Ray Rice could be reinstated to the NFL within a month Former Ravens running back Ray Rice remains suspended indefinitely following the publication of the video of him striking his now-wife, Janay, in a casino elevator, but he could be reinstated within the next four weeks, sources said. An appeal hearing date has been set, with a final decision expected to come in an expeditious manner thereafter, and all of that could be resolved by mid-November, which would conceivably allow Rice to sign with another team this season. Perhaps, even if reinstated, teams will find him too controversial to sign, but there is every expectation his playing status will be resolved before the NFL's investigation into its handling of his case, being conducted by former FBI chief Robert Mueller, is completed. Former U.S. District Court Judge Barbara S. Jones is handling the appeal as a neutral, third-party arbitrator, and all sides in the case have agreed to a date to conduct the hearing in the near future. That date could change somewhat based on what Jones rules this week on some requests the NFLPA made to have certain materials available to them in discovery, but sources said Rice's legal team has made it explicitly clear it has no desire to wait until the NFL and the NFLPA's investigations are concluded to resolve the matter of this suspension appeal. Rice has maintained he did not lie in his testimony to Commissioner Roger Goodell, and his legal team will make the case that even under the NFL's new domestic violence policy, and as a first-time offender, Rice should be suspended a maximum of six games, which has already passed. Furthermore, they will make the argument that the video tape of Rice's actions were available to the team and the league throughout the process of determining his discipline, and thus nothing changed whatsoever with the case from the time Rice was suspended two games, until eventually being suspended indefinitely, save for TMZ obtaining and posting the video. Numerous legal experts I've spoken to believe Rice has an exceedingly strong case, and, considering it could be Week 10 or so before this hearing is resolved, it's hard for them to conceive that Rice isn't reinstated by Jones as part of her decision. If he is, would a team like the Colts, coached by former Ravens assistant Chuck Pagano who thinks highly of Rice, or New England, where Bill Belichick has very strong ties to Rice's college coach, Greg Schiano, take a chance on Rice if they need a running back down the stretch? We just might find out.
If Goodell was smart he would re-instate now(Domestic violence is a 6 game suspension) and have the teams black-list him the rest of the year.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p>Ray Rice has filed a grievance against the Ravens, challenging the team's decision to cut him on September 8 <a href="http://t.co/OQahXyH3JH">http://t.co/OQahXyH3JH</a></p>— ProFootballTalk (@ProFootballTalk) <a href="https://twitter.com/ProFootballTalk/status/524730552625397760">October 22, 2014</a></blockquote> <script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p>Roger Goodell is being forced to testify at the Ray Rice hearing by judge's ruling, per source.</p>— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) <a href="https://twitter.com/AdamSchefter/status/525082483709456384">October 23, 2014</a></blockquote> <script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p>The Goodell testimony just got even more interesting; longtime NFL antagonist Jeffrey Kessler will ask the questions <a href="http://t.co/oM1uszYWoL">http://t.co/oM1uszYWoL</a></p>— ProFootballTalk (@ProFootballTalk) <a href="https://twitter.com/ProFootballTalk/status/525126245148012544">October 23, 2014</a></blockquote> <script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p>My latest for <a href="https://twitter.com/espn">@ESPN</a>: Ravens GM Newsome: Rice told Goodell he hit Janay <a href="http://t.co/6B6GoHD7RZ">http://t.co/6B6GoHD7RZ</a></p>— Don Van Natta Jr. (@DVNJr) <a href="https://twitter.com/DVNJr/status/530497932064067584">November 6, 2014</a></blockquote> <script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p>So Ray Rice is now immediately reinstated and can sign with any team any time.</p>— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) <a href="https://twitter.com/AdamSchefter/status/538421767359172609">November 28, 2014</a></blockquote> <script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p>Interesting that the arbitrator ruled that Ray Rice told the truth to the NFL. Not a good look for Goodell and the commissioner's office</p>— Ben Volin (@BenVolin) <a href="https://twitter.com/BenVolin/status/538420541812899840">November 28, 2014</a></blockquote> <script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p>Judge believes Ray Rice did not lie.</p>— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) <a href="https://twitter.com/AdamSchefter/status/538419782333521921">November 28, 2014</a></blockquote> <script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p>So, if Judge Barbara Jones believes Ray Rice didn't lie... I wonder who she thinks DID lie??? Hmmmm <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/NFL?src=hash">#NFL</a></p>— Robert Flores (@RoFloESPN) <a href="https://twitter.com/RoFloESPN/status/538421859801645056">November 28, 2014</a></blockquote> <script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p>Janay Rice shares her story in her own words, as told to ESPN’s Jemele Hill. <a href="http://t.co/W7kQYqEvPn">http://t.co/W7kQYqEvPn</a></p>— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) <a href="https://twitter.com/SportsCenter/status/538432677280772096">November 28, 2014</a></blockquote> <script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
That's an all-time great Friday news dump. PR people everywhere are applauding (outside of the NFL offices).
Only Roger Goodell and the NFL could make Ray Rice a sympathetic figure. I don't see a team signing him this season. I do see Goodell taking a lot more flak for the immediate future. I'm just waiting to see Goodell try to talk his way out of this...
This. Rice may get some back pay or other type of compensation, but no team will touch this guy, including the Raiders.
Been saying all along, Goodell had this thing about lying to him and now its he who lied his ass off. The only right thing to do is fire him for lying and trying to cover up what happened.
Congrats to Ray Rice for being eligible once again for the NFL...now which owner is gonna have the ball$ of steel to sign him to a contract this season...
Look, I support Roger Goodell and want to pull for him, mainly because a lady I know and like is very close to his family and has known him since he was a kid. There is no way that I can no longer pretend that he shouldn't be fired after this debacle,though. The way the league and Goodel has handled this entire debacle is a complete and utter slap in the face to any progress that has been made on the front of domestic violence. There is absolutely no reason the NFL, with all its money, and all its power, should have lost the reinstatement case of Ray Rice on a technicality. Especially when they had all the evidence up front. So now, the league looks as if they tried to cover this huge issue up, then when it became public, tried to save face by suspending him two games. Then, when the shocking video came out, they suspended him more, while making harsher domestic violence penalties. In reality, they look hypocritical for waiting to crackdown on all of this until the public outcry. Meanwhile, you have Adrian Peterson rotting away for doing something that was in the grey area of legal (not that I condone or agree with it). It's legal to punish your kid with a spanking. Granted, it seems he took it too far. It's in no way legal to punish your wife by punching her in the face and then dragging her body through a public holiday for display. This just looks bad all around for the NFL and Goodell.
If someone does sign him, who do you guys think? I'm leaning towards the Patriots just because it seems like something they'd do.
Nah. The Pats don't need him. Only a team desperate at RB would sign him this season. I'm thinking Colts, Chargers or Cards.