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Sep. 11th, 2014 09:00 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
jianantonicI have some things to say about the Ray Rice/NFL story. Don't really know where to put these thoughts, so I'll put them here.
There is a big to-do over all the various facts and theories involved in this case. For those not following, here's a drive-by roundup:
Early this year, video emerged of Ravens player Ray Rice dragging his unconscious girlfriend out of an elevator, and it soon came out that she was unconscious because he hit her inside the elevator. The NFL handed down a 2-game suspension, which was met with outrage over the leniency of such. The league since instituted much harsher penalty for domestic violence. Shortly after this new policy was announced, the video from inside the elevator went public via TMZ. That's the video where you can actually see Rice hitting his girlfriend (now wife). The NFL suspended him indefinitely and the Ravens released him. His endorsement deals were dropped and a new scandal ensued -- the NFL claimed not to have seen the video of the actual assault until now. Anonymous sources say that's a lie and part of a coverup. Controversy escalates, and that's where we are now.
My thinking is, what the fuck does it matter if the NFL saw the elevator video before or not? Everyone knew what had happened. Rice admitted hitting her and knocking her out. The video isn't some smoking gun -- it's merely confirmation of what everyone already knew. So why take further action now, as if this is some kind of major twist?
I'm not saying the league should have just stuck with the two-game suspension and moved on -- I am fully encamped with those who say that was way too lenient. But what I am saying is this video should not be the game-changer here. It didn't change anything. It's not a surprise, it's not new news, it's not proof of something anyone was denying. But now the NFL has this huge PR crisis over a coverup, and I just don't understand why they would have covered this up anyway. Whether anyone saw that video before or not (and I believe they did, fwiw) DOES NOT MATTER. The facts of the incident are the same. Domestic violence isn't somehow less awful if we just don't see it. Fuck that attitude. Shame on anyone who thinks this video makes it "worse." It is what it is and always has been, and it's been awful from the start.
There is a big to-do over all the various facts and theories involved in this case. For those not following, here's a drive-by roundup:
Early this year, video emerged of Ravens player Ray Rice dragging his unconscious girlfriend out of an elevator, and it soon came out that she was unconscious because he hit her inside the elevator. The NFL handed down a 2-game suspension, which was met with outrage over the leniency of such. The league since instituted much harsher penalty for domestic violence. Shortly after this new policy was announced, the video from inside the elevator went public via TMZ. That's the video where you can actually see Rice hitting his girlfriend (now wife). The NFL suspended him indefinitely and the Ravens released him. His endorsement deals were dropped and a new scandal ensued -- the NFL claimed not to have seen the video of the actual assault until now. Anonymous sources say that's a lie and part of a coverup. Controversy escalates, and that's where we are now.
My thinking is, what the fuck does it matter if the NFL saw the elevator video before or not? Everyone knew what had happened. Rice admitted hitting her and knocking her out. The video isn't some smoking gun -- it's merely confirmation of what everyone already knew. So why take further action now, as if this is some kind of major twist?
I'm not saying the league should have just stuck with the two-game suspension and moved on -- I am fully encamped with those who say that was way too lenient. But what I am saying is this video should not be the game-changer here. It didn't change anything. It's not a surprise, it's not new news, it's not proof of something anyone was denying. But now the NFL has this huge PR crisis over a coverup, and I just don't understand why they would have covered this up anyway. Whether anyone saw that video before or not (and I believe they did, fwiw) DOES NOT MATTER. The facts of the incident are the same. Domestic violence isn't somehow less awful if we just don't see it. Fuck that attitude. Shame on anyone who thinks this video makes it "worse." It is what it is and always has been, and it's been awful from the start.
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Date: 2014-09-13 12:19 am (UTC)TMZ might be full of bottom-dwellers, but once in a while they manage to kick something up out of the dregs that does change the game.