Why Ray Rice's Suspension Leaves More Questions Than Answers

 

Where do you begin after the events of today? I guess we can start here:

 

Disgusting would be an understatement to describe that clip. I initially thought the punishment a two game suspension was too light for a domestic violence case. Today the Baltimore Ravens terminated Ray Rice's contract. The NFL has suspended him indefinitely. This all happens as we jump and click our heels. Many people think justice has been done. They might feel like this is the proper punishment to levy against such an offense. There also might be truth to that. But there's so much more to this story. So much more we don't know, and so much more that just isn't being talked about

Now I'm just as much Sway as any of you all; I don't have the answers. But I have a shitload of questions. Questions that more so challenge the consciousness of big corporations in the United States. For starters, not much in this world can warrant the left hook that rice hit his then fiance with.This altercation makes the Jay - Z and Solange debacle look like small fries. As a matter of fact it is small fries. If what this woman did in the Rice video necessitated a reaction like that from Rice, then kudos to Jay.  I know that Rice is engulfed in a culture that breeds a hard hitting, take no prisoners mentality. But you have got to leave that mess in the locker room. You're a grown man, we're anatomically superior to women in the strength department. We have nothing to prove to a woman physically ever.

All this admonishment should no longer be on Ray Rice though. Ray did what he did. his job is to serve whatever punishment that may come with his actions. But the powers that be, namely Roger Goddell have some "splaining" to do. I'm a moderately intelligent guy. I do have a wealth of common sense. Common sense tells me that both the NFL front office and the Ravens front office have already seen the tape that we saw today. Having said that, these two offices still thought that a TWO game suspension was punishment enough for knocking a woman unconscious. 

These two offices also thought that if no one else saw the real ugly footage this whole thing will blow over. Let's begin the blow over process with this newly wedded couple in a press conference. A conference in which the victim apologizes to Rice for her "part" in his reaction. Granted, she lightly provoked him on camera but give me a break. The NFL was cool with this still if nothing else got out. Now that this video exists its even more apparent that their initial punishment was a joke. They had to go to the next extreme now to save face. We know it had to be this way because it's all about the money. With the NFL being a top three grossing sport in the United States we can have this kind of thing tarnishing it's image. 

Unfortunately the NFL is going to have to revamp how it handles the punishment of it's players off the field. Over the last five years I have seen people commit crime after crime and sometimes fines aren't enough. Suspensions aren't enough. Clauses need to be written in where players lose guaranteed years if they decide to act like an ass. Classes need to be assigned to  anyone who commits an illegal act whether they're arrested or not. There has to be some way to get the point across that grown ass men have to be mindful of their actions. It mirrors the league at large and everyone is watching. From here on out more and more people will be watching. That's just where the world is headed.

So what would make me blow the dust off this blog for the first time in almost two years? The fact that this is bigger than an athlete striking a woman. It's about how we as people prioritize such an act. how do we bring across the point that this is serious. how do we get an NFL to care more about a person's mental state rather than just their bottom line? Again I'm just as much Sway as you are and I don't have the answers.

What do you think of the situation?

These are my words and I make no apologies.