If you've worked in a corporate environment, you know something ain't right about this Ray Rice video story. If you've worked in a union, you know several things aren't right. I know if you've followed this story, you've heard enough, but let's approach this from a new angle. The only angle that really matters to all the players involved: money.
Easy part first. Who wanted this second video released? TMZ. They get hits on their webpage, ad money, prestige. This furthers their ability to scoop in the future. Everyone is mentioning TMZ when this story comes up . Simple. They make more money.
Back to my original point. Who stands to lose? EVERYONE else involved. Everyone. The NFL, the NFLPA (the players' union), the Baltimore Ravens, and yes, even the casino.
One at a time: The casino wants celebrities to come spend money and get away with things celebrities get away with, anonymously. The release of the elevator video is bad for the casino.
The Baltimore Ravens did nothing to Rice, letting the league handle his discipline. They even held a very mismanaged press conference, standing behind Rice. They looked like they care more about performance on the field than they do taking a stand against a violent, criminal offender, because they do. Had Rice been third on the depth chart, he'd have been immediately released.
The NFLPA surely requested any evidence the NFL received relevant to the punishment of Rice. That's what unions do. It's called due process. Nobody in a union has ever been punished without union representation. The NFLPA has a problem on its hands with players getting arrested. No one cares when a couple of guys smoke pot on their way to the airport. Anyone who watched this video and doesn't care is sub-human. They didn't want this video released. They HAVE to defend Rice. Notice their silence through this whole affair.
Enough has been said of Godell's mishandling of this situation. He made a bad decision early and stood by it. Whether he saw the second video or not is irrelevant. He probably didn't so he could truthfully say he didn't. He is a lawyer. He has the resources to get it, and the responsibility to see it as the judge and jury responsible for player discipline.
Godell, the NFL, the Ravens, and everyone else involved counted on one thing. There was too much money at stake for everyone involved to let the video leak. They failed to realize that everything leaks now. If there's a digital copy - an email, text, or video, in this case, it WILL eventually get out.
It's up to us to decide how to react to this. Let's face it. Most of us will forget in a few weeks. My only hope is this advances awareness of the societal acceptance of domestic violence. It's not just never okay to hit a woman. It's never okay to hit a man. Let's follow some basic guidelines we learned in kindergarten. If Rice did, if Godell did, we'd be talking about football players playing football right now. And trust me, I'd much rather do that.
By: Josh Henderson
Twitter: @verybadwrong
