TMZ justice

[maniax]

If someone at Ray McDonald's party has video footage, that person could put the final nail into the Goodell coffin.

All that person has to do is wait until the police investigation concludes, and then release their video to TMZ.

 

[NorthernLights88]

Problem is Goodell suspended the wrong person over this. You gave Rice his 2 games and no matter how wrong that was you did it and need to live with it. This media firestorm and tape is no ones fault at this point other than Goodell's. The NFL failed the players, owners, and fans on this one and Goodell is the man in charge. He should step aside on an indefinite leave of absence or just admit he's full of crap. Throwing a player under the bus like this over your failure is not acceptable.

^^^^THIS^^^^

Rice deserved a punishment, but Goodell fucked it up and made it way too light. Goodell then responds to public outrage by promising a new NFL policy of 6 game 1st offenses for DV cases, and lifetime bans for 2nd offenses. Then the tape goes public, the shit storm comes back with a vengeance, so instead of admitting he fucked up and living with his own decision, he not only ups Rice's punishment, but slaughters him way beyond the "new, stricter punishment" with an "indefinite ban" to please the mob. Fuck Goodell, this clown needs to go. He has been screwing up the league long enough, but this is an embarassment beyond forgiveness, as he not only screwed up, but threw Rice to the wolves in an attempt to cover his own buffoonery.

 

[Tai Chi≈Surfing]

Maybe Goodell would sweep it under the rug.

Goodell will be needing a rug when the dust settles and this thing is all said and done....he's probably already losing his thinning hair a lot faster than normal because of it. And I think he knows his days as commish might very well be numbered.

 

[Kinzu]

^^^^THIS^^^^

Rice deserved a punishment, but Goodell fucked it up and made it way too light. Goodell then responds to public outrage by promising a new NFL policy of 6 game 1st offenses for DV cases, and lifetime bans for 2nd offenses. Then the tape goes public, the shit storm comes back with a vengeance, so instead of admitting he fucked up and living with his own decision, he not only ups Rice's punishment, but slaughters him way beyond the "new, stricter punishment" with an "indefinite ban" to please the mob. Fuck Goodell, this clown needs to go. He has been screwing up the league long enough, but this is an embarassment beyond forgiveness, as he not only screwed up, but threw Rice to the wolves in an attempt to cover his own buffoonery.

Yup and then he wants to turn around and hold his players accountable for their actions. He is proven to be nothing more than a huge hypocrite right now.

 

[my2cents]

isn't it because the charges would have to emanate from the wife? if she doesn't file charges, then the police can't go searching.

This is not entirely accurate. The wife has an unconditional right to pursue (or forego) civil charges for assault, however the State has unconditional right to pursue (or forego) criminal charges. Criminal charges are an offense against society in general, that is why the State is always a party (i.e. State v. Ray Rice) and the victim does not get to decide whether to prosecute criminally or not. However, most prosecutors realize that it is very difficult to go forward with these types of "he said - she said" cases if the "victim" is not willing to participate (and many times battered spouses will change their stories), but this is one of those cases where the State didn't need the "victim's" testimony to prosecute as they had the elevator video. Also, the police and the State have the power to subpoena the video, so there is absolute NO reason that the State shouldn't have had the video and chosen to go forward.

 

[my2cents]

My take on the Goodell situation is that he clearly plays favorites. He had to suspend Ray Rice for some period of time, but didn't want to disqualify the "face of the franchise" of the Ravens (i.e. the original two game suspension). Remember when Randy Moss had a domestic incident in the middle of the Patriots undefeated season, Moss didn't get anything from the NFL for that infraction (he too was not prosecuted if I remember correctly). Goodell has never been consistent nor uniform when using his power to enforce the personal conduct policy.

 

[TxHeat]

isn't it because the charges would have to emanate from the wife? if she doesn't file charges, then the police can't go searching.

just because the victim doesn't want to press charges doesn't mean the State can't, but it does make it harder to bring a case with an unwilling victim.

 

[johnson]

Goodell dropped the ball on this one. He came across as ignorant and insensitive to domestic violence issues with just a 2-game ban (way too light).

Meanwhile, did Daryl Washington even get suspended for his little incident? I know he's out for the year, but I thought the reason was basically his 48th failed drug test? Nothing said of his equally pathetic behavior as relates to a suspension, right? Would have made more sense to ban a guy for the year for that than smoking some weed, etc.

 

[MISKO]

according to NJ law first time offenders get put into an anger management program and this was rice's first offense in NJ .. thats why he is not in jail ..

 

[BoBlake]

I find it very hard to believe that TMZ was able to get this video and the NFL wasn't.

I'm more inclined to believe that the NFL just wasn't willing to do/pay whatever the seller was asking for. Or the seller was trying to blackmail the NFL which they wouldn't/couldn't be a part of.

It's not like the video was donated to TMZ.

 

[deep9er]

This is not entirely accurate. The wife has an unconditional right to pursue (or forego) civil charges for assault, however the State has unconditional right to pursue (or forego) criminal charges. Criminal charges are an offense against society in general, that is why the State is always a party (i.e. State v. Ray Rice) and the victim does not get to decide whether to prosecute criminally or not. However, most prosecutors realize that it is very difficult to go forward with these types of "he said - she said" cases if the "victim" is not willing to participate (and many times battered spouses will change their stories), but this is one of those cases where the State didn't need the "victim's" testimony to prosecute as they had the elevator video. Also, the police and the State have the power to subpoena the video, so there is absolute NO reason that the State shouldn't have had the video and chosen to go forward.

ok this is fine, so the question is......did the State go after Rice? don't think so and is why the State didn't go get the tape either. my point is, if the law doesn't get the tape, then it remains the hotel's property. the NFL can't just get it.

I'm NOT for the NFL to buy stuff from just anybody. if they can't get info from credible sources (mainly law enforcement), then they shouldn't buy stuff. it sets a bad precedence buying 'bootleg' tapes, then handing down punishment based off it.

 

[maniax]

TMZ needs to dig up some cell phone videos of Jerry Jones forcing himself on strippers... what's next?

When it rains it pours! Irsay, Ray Rice, and now Jerry Jones. Plus a bunch of other pending cases.

People are calling for Goodell's head.

 

[deep9er]

TMZ needs to dig up some cell phone videos of Jerry Jones forcing himself on strippers... what's next?

When it rains it pours! Irsay, Ray Rice, and now Jerry Jones. Plus a bunch of other pending cases.

People are calling for Goodell's head.

there are a lot of people who do these very same things. difference is the NFL is under the spot light, so these players get national attention. it APPEARS like it is raining, but DV goes on all over America.

even if they change Goodell, the next guy will face the same issues, it is just our society. Players KNOW drugs will get them in trouble, but it goes on. DUI gets them in trouble, but it goes on, DV is just the latest type of no no.

 

[maniax]

there are a lot of people who do these very same things. difference is the NFL is under the spot light, so these players get national attention. it APPEARS like it is raining, but DV goes on all over America.

even if they change Goodell, the next guy will face the same issues, it is just our society. Players KNOW drugs will get them in trouble, but it goes on. DUI gets them in trouble, but it goes on, DV is just the latest type of no no.

I would agree that what Isray did (DUI) is pretty common in America, but knocking your fiancee out cold with an upper cut, or forcing yourself on strippers is not that common.

 

[deep9er]

I would agree that what Isray did (DUI) is pretty common in America, but knocking your fiancee out cold with an upper cut, or forcing yourself on strippers is not that common.

I used "DV".

 

[my2cents]

I would agree that what Isray did (DUI) is pretty common in America, but knocking your fiancee out cold with an upper cut, or forcing yourself on strippers is not that common.

While domestic violence is certainly more serious and heinous than drunk driving, I would say they are about the two most common crimes committed in this country. (I don't have any statistics to back it up, but I work for a public defense law firm and those are the two most frequent by sheer volume) Admittedly, drunk driving is somewhat less culpable because the offender's mere state of being intoxicated reduces their cognitive ability to comprehend that they are committing the offense, whereas domestic violence is a much more malicious offense.

 

[maniax]

Adrian Peterson come on down!

You are the next contestant on "Roger Goodell is always right"!

 

[maniax]

Man Goodell's head must be spinning right now. I bet he has a migraine.

 

[smackdown380]

Man Goodell's head must be spinning right now. I bet he has a migraine.

No doubt, he probably dreads every phone call from here on out, what's the next storm coming.

 

[Suhsyourdaddy]

You aren't kidding, if there is a video of scumbag McDonald hitting his pregnant lady, the NFL and Niners will get ahold of it. NFL won't let this happen again.

You know nothing about what happened that night between 'scumbag' and his pregnant lady. I know nothing about it either. There is a shit ton of grey area in a domestic violence charge. Let's not pretend that everyone who has been accused of domestic violence has flat out cold clocked his woman a la Ray Rice. Maybe that's what happened. If my wife charged at me with a knife, and i grabbed her wrist and pushed her away, I could literally be charged and convicted with domestic violence. Maybe that is what happened.