OT: Ray Rice Wins Appeal

Submitted by Mr. Yost on

http://espn.go.com/nfl/story/_/id/11949855/ray-rice-baltimore-ravens-wi…

PerESPN.com
Former Baltimore Ravens running back Ray Rice has won his appeal of an indefinite suspension and has been reinstated to the NFL, sources told ESPN NFL Insider Adam Schefter.

Rice is now eligible to sign with any NFL team.

 

...it will be interesting to see if Rice finds a team for a postseason run. If he's blackballed like Tebow was...or if he's really just not that good anymore.

 

*MODS - Feel free to lock this thread from the beginning...just sharing the "breaking news."*

EDIT #1: Janay Rice shares her account of that night in Atlantic City, and everything since.

http://espn.go.com/nfl/story/_/id/11913473/janay-rice-gives-own-account…

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Muttley

November 28th, 2014 at 11:01 PM ^

The NFL attempted to defend the indefinite suspension in the arbitration.  It lost.

The decision of the arbiter (Former U.S. District Judge Barbara S. Jones) is given here

http://espn.go.com/pdf/2014/1128/141128_rice-summary.pdf

I'm not a lawyer, and I didn't stay at a Holiday Inn Express last night, so I can't tell if this was a binding arbitration or not. I suspect it was.  Maybe one of the MGoBarristers could add some color.

Jones view of the crux of the determination is given on page 9:

The sole issue in this matter is whether what Rice told the Commissioner and other League representatives about the assault at their June 16, 2014 meeting was “a starkly different sequence of events” than what was captured on the “inside-the-elevator” video. It was not. In so holding, I find that the NFLPA has carried its burden of demonstrating that Rice did not mislead the Commissioner at the June 16 meeting and, therefore, that the imposition of a second suspension based upon the same incident, and the same known facts about that incident, was arbitrary.

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ChalmersE

November 28th, 2014 at 3:30 PM ^

Once the NFL suspended him for two days and Rice didn't appeal, that should have been the end of the case. The concept while not identical to double jeopardy is similar. Unless the NFL could show that Rice hid something asked for during the investigation, it was unwise to reopen the case.   This is no different from, for example, an autoworker being suspended for two days, agreeing to the suspension, and then GM deciding it was too lenient and trying to increase the suspension. The UAW would be all over such a situation. The NFL screwed up when it only suspended Rice for two games. Once it did that, it didn't have much of a chance of prevailing over Rice in a grievance/arbitration proceeding.

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SysMark

November 28th, 2014 at 3:31 PM ^

Given that there was no legal prosecution, and the NFL's initial reaction, this really isn't surprising.  Question of course is will anyone have the nerve to sign him.

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Mocha Cub

November 28th, 2014 at 3:35 PM ^

Ray Rice and Tebow aren't in the NFL right now and that's where the comparisons end. I don't really understand the point of bringing up Tebow's name with Ray Rice. Completely different reasons for not being in the NFL.

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Perkis-Size Me

November 28th, 2014 at 3:59 PM ^

I would never compare Tebow and Rice. Tebow isn't in the NFL because he's a terrible QB and refused to consider the idea of changing positions. Rice isn't in the NFL because he decked his wife.



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Mr. Yost

November 28th, 2014 at 4:35 PM ^

He also led a team to the AFC Championship Game playing the position that people say he refused to switch from.

Meanwhile there are 5-6 teams in the league every year that literally have dog shit for a QB. Including his former NY Jets.

I never thought it was good, but at least set him up to succeed and fail with the guy before you say he can't win.

It's not like it takes a completely different set of personnel if he isn't good. Peyton Manning did pretty fucking good with the same players Tebow had. They didn't need to completely overhaul the roster because it was set up as a spread team.

There is no reason that the Jets, Jags, etc. shouldn't have brought Tebow in, give him a full year in a spread option/Eagles style offense and see what happened.

Shit, even if you were afraid he wasn't going to hold up. Run his ass into the ground for 2 years and then move on from him. The 49ers, Panthers and Washington's team all drafted QBs who can run...ran them and had crazy amounts of success...then stopped running them and now they can't quite put it together.

Don't draft the guy if you're not going to play to his strengths.

In the case of Tebow, run his ass into the ground and get some W's and then move on. Treat him like an NFL RB. Get all of the hits/miles you can and then find another guy. At least you're competitive.

Or ride out Geno Smith and see how that works.

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pkatz

November 28th, 2014 at 6:05 PM ^

Tebow is just not an NFL caliber QB - it's really that simple. Yes, he did have a good run with Denver using a vastly simplified playbook, but his skill set is not conducive to, you know, throwing the ball.

Sure, he could be a one-dimensional, run only QB, but NFL defenses can stop that much more readily than college teams could.

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Swazi

November 28th, 2014 at 5:29 PM ^

Ray Rice fell off a cliff last season stats wise. He averaged 3.1 YPC and scored only three TDs.

Combine that with he most certainly isnt anywhere near playing shape, and why would anyone sign him this season?

Then add in the whole decking thing and most teams arent going to touch him, regardless.



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Jonesy

November 28th, 2014 at 4:04 PM ^

I don't see why the NFL is in the judge, jury, and executioner business.  Stay out  of it, he got his punishment from the court of law, any complaints about how little of a punishment it was should be directed towards the law.  Suspending someone indefinitely (for something that has nothing to do with football and received very little punishment from the courts) when the average career of a NFL RB is 3 years was bullshit and not at all backed up by the CBA.

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4godkingandwol…

November 28th, 2014 at 4:12 PM ^

... has the right to set their own rules for who they decide to hire and retain.  The idea that the bar for an organization has to be the criminal justice system is idiotic.  

A serial thief who has spent years behind bars has the right to find work afterwards, but if I was managing a housekeeping service, I'm pretty sure I wouldn't hire that person because of the potential impact on my customers and my business.  

That being said, in this case, there was a CBA which needed to be considered.  So, he's back.  But if I were a team exec, I would not touch him with a 10 yard pole.  And that's my decision and my right.  

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MazingBlue

November 28th, 2014 at 4:12 PM ^

A Breaking News came acrossed my timeline while watching the Marshall game on FoxSports1. I immediately thought it could be the release of Harbaugh from the 49ers. This was obviously not the case.

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taistreetsmyhero

November 28th, 2014 at 4:15 PM ^

I suggest any person who's ever posted or spoke on this matter to read the entire interview with Janay Rice. Not necessarily to pick at it and decide whether or not she's lying/being coerced/telling the truth/etc. but merely to remember, as she said, that they are real people going through this.

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