suspension.  So which one is the one he was supposed to do from the get go?

 

I don't like this particular criticism. Either you think the indefinite suspension is good, or you don't. If it is, everything else is a nitpick that I don't think matters.

 

I also feel like a lot of people are acting like no one is ever allowed to make a mistake or misjudge a situation. 

 

Also, when the new policy was released, Goodell's letter made it clear that 6 games for a first offense was a guideline, not a hard and fast rule. There was room left for mitigating factors, suggesting that if the offense was egregious enough, it might be more than six games (or less, though that's not as likely). 

 

In the end, Ray Rice is suspended indefinitely, and more than likely won't play this season. Most people that I heard/read/talked to thought he should get 4-8 games, some said he should get a year. That's where we are now. I feel like the result is more important than the twists and turns taken along the way.

[SkyBane]

Yet the NJ attorney general said it would have been illegal to give them the video.

It was. Latest reports are that an officer gave Goodell the tape anonymously and without authorization so he would have it before he ruled on Rice's suspension in April. There's an ongoing investigation involved in finding out what the hell is going on with this report.

[jvan1973]

Goodell could have asked Rays lawyer for a copy of the tape if he really wanted to see it. I think he did see it at some point but he could have saved everybody a lot of trouble

[ColtsBlueFL]

I don't like this particular criticism. Either you think the indefinite suspension is good, or you don't. If it is, everything else is a nitpick that I don't think matters.

 

I also feel like a lot of people are acting like no one is ever allowed to make a mistake or misjudge a situation. 

 

Also, when the new policy was released, Goodell's letter made it clear that 6 games for a first offense was a guideline, not a hard and fast rule. There was room left for mitigating factors, suggesting that if the offense was egregious enough, it might be more than six games (or less, though that's not as likely). 

 

In the end, Ray Rice is suspended indefinitely, and more than likely won't play this season. Most people that I heard/read/talked to thought he should get 4-8 games, some said he should get a year. That's where we are now. I feel like the result is more important than the twists and turns taken along the way.

 

His mitigating circumstance was pressure from the court of public outcry.  He went right to his repeat offender punishment.   I think Goodell should gather a think tank of professionals from inside and outside sources for this policy.  It is not just a football incident.  Outside counsel should be sought and the valid points heeded.  Then there is a consensus and the football and general public can at least point to a well thought out policy that governs how the Player should be punished.

 

There are those that have been saying the NFL is ignoring this for years.  His mistake is never addressing it over the years. Not until a video came out in public was it even addressed, then in a reactionary policy.  Yet McDonald and Hardy are still playing.  Wonder what would happen if a video of one of them came out what would happen?

 

And I'm in favor of a suspension lasting as long as a counseling program lasts.

[Superman]

His mitigating circumstance was pressure from the court of public outcry.  He went right to his repeat offender punishment.   I think Goodell should gather a think tank of professionals from inside and outside sources for this policy.  It is not just a football incident.  Outside counsel should be sought and the valid points heeded.  Then there is a consensus and the football and general public can at least point to a well thought out policy that governs how the Player should be punished.

 

I'm not sure what your point is. 

 

First of all, you're assuming that the NFL hasn't sought outside expertise. Goodell's letter announcing the new policy specifically said that they have and will continue to seek outside expertise on this issue, as they develop training and so forth for personnel. I think some of that will be evident at the rookie symposium next year.

 

Second, either the NFL's indefinite suspension is proper, or it's not. Whether they were influenced by public outcry -- and if so, is that really a bad thing? Shouldn't a business like the NFL be in tune to what the public thinks about their actions, or should they be entirely tone deaf? -- or not, the end result is the same, isn't it? You're trying the method, which everyone agrees was flawed, including the NFL. Seems like a waste,when you could either acknowledge that Rice's indefinite suspension is a good thing, or argue why it isn't.

[GoColts8818]

If true Goodell has to go.

[southwest1]

Here's how the Ravens felt about the poor woman

 

 

 

That statement does convey the falsely ridiculous impression that Mrs. Rice caused the violent aftermath/domestic violence result which is complete hogwash & blame the victim. I know on the Ray Rice suspension thread that I ticked off some female friends of mine on here with my POV. But, at the end of the day, I never blame the woman in either cases of sexual assault or physical brutality. 

 

Even if a person is intoxicated & acting nuts, punching them in the face is not the best way to resolve an altercation. Is that from an official Ravens site twitter feed Bogie? Yikes!  

Ironically, this could lead to a woman with the last name Rice becoming the new commissioner

Roger Goodell is not getting fired over this scandal IMO, but it does make me wonder a) how swiftly a female executive would have been all over this case, b) handed down immediate punishment without seeing the tape but speaking directly to casino security personnel ASAP, & c) having the tape in their hands within 48 hours max. 

 

How many females does the NFL have in high ranking positions at their NY headquarters & are they serving on high level committees for substance abuse violations, PED violations, & cases of domestic violence? I also want to see more high ranking female executives on concussion CTE cases. Maybe then & only then, league would get serious about dementia, suicides, & long term memory loss. 

 

I'm not targeting you Jvan just pointing out that this case highlights the need for a more vocal leadership role for women in the League office IMHO. 

[krunk]

Can't be. Bountygate was the exact opposite, and might be part of the reason Goodell didn't come down harder on Rice in the first place.

 

 

I assume that's what he means when he's saying "miscalculated punitive measures".  If my memory serves me right Rozell had to go another direction with some of the punishments Goodell was trying to get in place.  I could certainly be wrong, but that's the only other thing I could think of to suffice as the #2 or maybe even the #1 miscalculation.  Just my 2 cents of a guess.

[ColtsBlueFL]

I'm not sure what your point is. 

 

First of all, you're assuming that the NFL hasn't sought outside expertise. Goodell's letter announcing the new policy specifically said that they have and will continue to seek outside expertise on this issue, as they develop training and so forth for personnel. I think some of that will be evident at the rookie symposium next year.

 

Second, either the NFL's indefinite suspension is proper, or it's not. Whether they were influenced by public outcry -- and if so, is that really a bad thing? Shouldn't a business like the NFL be in tune to what the public thinks about their actions, or should they be entirely tone deaf? -- or not, the end result is the same, isn't it? You're trying the method, which everyone agrees was flawed, including the NFL. Seems like a waste,when you could either acknowledge that Rice's indefinite suspension is a good thing, or argue why it isn't.

 

But his (second try) suspension isn't policy, and people charged with the same crime, and one is convicted but appealing his conviction, are still playing.  This is beyond Ray Rice. The media will tear into the NFL and Goodell like they did when the steroid players in baseball lied to the public and even congress about not doing it.  Only to be found complete liars.  There are investigative reporters that thrive on stuff like this, so if there is more to come, it won't remain hidden.  So right now only the integrity and trust is the main issue.  But there are many underlying stories, and possibly more to come.

 

There is going to be many not in support of the judge,jury, and executioner style Goodell has had in his 8 years.  Already I'm seeing stuff like this begin to trickle out-

 

The NFL Players Association saw flaws in Goodell’s approach — leading former union president Domonique Foxworth to say Tuesday that the problems with the Rice decision were “something that we foresaw.”

“There’s a reason why one person serving as judge, jury and executioner doesn’t really work and no one really supports that as a judicial process anywhere in the world,” said Foxworth, who shared a Ravens locker room with Rice for three seasons.   

 

I think there will be changes forthcoming, but not a firing of Goodell. Not unless a smoking gun comes out showing he knowingly and purposely misrepresented his position during the whole ordeal. Personally I don't think 6 games is going to be enough, and expecially waiting until after the judicial system weighs in to administer it.

 

There were folks that said the Incognito thing was just locker room banter and it would all be over soon and everything back to normal.  Incognito still doesn't have a job in the NFL yet.  And that was an internal affair!  This is beyond that.  So down the road, we'll see.

[southwest1]

Roger Goodell continues to dig himself a bigger & bigger public relations nightmare hole by insisting he never saw the tape. Jvan does have a point though. Just because A DVD of the elevator incident was checked in at League headquarters it is possible that the Commissioner never saw it. Highly unlikely, but remotely possible.

 

The problem is this: By denying seeing the video, Roger either looks stupid or incompetent. Which is better Goodell? Lazy, overwhelmed, or a total white wash of what you knew & when you knew it? On top of Spygate tapes, & a bounty gate ledger that never proved players being financially rewarded for brutally taking out other NFL players, Roger is not making a stellar leadership impression. The only thing saving him right now is billions in revenue & the massive popularity of professional football both here and abroad. That's why he will never get dismissed. 

[Superman]

But his (second try) suspension isn't policy, and people charged with the same crime, and one is convicted but appealing his conviction, are still playing.  This is beyond Ray Rice. The media will tear into the NFL and Goodell like they did when the steroid players in baseball lied to the public and even congress about not doing it.  Only to be found complete liars.  There are investigative reporters that thrive on stuff like this, so if there is more to come, it won't remain hidden.  So right now only the integrity and trust is the main issue.  But there are many underlying stories, and possibly more to come.

 

There is going to be many not in support of the judge,jury, and executioner style Goodell has had in his 8 years.  Already I'm seeing stuff like this begin to trickle out-

 

The NFL Players Association saw flaws in Goodell’s approach — leading former union president Domonique Foxworth to say Tuesday that the problems with the Rice decision were “something that we foresaw.”

“There’s a reason why one person serving as judge, jury and executioner doesn’t really work and no one really supports that as a judicial process anywhere in the world,” said Foxworth, who shared a Ravens locker room with Rice for three seasons.   

 

I think there will be changes forthcoming, but not a firing of Goodell. Not unless a smoking gun comes out showing he knowingly and purposely misrepresented his position during the whole ordeal. Personally I don't think 6 games is going to be enough, and expecially waiting until after the judicial system weighs in to administer it.

 

We'll see.

 

I think comments coming from the NFLPA are sort of taking advantage because they smell blood in the water. They are negotiating several other issues with the league at the moment, and their sticking point with many of them is Goodell's role in levying suspensions and hearing appeals.

 

I also disagree that Goodell has been judge, jury and executioner. It's a catchy phrase, but it doesn't hold up. In cases of personal conduct, players have several methods of recourse, including legal recourse. Bountygate proves that.

 

As for the other pending domestic violence issues, first of all, it's probably a good thing that nothing has been done, yet. Any decisions made would seem tainted. And the primary difference between the other cases and the Rice case is that Goodell waited for the legal process to play out. That's best in most cases, unless the legal process is dragging on interminably. In this case, the incident happened in February, the legal process was "done" in May. No rush for the NFL, IMO.

 

I said this before, this incident highlights, to me, how Goodell and people in positions like his can't win. He comes out in the beginning of his tenure and establishes a reputation for being a hard-nosed, no nonsense commissioner who will drop the hammer on people who are continually running afoul of the law. He's resented for it (even though the violators were nut jobs, doing crazy things like beating up strippers and shooting guns in night clubs, etc.), and his actions are blown out of proportion because of a handful of high profile situations. Then Bountygate happens; he comes down hard, and his player suspensions are vacated entirely. The Ray Rice situation is the first incident that Goodell takes care of since Bountygate; perhaps he learned a lesson from Bountygate, but misapplied it. It used to be that people thought he was too hard on players, and now they're made at him for not being hard enough on Ray Rice. And now, he's dropped the hammer on Ray Rice, and people are complaining that his suspension isn't in keeping with the 6 game policy.

 

In reality, it IS in keeping with the policy. The policy, as the memo stated, allows for the commissioner to take whatever action he feels is appropriate, including an indefinite suspension, even on a first offense. If you read it, you'll see very clearly that it makes way for mitigating circumstances; it does not tie the commissioner to a strict six game suspension on a first offense. It could be more; it could even be less.

 

And Ray Rice is suspended indefinitely, not six games, not a year, not two years. He's suspended until he's on a roster and the commissioner reviews the entire situation, at some point in the future. If someone signed him tomorrow, the commissioner would review the case and determine whether Rice can play, and when. "Indefinite" isn't more, less, or equal to six games.

[Jules]

I am getting so tired of this crap anyway. The NFL used to be about football, a game we all love. Now it is about owners drug addictions and sex lives, cheating/"gates", fantasy football stats and drama stories on and off the field.

 

Male soap opera. I wonder what happens next week.

[Gavin]

I am getting so tired of this crap anyway. The NFL used to be about football, a game we all love. Now it is about owners drug addictions and sex lives, cheating/"gates", fantasy football stats and drama stories on and off the field.

 

Male soap opera. I wonder what happens next week.

Really a lot of behind the scenes issues have gone on for years, The media boom has a much easier time of exploiting and exposing them now

[-JJ-]

We will never know. Why destroy them at all? Why not use them as a training tool in what not to do ? If they are as innocent as you claim, what was the need to get rid of them?

The reason he gave (and I know you don't necessarily trust that) was so others wouldn't use them. I only say innocent in the sense what else is it going to show? They were tapes done with a normal video camera and not some star wars sophisticated equipment.

 

So I ask what more can it show than the one you saw (down and distance) and the two others I saw that were up briefly on TV that also showed the same thing- rather monotonous actually.

 

I think it helped BB do analysis later for future games, which you can do with binoculars and pen and paper. Video put on computer later is just easier.

[southwest1]

I am getting so tired of this crap anyway. The NFL used to be about football, a game we all love. Now it is about owners drug addictions and sex lives, cheating/"gates", fantasy football stats and drama stories on and off the field.

 

Male soap opera. I wonder what happens next week.

Hmmm...An official NFL soap opera what would the title be? Ring My Bell, Fumbled Balls, & Say Hello Molly?  Darn it Jules, you just activated my sarcasm switch. Ha! Ha!