Ravens' Rice Suspended Two Games

2 years ago

(New York, NY) -- The NFL is suspending Baltimore Ravens running back Ray Rice for two games without pay following his offseason arrest on assault charges. Even though Rice avoided prosecution after he was charged with assaulting his now-wife Janay at an Atlantic City casino, the NFL said he violated the league's personal conduct policy. Rice is also being fined an additional game check. He will be eligible for reinstatement following the season-opening games against the Bengals and Steelers.

Not everybody is happy with the suspension. Many in the media have called out the NFL for such a light sentence. Gregg Doyel of CBS Sports slammed Roger Goodell for the punishment. Doyle suggested a much harsher penalty for the running back:

Suspend Ray Rice for half the season, the whole season -- hell, suspend Ray Rice for the rest of his career because an incredibly strong, incredibly muscular NFL player simply cannot use that strength to hurt a woman -- and we would have understood.

Deadspin compiled a list of other suspensions handed out by the league. Some of the notable suspensions include Ben Roethlisberger, who was suspended for 6 games(later reduced to 4), for being accused of sexual assault. No charges were ever filed but, Goodell still justified his 6 game suspension saying:

The Personal Conduct Policy makes clear that I may impose discipline "even where the conduct does not result in conviction of a crime' as, for example, where the conduct 'imposes inherent danger to the safety and well being of another person."

Many people took to social media after the suspension was announced and lambasted the NFL.

Ray Rice gets two games for beating his woman, but Josh Gordon is suspended for the year for smoking some weed? That sounds right.