Ray Rice wins appeal, eligible to return to NFL

[Axeman33]

I wonder if anyone will take the risk and sign this guy.

http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/nfl-sh...200153633.html

"Ray Rice has won his appeal against the NFL, and is now eligible to play immediately.

Rice had been suspended since September 8 following the public disclosure of a videotape which showed Rice striking his then-fiancee in an Atlantic City elevator. Rice had been suspended for two games prior to the release of the videotape, but in the wake of public outrage — Rice knocked Janay Palmer unconscious with a punch — the NFL suspended Rice indefinitely.

The NFL maintained that it had not seen the incriminating videotape when commissioner Roger Goodell levied the two-game suspension. Rice argued that the NFL was in possession of all the facts of the case at the time of punishment, and that he was in effect being punished twice for the same offense. Rice appealed the NFL's decision at a hearing in early November, a hearing at which Goodell testified.

At that hearing, Ravens GM Ozzie Newsome indicated that in discussions with Goodell, Rice had confessed to hitting Palmer. But Goodell and the NFL maintained that Rice had been less than truthful in his account of the night in question.

Rice was released by Baltimore in September and is currently a free agent."

[ericdaoust]

I doubt he gets a look this year considering that the story is still pretty recent but he'll get signed at some point.

[Dobbersnest]

1 big injury to a playoff team RB and I think he is signed.

[Vanek! at the Disco]

The NFL made such a complete mess of this, I would not be surprised to see Goddell gone after this season

[mounD]

Honestly, I could see Belicheat and the Patriots signing him, even though they love Blount and want to ride him to another AFC Title game. Bottom line, though: Ray Rice is a damn stain. Nobody should sign him, and he shouldn't play in the NFL again. BUT the NFL is the NFL, and I'm sure with their sterling track record someone will sign him.

This is why fantasy football sucks. I am half-inclined to pick him up, but I would feel like a piece of human garbage for having him on my roster. That's a whole lotta bad karma.

[Axeman33]

Honestly, I could see Belicheat and the Patriots signing him, even though they love Blount and want to ride him to another AFC Title game. Bottom line, though: Ray Rice is a damn stain. Nobody should sign him, and he shouldn't play in the NFL again. BUT the NFL is the NFL, and I'm sure with their sterling track record someone will sign him.

This is why fantasy football sucks. I am half-inclined to pick him up, but I would feel like a piece of human garbage for having him on my roster. That's a whole lotta bad karma.

True, and the Patriots seem to like reclamation projects.

[ericdaoust]

True, and the Patriots seem to like reclamation projects.

In that case it might be Rice and AP battling for the starting job one day.

[metaldude26]

The NFL made such a complete mess of this, I would not be surprised to see Goddell gone after this season

Goodell is an employee of the NFL owners. A figure head. As long as he keeps taking all the heat for this and his many other blunders the owners will keep him on because he has taken all the criticism for stuff like the domestic violence issue, the lack of a strong drug policy, the blatant negligence in the ongoing concussion issue, etc. while the owners have received hardly a criticism. It's as though we, but personally I blame the media, would rather all blame this one guy instead of looking at the real people pulling the strings. I'm not saying that Goodell hasn't done stupid shit of his own accord, as he has seemingly done with Ray Rice but it's the owners that empower him. Reality is, he can basically do no wrong. He ****s up and the NFL keeps growing regardless. It's like the Bettman situation on steroids. The owners have their little puppet to take all the heat and help line their pockets.

I just want to read one article that points the finger strictly at the owners, by name, for empowering this guy. We start blaming the owners or hell, the sponsors for this shit and you can bet heads will roll.

[metaldude26]

1 big injury to a playoff team RB and I think he is signed.

It already happened in Indy a couple of weeks ago losing Bradshaw. I think we see some grade A collusion here with Rice going unsigned. No NFL team wants to deal with that backlash. The NFL already lost some sponsorship dollars earlier this year because of the domestic violence backlash. They aren't going to bark up that tree again.

Of course, teams have proven willing to bring players back after off-field scandal. Mike Vick is currently playing football, after all. But that didn't occur until a debt had been paid and proper contrition was shown. I think Rice has handled his misconduct much better than Adrian Peterson in the aftermath but I think that video is still too fresh in our minds.

I also think that the fact Rice wasn't really playing well for over a year prior to his suspension will have teams questioning if he's worth the bother.

[mounD]

It already happened in Indy a couple of weeks ago losing Bradshaw. I think we see some grade A collusion here with Rice going unsigned. No NFL team wants to deal with that backlash. The NFL already lost some sponsorship dollars earlier this year because of the domestic violence backlash. They aren't going to bark up that tree again.

Of course, teams have proven willing to bring players back after off-field scandal. Mike Vick is currently playing football, after all. But that didn't occur until a debt had been paid and proper contrition was shown. I think Rice has handled his misconduct much better than Adrian Peterson in the aftermath but I think that video is still too fresh in our minds.

I also think that the fact Rice wasn't really playing well for over a year prior to his suspension will have teams questioning if he's worth the bother.

Indy is fine with Boom Herron; Patriots should be fine with Blount/Vereen; Oakland is another interesting situation, and maybe even the Jets. I've even heard people talking about Rice to the Steelers as a F*** YOU to the Ravens, but as a Pittsburgher I would hate that. I don't even care about the Steelers, but that would just be awful. Really, really hope this guy doesn't play again.

[metaldude26]

Indy is fine with Boom Herron; Patriots should be fine with Blount/Vereen; Oakland is another interesting situation, and maybe even the Jets. I've even heard people talking about Rice to the Steelers as a F*** YOU to the Ravens, but as a Pittsburgher I would hate that. I don't even care about the Steelers, but that would just be awful. Really, really hope this guy doesn't play again.

I wouldn't disagree with that though I sincerely doubt Indy wants to count on Herron as their #1, especially with Richardson looming as the #2 option. You've struck on an important point though. Running back is the most fungible position in football outside of kicker. No one needs to sign Rice.

I also don't get what kind of revenge signing Rice would be for the Steelers. "We signed your old crappy RB to take snaps away from our awesome young RB and did we forget to mention that we aren't scheduled to play each other again this season?" There is zero logic to that.

[mounD]

I wouldn't disagree with that though I sincerely doubt Indy wants to count on Herron as their #1, especially with Richardson looming as the #2 option. You've struck on an important point though. Running back is the most fungible position in football outside of kicker. No one needs to sign Rice.

I also don't get what kind of revenge signing Rice would be for the Steelers. "We signed your old crappy RB to take snaps away from our awesome young RB and did we forget to mention that we aren't scheduled to play each other again this season?" There is zero logic to that.

You overlooked the fact that there is zero logic present in Pittsburgh sports talk. But yeah, on the point about Indy, I think they're fine giving Herron the "Bradshaw" role: roughly 10-12 carries, passing down work. T-Rich should still vulture the goal-line / early down work, but he's a plodder.

[dejeanneret]

I also think that the fact Rice wasn't really playing well for over a year prior to his suspension will have teams questioning if he's worth the bother.

I think the above really sums it up regarding Rice. If he showed that he still had "it" on the field, he'd be signed in a heartbeat. But he looked fairly washed up before this whole thing went down, which changes the calculus dramatically.