ATHLETIC ASSHOLES

[HairOfTheDog]

Thanks, Cutz. I can see how no matter how good a player he is, Rice might be too big a liability for another team based on what you posted (not to mention potential negative fan reaction).

I'm curious to see what happens next for MacDonald as the first NFL player charged with domestic abuse following the league's new policies. Those policies are still ambiguous to me in terms of what criteria will be used to deem someone deserving of the established penalties.

[HairOfTheDog]

There is a lot of outrage out there in cyberspace right now and I don't understand it. People have known about this since February.

Imagining something violent, especially when little detail is provided, is very different from seeing it go down for a lot of people.

[Duchess]

Mrs. Rice would like to share her thoughts -

"I woke up this morning feeling like I had a horrible nightmare, feeling like I'm mourning the death of my closest friend," wrote Janay Rice. "But to have to accept the fact is a reality is a nightmare in itself."

"To make us relive a moment in our lives that we regret everyday is a horrible thing."

"To take something away from the man that I love that he has worked his ass off for all his life just to gain ratings is a horrific [sic]. THIS IS OUR LIFE.

'What don't you all get," she asks. "If your intentions were to hurt us, embarrass us make us feel alone, take all happiness away, you've succeeded on so many levels."

Janay Rice then defiantly claimed her marriage would "continue to grow and show the world what real love is" before assuring "Ravensnation" of their loyalty.

Story

[Duchess]

Nike has cut all ties to Ray Rice & the Ravens are offering a jersey exchange. Y'all will recall that the Patriots did that when Aaron was arrested & charged.

I know I'm alone in this but I didn't find the video as shocking as it appears the rest of society does given I knew the details months ago. The one & only thing I find shocking in all of this is that the Ravens cut him. I accepted that the NFL didn't give a fuck and I moved on from it. I was floored yesterday to read they let him go. Roger Goodell is a dick & so is Ray Rice and his wife.

[Duchess]

I should probably stop reading what Mr. & Mrs. Rice have to say about recent developments because now I'm starting to feel sorry for them.

[Cutz]

I can see how no matter how good a player he is, Rice might be too big a liability for another team based on what you posted (not to mention potential negative fan reaction).

It'll be a curious situation. The Eagles had a similar situation in Vick after his prison term. Huge negative fan reaction for the team, but it was a "rehab, second chance" situation. With Rice, the fact that he didn't go to prison will make that angle a much harder PR sell for a team. "He's completed his intervention program" doesn't quite have the same ring to it.

Nike has cut all ties to Ray Rice & the Ravens are offering a jersey exchange. Y'all will recall that the Patriots did that when Aaron was arrested & charged.

That's actually cool. I didn't know about either of them.

I feel sorry for them in that they have violence problems in their relationship. I don't feel sorry that Ray Ray lost his job... It's a privilege to play in the NFL. 'Deserving' players, especially running backs, get cut ALL THE TIME for off the field issues. It's not something being taken away from him... nobody deserves to play in the NFL. He's talented and has performed well, but he's not the first or last that a team will cut ties with. Hopefully he saved some of his millions.

[Duchess]

Depending on how I'm feeling at any given time I could be all over the board with how I feel about this.

Actually, that happens a lot with me in regards to many subjects.

[HairOfTheDog]

It'll be a curious situation. The Eagles had a similar situation in Vick after his prison term. Huge negative fan reaction for the team, but it was a "rehab, second chance" situation. With Rice, the fact that he didn't go to prison will make that angle a much harder PR sell for a team. "He's completed his intervention program" doesn't quite have the same ring to it.

That's true -- hard to say what the public will and won't look past, in time.

In addition to the fact that Rice isn't gonna do any jail time, the fact that people have seen what Rice did might make it harder for him to to be accepted anywhere in the league as compared to Vick. The personal nature of the crime is also working against him, IMO.

Then again, I remember some discussion a couple of years ago in the NFL Thread about Ray Lewis. He was acquitted of murder, but pleaded guilty to obstruction of justice. One of the Mock guys, I think it was Jimbone, was convinced that Lewis was guilty of murder and that he was an asshole who got away with it because of his star status. I don't know whether a lot of football fans feel the same way about Lewis as Jimbone did, but I got the impression that the Ravens completely supported Lewis and the fans rooted for him and the team despite his serious trouble with the law.

Definitely curious...

[Cutz]

Sometimes it's team bias. Most fans forgive players on their team before players on their rival's team. So absolving Ray Lewis for involvement in a murder case is easier than apologizing for Vick or Ray Rice that's coming in as a free agent. Jimbone was probably a Steelers fan.

You're right tho, the video evidence will put Rice in a tougher position. He's got the deck stacked against him for sure.

It was kinda funny, I said to my gf that the Ravens had to bench their backup and put in their third string guy, so the position is a big question cause how good is a third stringer? She commented, "well, at least the third string guy doesn't beat his wife." To which I replied, "That we know of, wait until TMZ goes after him next." I'd bet that Ray n Janay probably blame TMZ so much for both videos and getting Ray cut.

[Duchess]

Most fans forgive players on their team before players on their rival's team.

That's how it works for me. Straight up, I am a hypocrite.

[HairOfTheDog]

I didn't realize that Ray Lewis and Ray Rice are tight.



Lewis weighed in about Rice's crime and NFL suspension. Lewis is kinda walking a tight-rope, IMO. Trying to be supportive of the Raven's decision to cut Rice and be supportive of his friend Ray Rice on a personal level -- while positioning his crimes and support from the Ravens as being incomparable to Rice's situation (he doesn't need to re-open that can of worms). I think Lewis did a good job of walking the line.

Snip:
When prompted by host Suzy Kolber about how the Ravens stood behind Lewis when he plead guilty to obstruction of justice in connection to a double murder, he was quick to distance himself from that comparison.

"There's no comparison, it's not about me personally," Lewis said. "Me speaking with the owner of the Ravens, Steve Bisciotti, just moments ago and just listening to what Steve was saying about the reason why Ray Rice will never play for the Ravens again is because when he saw this video himself he put anybody that's connected to him that's a female and in that position, you have to take a step back when you're an owner and you see that type of evidence that you haven't heard before, haven't seen before.

"One thing Steve made very clear: There is no comparison of me and Ray Rice. It's night and day. It's night and day of anything we've ever been through. And that's why both situations are totally different."

Lewis said he plans to speak with Rice soon in person and offer his advice. "Friends, sometimes friends tell you what you want to hear, best friends tell you what you need to hear," Lewis said. "I told him, 'I will be there to talk to him. I really want to sit down and know what's going on in his heart and what's next for Ray Rice.' I'm not talking about football. I'm talking about as a man. Where is your focus right now?'

"Me and him have been going back and forth via text. I wanted to let him know I'm still encouraged. A lot of fire and darkness are coming at you, but you have to stand still in the midst of this storm. How do you find your way out of this? You humble yourself. You figure out ways to get yourself out of this and you seek counsel. That's why I'm going home to definitely meet with him to be the same mentor I was the first time he walked through the door."

Full story: http://www.baltimoresun.com/sports/raven...z3CxBLKA3M

[HairOfTheDog]

The Other Ray.............49ers' Owner Breaks Silence on Ray MacDonald Domestic Violence Arrest

Over the last ten days, there has been a lot of chatter about why Jed York has not spoken about the Ray McDonald situation. He appeared on KNBR this morning, and made his point fairly clear.

When asked about why he has not spoken, he said that the organization speaks with one voice. Whether Jim Harbaugh, Trent Baalke or he is the one speaking, it is the same message.

The hosts asked why the 49ers did not consider deactivating McDonald for last Sunday's game. York said he felt it was important to not judge somebody before charges are filed, or an investigation happens. He spoke to the issues of due process, in a similar fashion to what we've heard from Jim Harbaugh and Trent Baalke.

"I will not punish somebody until we see evidence something should be done or until an entire police investigation shows us something."

The hosts followed up by asking him about people saying York could have shown more leadership in this situation. York stated that, "I would much rather take shots to my reputation than to put somebody down and judge them before an entire investigation has taken place ... As a leader you need to make sure you're doing the right thing, not always the most popular thing. If you want to take shots at me and my reputation, I'm comfortable with that ... For me to look at myself in the mirror, if I'm going to punish somebody...before you can go through an entire legal process, an entire investigation, that's not who I am."

http://www.ninersnation.com/2014/9/9/612...c-violence
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I'm glad the team is waiting to see what the investigation uncovers; letting LE investigate and determine if the allegations are valid before treating MacDonald as a criminal or assuming he broke the league's code of conduct.

Maybe MacDonald is a domestic abuser. If so, then let him have it. But for the league or the team to punish him ahead of Law Enforcement is out of order, to me. Plus, it would open the door to players being blackmailed with threats of false allegations.

I think too many people are expecting the employer, the NFL, to act as Law Enforcement when it comes to yet investigated/substantiated criminal allegations. That's JMO.

[Duchess]

This Ray Rice bullshit is out of control in the media.

[ramseycat]

Imagine if everyone had to worry about getting fired and crucified in the media for things they do wrong in their personal life.

[Duchess]

It's ridiculous. The NFL didn't even have a domestic violence policy until recently. There are men playing the game right now who are guilty of it. So many people pointing fingers like it's their business. I can hardly stand it. I might start running around and defending him.

[Carsman]

Some men are violent, and play violent sports, and get to use that violence to their advantage. However, then they go home and unfortunately take the same violence home with them. And sometimes they do harm to those around them, when/if that happens, they need professional help to separate the job from the domestic scene. IMO.

[QueenBee]

Just read that many of his fans, including women, are wearing his jersey in "support" of him.
Yes it sucks to lose your job, yes it can suck to have your personal life spread all over the news media. BUT, I am one who, because of close personal experience, does not take any domestic violence lightly.
I find it hard to "look the other way" when it comes to something like this. Sorry, You bet a dog, you beat a woman, you are shit in my book. Neither is right.
Do I think his being fired was "too harsh"? Hey, he is still walking away with a $25 million check in his pocket. Do I feel sorry for the guy? NO WAY IN HELL

[Duchess]

Adrian Peterson has been indicted on child abuse charges. Wow. Just wow.

[HairOfTheDog]

Adrian Peterson has been indicted on child abuse charges. Wow. Just wow.

He seems private, but very active in his personal life -- hard to put the pieces of the various news reports together because they keep bringing up his kids but the kids mentioned don't seem to be connected aside from Adrian Peterson being the bio father.

Peterson allegedly beat his son with a switch and the boy's mother reported the injuries when the boy came home from visitation. Some reports say the boy is 4 and others say he is 11.

The investigation has been underway for months and Peterson testified in front of the grand jury that just indicted him. That much is clear from the various reports. I don't know who's the mother that made the allegations of abuse, though.

This year, he kinda secretly married a woman named Ashley, maiden name Brown. He's reportedly been involved with her since 2004. I don't think she's the mom in question here, but who knows?

The mother of four of his children, including 7-year-old AJ who has an inoperable brain tumor, is his ex-wife Angela Peterson. I'm pretty sure she's not the mother in this case.

He had another son whose name was Tyrese. The 2-year-old was beaten to death by his mother's boyfriend last fall -- that man has been charged with manslaughter. The little boy never met his famous dad until after he was near dead in a hospital -- allegedly Peterson only found out about the child three months before the boy's murder. That boy's mother is Ashley Doohen. She can't be the mom in this case, I don't think.

Gotta be more children and mamas out there, I think. I always like to know who filed charges in any alleged crime, but this one is a mystery to me.

[HairOfTheDog]

Adrian Peterson Releases Public Statement

“Adrian Peterson has been informed that he was indicted by a grand jury in Montgomery County, Texas for Injury to a Child,” the statement reads. “The charged conduct involves using a switch to spank his son. This indictment follows Adrian’s full cooperation with authorities who have been looking into this matter.

“Adrian is a loving father who used his judgment as a parent to discipline his son. He used the same kind of discipline with his child that he experienced as a child growing up in east Texas. Adrian has never hidden from what happened. He has cooperated fully with authorities and voluntarily testified before the grand jury for several hours. Adrian will address the charges with the same respect and responsiveness he has brought to this inquiry from its beginning. It is important to remember that Adrian never intended to harm his son and deeply regrets the unintentional injury.”


The injuries were reportedly bleeding when the boy returned home to his mother.