The NFL's handling of the domestic violence case involving Ray Rice is "under renewed scrutiny" after TMZ's release of video, which "raises questions about what the NFL knew, and when," according to Ken Belson of the N.Y. TIMES. NFL Senior VP/Communications Greg Aiello said, “No one in our office has seen it until today.” But Aiello did "not respond to inquiries about whether any of the league’s investigators who do not work in the office had previously seen the video." Meanwhile, attorneys said that the league "may have to overhaul the way it investigates player malfeasance" (N.Y. TIMES, 9/9). In L.A., Sam Farmer writes with the release of the latest video, the league is "facing more troubling questions: Either its initial investigation failed to turn up the second, more graphic video; or its leaders were not being truthful Monday when they said they were seeing that footage for the first time." Neither possibility "reflects well on the NFL" or Commissioner Roger Goodell. Imposing a "strict personal-conduct policy was among the first things he did after being hired" (L.A. TIMES, 9/9). In N.Y., Gola & Molinet report the NFL "asked police for information in the case, but were rebuffed because it was an active investigation." The NFL "could have gone to the Atlantic City hotel where the assault took place for the video, but TMZ said the league never asked." TMZ Exec Producer Charles Latibeaudiere yesterday claimed that "someone from the NFL -- it’s unclear who -- visited the Atlantic City hotel where the assault took place and watched the shocking surveillance video." Latibeaudiere: "We are assured that someone from the NFL -- it wasn’t Roger Goodell walking in, we know that -- but there were people from the NFL who came and saw the video. So now the question becomes how much of that information got back to Roger Goodell, and did he ever see an actual copy of the video?" TMZ's Harvey Levin said, "The NFL knew this surveillance video existed. ... It almost feels like the NFL didn't want to know." Aiello: "That video was not made available to us" (N.Y. DAILY NEWS, 9/9).
MAKING A STATEMENT: USA TODAY's Jarrett Bell in a front-page piece writes the existence of the video "was known for months, talked about on the NFL grapevine." Knowing that it existed, it was "incumbent upon the Ravens and the NFL to obtain and review that video before making any judgments about a suspension or levels of support." A source said that the Ravens "were rebuffed in attempts to secure a copy of the videotape, acting on the knowledge that the prosecutor and presiding Judge in Rice's case saw the video." But the NFL's "explanation that it had not seen the video until Monday was not good enough." The NFL "maintains that it requested the videotape from the authorities." That it was "rebuffed, too, is puzzling when considering the high-profile nature of the case and the NFL's widespread ties" (USA TODAY, 9/9). THE MMQB's Peter King wrote, "Earlier this summer a source I trusted told me he assumed the NFL had seen the damaging video that was released by TMZ." The source said that league officials "had to have seen it." King: "This source has been impeccable, and I believed the information. So I wrote that the league had seen the tape. I should have called the NFL for a comment, a lapse in reporting on my part. The league says it has not seen the tape, and I cannot refute that with certainty" (MMQB.SI.com, 9/8). Fox' Jay Glazer said of the NFL, "I don't think they had the video, at least based on the information that I got. ... I get it; nobody believes that, absolutely nobody believes it. But I have to believe that anybody in their right mind who saw this video would not suspend him for (only) two weeks. That's why I tend to believe them on this" ("America's Pregame," FS1, 9/8).
WHAT DID THEY SEE? ESPN's Chris Mortensen said back when the Rice story originally broke, he was told "specifically" what was on the elevator video. Mortensen said the NFL says, "'We did not see that portion of the video,' but it doesn't mean they didn't have the details of the video, [but] they are adamant that law enforcement did not cooperate with them ... and never got cooperation in terms of acquiring the video. That's their story” ("NFL Insiders," ESPN, 9/8). CBS Sports Network's Amy Trask said, "The standard should be, 'Did the league see the video? Or should the league have been held to a standard of having seen the video?'" ("CBS This Morning," 9/9).
WHAT THEY KNEW: In Baltimore, Dan Rodricks writes the NFL "wanted this disturbing story of domestic violence by one of its most popular players to go away." Rodricks: "Did they really need TMZ to help them decide that Rice was a batterer who needed to be gone? Apparently so" (Baltimore SUN, 9/9). Also in Baltimore, Mike Preston wrote, "I believe both the Ravens and NFL commissioner saw this video of Rice. They can say otherwise, but both organizations like to have control." Preston: "I think Goodell knew the video was about to come out, which prompted him to increase the suspension of players involved in domestic abuse to six games for a first time offender" (BALTIMORESUN.com, 9/8). In N.Y., Gary Myers writes TMZ "took Goodell off the hook and helped the NFL avoid further embarrassing itself." Myers: "Can you imagine how much worse the NFL would have looked if this video didn’t surface until a day after Rice was back on the field in Cleveland and then the Ravens had to cut him and Goodell had to suspend him again? ... How did the league whiff on this case?" (N.Y. DAILY NEWS, 9/9). PRO FOOTBALL TALK's Mike Florio wrote, "I believe that the NFL didn't see the Ray Rice video before imposing a two-game suspension on him. But I can't believe that the league didnt see it." Florio: "Goodell should have seen the video. He didn't, because those responsible for getting the video failed to do so" (PROFOOTBALLTALK.com, 9/8).
A WATERSHED MOMENT: USA TODAY's Christine Brennan writes the release of the video could be a "watershed moment for the NFL and the nation on" the domestic violence issue (USA TODAY, 9/9). In N.Y., Gola, O'Keeffe, Sandoval & Siemaszko write, "Now we know what it takes to get a pro football player who beats up a woman kicked out of the NFL" (N.Y. DAILY NEWS, 9/9). In Pittsburgh, Ron Cook writes the Ravens and league "got tough with Rice only because they are trying to save their reputation." They are "doing it because the video is so graphic and so horrifying that overwhelming public sentiment demanded immediate action" (PITTSBURGH POST-GAZETTE, 9/9). The GLOBE & MAIL's Cathal Kelly writes under the header, "NFL Loses Its Soul After Sordid Ray Rice Spousal-Abuse Video Comes To Light" (GLOBE & MAIL, 9/9). HBO’s Bryant Gumbel said, "It's hard to believe [the NFL didn’t see the video previously and] you also have to wonder, did Roger Goodell think that she fainted?" Gumbel: "At best, the only thing you can say they were willfully ignorant." Gumbel added, "What the NFL does best is public relations and manage its image and so right now they're going to go into full-mode of demonizing Ray Rice with justification. But I don’t see any evidence that they have turned the corner on this and really gotten the message" ("Today," NBC, 9/9).
INACTION PLAN: In Boston, Steve Buckley writes the NFL, by its "very actions, which is to say its inactions," has "proven itself incapable of grasping the significance of domestic violence" (BOSTON HERALD, 9/9). In N.Y., Juliet Macur writes the video "made the assault seem worse, and naturally it sparked a tidal wave of revulsion from the public." But the "facts alone should be enough in any domestic violence case." The NFL's action on Rice "never should have taken this long" (N.Y. TIMES, 9/9). In Cincinnati, Paul Daugherty writes the NFL's aim has "hardly been true on this one" (CINCINNATI ENQUIRER, 9/9). In N.Y., Mike Lupica writes there is "no question that Goodell and the Ravens did the right thing here," but it "took this video for them to give Ray Rice the beating he deserved" (N.Y. DAILY NEWS, 9/9). A WASHINGTON POST editorial states, "This is what domestic violence looks like, and you shouldn't need a video to believe it, be disgusted by it and refuse to tolerate it" (WASHINGTON POST, 9/9). USA TODAY's Rachel Axon notes domestic violence victim advocates yesterday praised the NFL and Ravens for "finally getting it right." National Coalition Against Domestic Violence interim Exec Dir Ruth Glenn said, "The NFL has absolutely done it right today. They may not have done it right four weeks ago, but they did it right today" (USA TODAY, 9/9).
WHAT THEY ARE SAYING: ESPN’s Trey Wingo opened the net's “Monday Night Countdown” broadcast, saying, “We begin once again with one of the uglier stories of the off-season spilling over into the regular season.” ESPN’s Adam Scheftter said the case “points to the failings in the legal system, the NFL and the Baltimore Ravens.” Schefter said “speaking to some people in Baltimore, the feeling around” the Ravens was “they believed that Ray Rice lied to them about the circumstances of the events.” ESPN’s Chris Mortensen said “it’s hard to believe” the NFL and the Ravens “didn’t have video” from the elevator. Mortenson: “Right now everybody is saying we didn’t see the video until today” ("Monday Night Countdown,” ESPN, 9/8). NBC's Brian Williams said the NFL "is dealing with a very big problem." NBC's Josh Elliott: "There are many questions being asked tonight about what NFL officials knew and when they knew it" ("Nightly News," NBC, 9/8). ABC's Ryan Smith said of the NFL’s actions, “The question for many tonight: What took so long?" USA Today's Christine Brennan said the NFL actions are "partially PR because there was a video and the NFL had to do something today" ("World News," ABC, 9/8). ESPN’s Wingo said the NFL “needs to lead on this. It seems like they’ve been following behind and catching up as opposed to leading” (ESPN, 9/8).
MISSING THE POINT: THE MMQB's Greg Bedard wrote whether or not the Ravens and the NFL saw the video before yesterday "doesn’t really matter in the end, because it ends up in the same place: ineptitude." This is a "dark day for Rice, the Ravens, Goodell and the NFL." They will "never be seen the same way again." Even though it is "never too late to do the right thing, they had a chance to get it right from the outset and failed." That "should not be forgotten" (MMQB.SI.com, 9/8). THE MMQB's King notes his weekly mailbag "was dominated" by the Rice news (MMQB.SI.com, 9/9). In Baltimore, Peter Schmuck writes getting it "wrong for nearly seven months will only raise more questions about the league's incoherent approach to serious disciplinary issues." It is "amazing how many people remained in denial for so long when nobody ever really denied anything." Though the NFL was "right to be deliberate in its attempt to marshal as much information as possible before imposing its initial suspension on Rice, that makes it even harder to imagine how Goodell and his advisors could have misread the situation so badly" (Baltimore SUN, 9/9). In Dallas, Rick Gosselin writes the NFL "fumbled once in its dealings with Rice," and the Ravens "prevented the league from fumbling a second time" (DALLAS MORNING NEWS, 9/9). In Hartford, Jeff Jacobs writes the fact that Goodell and the NFL, "with all its resources and security, could have gathered evidence and initially suspended Rice for two measly games is an outrage that defies reasonable explanation" (HARTFORD COURANT, 9/9).
THE BUSINESS IMPACT? The WALL STREET JOURNAL's Jason Gay writes despite "all of its failings and mistakes, the league possesses a support system of networks and sponsors -- and an audience -- that has shown no willingness to walk away" (WALL STREET JOURNAL, 9/9).
