VOTE: Would you want Ray Rice playing for your team?

You would think that no one would take domestic violence lightly.

Apparently that wasn’t the case with the NFL - when they initially issued a decision to suspend the former Rutgers and Baltimore Ravens running back Ray Rice 2 games - this after having been involved in an altercation with his then fiancée Janay Palmer while being seen on video dragging her out of an elevator after a Valentine’s Day party at Revel in Atlantic City.

Despite Rice’s testimony before Commissioner Roger Goodell that he hit her in the elevator, knocking her unconscious once she hit a railing – the NFL decided to issue the initial suspension.

That all changed when a video surfaced of him dragging her unconscious along the floor.

The outcry was predictable - and only then did Commissioner admit he’d gotten it wrong and amended the league’s conduct policy.

That all changed when a second video was released back in September showing the actual chain of events.
With that, the Commissioner felt the need to suspend Rice indefinitely.

All that was overturned in a decision made by former U.S. District Judge Barbara S. Jones yesterday who said that Commissioner Roger Goodell’s decision in September to change Rice’s original suspension from two games to indefinite was “arbitrary” and an “abuse of discretion.”

The judge’s decision was based on the fact that initial testimony given by Rice in his first meeting with the Commissioner was consistent with what was shown on the second video – and that the league’s claim that Rice had initially misled them – was inaccurate.

So with all that “chazarai” behind him, Ray Rice is free to play for any team in the NFL that would have him.

That’s the question: Would you want Ray Rice playing on your favorite NFL team?

Since the event involving Rice went down, the NFL has been promoting a campaign to educate the public regarding domestic violence.

The campaign, entitled “No More” features a group of present and former football players voicing excuses victims and friends of victims use to remain in dysfunctional relationships.

There's no doubt in my mind that some team somewhere along the line will choose to sign Rice – but if so, the question is “what will he have to do to redeem himself?”

And, “would you want him on your team?”

Some will never forget the disgusting behavior of Michael Vick’s involvement in killing dogs he’d used for dogfights.

Yet he was allowed to return to the game – and has since become a vocal advocate against cruelty to animals. This despite there still being a number of football fans that have since burnt his jerseys.

Should Rice be able to redeem himself in a similar fashion - and return to the game?

We tend to be a forgiving nation.

But I still have a hard time erasing the images from my mind of him hitting his now wife that fateful night.

I'd want my team to win, just without him on it!