ATHLETIC ASSHOLES

[Cutz]

So, here's my take. No matter what else happened, it's undisputed that this football player knocked out his fiancee (she didn't pass out because she was drunk; witnesses reported the physical altercation). We then see him drag her outta the elevator.

To me, there's no justification for him to knock her unconscious. I don't think anyone has to knock out a person whom they claim to love in order to contain a situation (whether it's Big Bertha cold-cocking Beanpole Bill or Ray Rice flattening his fiancee) unless that loved one has a weapon or can't be restrained. I personally can't believe that she presented great physical harm to him and Ray Rice couldn't have restrained her without knocking her out cold in an act of self defense. So, I think the dude's an asshole and don't know whether she's a violent asshole too.

Anyway, he wasn't convicted and the league has handled it as they see fit, so on with the show. I just hope this woman is not being bounced around by Rice and doesn't end up in the hospital or dead -- that's all.

I agree, tho there's no evidence that he knocked her out, just that they both hit each other and that she was out. Did she hit him, he hit her, and then she swung at him, missed, he tripped her, and she faceplanted into the elevator rail? Who knows. I agree with you that it paints them both as violent assholes, and I hope neither of them end up seriously injured in the future because of it. Overall, I think it's probably true that he knocked her out, just that if she told Goodell she hit her head in a struggle, I don't fault him for only suspending the guy 2 games.

And to answer your earlier question, Steve is pretty useless, but that jerkoff sitting next to him, Skip Bayless, is an absolute contemptible member of society. God he's annoying. I don't watch much ESPN, but I avoid that d-bag.

[Duchess]

Women who stay in abusive relationships deserve what they get. I know that's not a popular opinion but they are willing to make the trade off, it's all on them. She has put a price tag on herself, obviously money means more to her than the things that should matter, like her self respect and well being.

[Cutz]

Women who stay in abusive relationships deserve what they get. I know that's not a popular opinion but they are willing to make the trade off, it's all on them. She has put a price tag on herself, obviously money means more to her than the things that should matter, like her self respect and well being.

Idunno about all that. The stereotype of some midwest housewife that gets abused and just says it was her fault and enables, etc etc, yeah, those women are dumb and probably mentally brainwashed and I feel bad for them.

If some chick is like, 'yeah whatever, we fight, I hit him, he hits me, but when we're not fighting we have tons of fun and I'm getting rich fuckin him'... that's a different story. I'm not gonna judge someone for their alternative lifestyle. Look at this chick.

That's a bad bitch right there. She got devils behind dem eyes.

[Duchess]

If some chick is like, 'yeah whatever, we fight, I hit him, he hits me, but when we're not fighting we have tons of fun and I'm getting rich fuckin him'... that's a different story.

That's what I said. She's making a trade off. She values money more than she does herself. There are many women who can relate to her, those who value their standard of living above all else, even their well being and I believe there are men who can recognize that in women.

[HairOfTheDog]

You're trying pretty hard to make Ray Rice a potential victim here, or at least his wife a potential abuser, or both of them equally responsible, Cutz. Maybe you're right -- I don't know, but I don't think so.

We don't have all the facts, but my opinion, based on what we do know, is that Ray Rice isn't in danger of being battered and knocked around by his wife, nor was he acting in self-defense at the casino back in February. And, I am making a judgment about him as a result of the incident. We're not in a court of law, so my judgment is of no consequence to him (or anyone else really, it just is was it is). I also think his wife is fucked in the head, whether she's willing to put up with being hit because he's rich, or because she loves him anyway, or both, or because she's a husband-beater... Another judgment by me of no consequence to any of the parties involved.

Look at this chick.

That's a bad bitch right there. She got devils behind dem eyes.

That's not a devil woman look, that's a frustrated confused look, quite likely a symptom of the TBI that she suffered after being hit with such force by an NFL player. (Widening the net here -- add another name to that lawsuit. )

[HairOfTheDog]

And to answer your earlier question, Steve is pretty useless, but that jerkoff sitting next to him, Skip Bayless, is an absolute contemptible member of society. God he's annoying. I don't watch much ESPN, but I avoid that d-bag.

I don't know anything about Skip; he couldn't get a word in edge-wise during that interview with Stephen A.

I read a little about Stephen A yesterday -- seems it's kinda his thing to ramble incoherently. Apparently, some people are calling for him to be fired over his comments about Ray Rice. It think that's really overreacting. I don't mind him espousing his opinion, even if I don't agree, but man is he bad at it.

Now, Keith Olbermann, on the other hand, is an A+ ranter.



Personally, I don't think the NFL should stop selling Rice t-shirts. And, some of the stupid sexist comments that Olbermann cited in his intro, which I think were supposed to offend me, actually made me laugh. But, his point was clear and his rant was entertaining.

[Duchess]

One of the things I'm noticing about this that sets people off is the extreme discrepancies in how punishments are handed out but that speaks to how their rules are written, domestic violence is a code of conduct issue whereas smoking some weed is a banned substance issue and both those infractions get punishments under the guidelines.

I'm pretty sure that's a run on sentence. Holy cow.

[Duchess]

Would they cut Johnson over this one altercation

He's been excused from training camp. Uh oh.

[HairOfTheDog]

You all called that one.

http://www.philly.com/philly/blogs/sport...Kelly.html

If Johnson's not kicking himself in the ass right about now, he should be.

[Cutz]

Excused doesn't mean cut... it's means he's allowed to not be there without being fined. Might as well be cut tho.

I'm not trying to make it seem like I'm setting Ray up as innocent. I guess I was just playing devil's advocate that way. IMO, she hit him, he knocked her out. I would never hit a girl, and I don't condone those who do, but I'm not going to judge him either.

Stephen rambles about EVERY topic, yes. He's their token black guy, they let him ramble forever.

[Duchess]

Ugh. I don't like to say that women deserve to be hit but they can't put their hands on someone in an offensive manner and then stand behind their femininity to avoid being hit in return. I don't know that this is what happened, just sayin'.

[Midwest Spy]

That's kind of a good question.

Just how mouthy and in someone's face can someone get, regardless of sex, without getting hit.

I'm not saying that Rice's gal did that at all, but just kind of running with what Duchess asked.

[Cutz]

I think the point is... you can slap someone without knocking them the fuck out. If a female is attacking an NFL playing male... that's not a kicker... you'd think he can subdue her without punching her.

[Midwest Spy]

What do you mean 'subdue'?

[HairOfTheDog]

That's kind of a good question.

Just how mouthy and in someone's face can someone get, regardless of sex, without getting hit.

I'm not saying that Rice's gal did that at all, but just kind of running with what Duchess asked.

Duchess said, "put their hands on", not "get mouthy".

Yours isn't a good question, MS, it's a backwards one. IMO.

I'd hope that anybody who isn't woefully short on marbles would know naturally that isn't okay to hit or knock out a loved one because they were getting mouthy, no matter how mouthy.

[Cutz]

Yeah...

I'd do a headbutt. At least that way you know it hurt me as much as it hurt you.

[HairOfTheDog]

^ That's still a hit, butthead.

And, if you knock her out and you're still on your feet -- without having messed up yer mullet or spillt yer Schlitz, just goes to prove you're not only an asshole, but a hard-headed one to boot.

Best case scenario for me: Ray Rice actually paid attention and got something outta all that counseling he agreed to undergo in order to avoid a possible 5 years behind bars.

He had to choose between the counseling program and going to trial; after the arrest and during their follow-up investigation, AC police dropped the initial simple assault charge against Janay Palmer and upped the initial charge of simple assault to aggravated assault against Ray Rice. The case was presented to a grand jury who saw evidence in the form of witness statements and the surveillance video showing Ray Rice knocking her out cold (casinos have video everywhere -- the knock out video evidence wasn't leaked to media) and dragging her outta the elevator. The grand jury indicted Ray Rice for aggravated assault.

I like how instead of facing the music and apologizing to the public by himself, Ray Rice had his wife, his mother, and his daughter beside him. Cheap and transparent display, IMO, but probably something his defense attorney and NFL mentors giddily supported.

Ah well, on with the show... It's no longer a criminal matter and it's the Rices' personal life...let's see if the NFL and the Ravens profit or lose from how this situation was handled when he takes the field again.

Ref:
http://www.sbnation.com/nfl/2014/5/23/57...ogy-ravens
http://www.sbnation.com/nfl/2014/2/20/54...in/5191279

[Duchess]

I'm a hypocrite about this, I was going to say a bit of one but you either are or are not. I spent quite a few years never thinking about what Michael Vick did with those dogs (and I'm an animal lover) just so I could continue rooting for my team and my QB and I can see fans of Ray Rice doing the same thing. For the average football fan whenever you think the Ravens one of the first things that comes to mind is Ray Rice, he's their star. Some fans will overlook terrible things. I was one of them.

[HairOfTheDog]

There are people who have done terrible things working in every profession. Sometimes they get caught, sometimes they don't. If they do, sometimes there's public exposure, sometimes there's not.

Rice was charged, exposed, and chose his punishment. To the best of my knowledge, he's fulfilling his legal obligation to have the charges dropped. It doesn't make what he did go away and it doesn't affect my opinion of him as an abusive asshole, but the justice system and his employer have doled out the disciplinary action as they see fit.

I think fans can still embrace the NFL and the Ravens without condoning or overlooking what Ray Rice did. Were I a Ravens fan, I'd watch the games and pull for that 'effin asshole Rice to play well and lead them to victory without feeling conflicted or hypocritical. But, I'd not buy a Rice jersey or show any personal support for him whatsoever.

[Cutz]

Shit, this one's from just yesterday and Smith is really an idiot, IMO.

He's telling women not to provoke men into hitting them.



This guy doesn't know when to shut up.

ESPN suspends Stephen A. Smith over Ray Rice commentary.