Ray Rice

Much has been written about how the National Football League has handled the Ray Rice case. After the recent arrest of Luke Casey, we could no longer remain silent. The National Football League taught Luke Casey and his girlfriend an important lesson. Mr. Casey is the star college football player and Columbia native charged with assault last week after witnesses reported seeing him knock a 19-year-old woman to the ground and repeatedly hit her with a closed fist. The woman is just some woman.

Most Maryland voters agree that the Ravens were right to fire Ravens running back Ray Rice, but a higher percentage of women than men thought the team's punishment was too severe, according to a new poll for The Baltimore Sun. Fifty-nine percent of men said they supported the team's decision to terminate Rice's contract, while 52 percent of women agreed with the punishment for punching his then-fiancee in an elevator of an Atlantic City casino....

I was amazed to see WBAL-TV interviewing Ray Lewis regarding the release of the TMZ video about Ray Rice's actions in the elevator ( "Ray Lewis weighs in on Ray Rice situation, calls it 'night and day' to his past legal problems," Sept 8). Are we to take away from this that obfuscating and obstructing justice regarding the murder of two men is not as bad as making a horrible mistake in judgment and punching the woman you love? Shame on WBAL-TV for not finding an upstanding former teammate to comment on the Ray Rice situation and his release from the team.

Peter Ginsberg, the attorney for ex-Ravens running back Ray Rice, praised former U.S. District Court Judge Barbara S. Jones, the hearing officer for Rice's appeal of an indefinite NFL suspension. Jones was appointed Thursday by NFL commissioner Roger Goodell in consultation with NFL Players Association executive director DeMaurice Smith to hear the appeal of Rice. Rice's two-game suspension was increased to an indefinite ban on Sept. 8 after a video surfaced of him punching his then-fiancee in a casino elevator.

Here's what bothers me about the Ray Rice punishment: Don't we already have a criminal-justice system? I agree entirely with Mike Preston (" NFL misses its chance to send a message, July 25) that "Men shouldn't be allowed to physically abuse women and then get a slap on the wrist. Ever. " Amen, brother. But let's suppose that Mike Preston (or I, when I was working for the Baltimore Sun) committed an act of domestic violence. Once the courts have acted - arguably, in Mr. Rice's case too leniently - may an employer take a second whack at us?

I will not pretend to be a legal expert. That being said, I take a stance on the Ray Rice issue because I believe that the hypocrisy is slightly annoying ( "Ravens bungled the Ray Rice case from start to finish," Sept. 17). I have no doubt in my mind and fully agree that Ray Rice committed a crime. He should accept the repercussions that come along with his actions. However, it is something that should be left to the discretion of the legal system, not the NFL. The NFL is by nature an organization that is prominent because they provide entertainment to us, the viewers.

Ray Rice is showing off his chess skills in a new online ad campaign. The increasingly marketable Ravens running back has been unveiled this week as not only the newest pitchman for Xenith football helmets, but the face of the company's player safety campaign. As part of the arrangement, Rice stars in the Massachusetts-based company's online ad to introduce the "enlightened warrior. " The minute-long online commercial for the safety campaign has a chess theme. It opens with Rice explaining how he's been playing the board game since he was 9 years old. He says: "Chess helps me stay focused.

Within moments of the NFL's two-game suspension of Ray Rice, various sport organizations and victims rights groups stated their displeasure with Roger Goodall's decision ("Rice suspended 2 games," July 25). However, Ravens General Manager Ozzie Newsome and Coach John Harbaugh continue to vehemently defend Mr. Rice's behavior and stated the "circumstances would determine the consequences" - as if to infer Janey Rice somehow contributed to being knocked out cold and therefore a two-game suspension was fair.

While Ray Rice continued to bask in the glow of his 29-yard, catch-and-run on fourth-and-29 against the San Diego Chargers, quarterback Joe Flacco admitted that he didn't do any reflecting on the play and he didn't plan to. “We got away with one and I'll be glad. I could have looked like a big-time idiot if we don't get that play,” Flacco said. “I kind of went out on a limb there to check the ball down on fourth-and-29. We don't get that, everybody is crushing me: 'What the hell is he doing checking the ball down on fourth-and-29?

The status of the contract negotiations between the Ravens and Ray Rice will loom over the offseason and that will remain true whether the Pro Bowl running back shows up at organized team activities later this month or opts to stay home until a deal is done. Rice told reporters Tuesdayin New York at Nike's official uniform unveiling, he still hasn't decided what he is going to do as he waits to see if negotiations with the Ravens result in a long-term contract extension or him playing the 2012 season under the franchise tag. “Me and my agent (Todd France)

The NFL announced Thursday that former United States District Judge Barbara S. Jones has been appointed by the league to hear and decide the suspension appeal filed by the NFL Players Association on behalf of Ray Rice. “We are grateful to Judge Jones for taking on this role,” said league commissioner Roger Goodell, who suspended the former Ravens running back indefinitely after video came out Sept. 8 of Rice assaulting his then-fiancee. “She will have our full cooperation as she hears and decides this appeal.” Goodell was asked by the players' union to recuse himself from the hearing because he'll likely be a witness in the case.

Regarding yet another article in your paper about the Ray Rice incident, The Sun is like a dog with a bone - it just won't give it up ( "Looking for silver lining in the ugliness of the Rice case," Sept. 27). Does anyone remember that the victim of this violence married the perpetrator? Must the NFL and the Ravens take all of the blame? How about a mention that our daughters should be taught not to slap men or anyone else? Confrontation can cause violence. Not that the punch was deserved.

The letter from Dawn DiBattista regarding the shameful flip-flop of the NFL and the Ravens in their treatment of Ray Rice expresses a well-reasoned point of view that has been largely suppressed by the vitriol of the do-gooders who would impose their one-size-fits-all solution to the domestic violence problem we face in our society ( "Ravens have fumbled badly," Sept. 26). Congratulations, Ms. DiBattista, for expressing so well the notion that individual circumstances should not be ignored when punishing individuals who have violated the law. How we mete out punishment says much about us as a society.

  Primetime TV often weaves high-profile, real-life events into its narratives, and on Wednesday's episode of "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit," the scandal involving former Ravens running back Ray Rice will be the latest headline to receive fictionalized treatment.  Based on the above preview, the episode, titled "American Disgrace," appears to deal with rape and a cover-up involving a celebrity pro-athlete named Shakir "The Shark"...

The answer to Dan Rodricks ' question as to whether the Ravens' "generous" donation to the House of Ruth will mute criticism of the Raven's and the NFL's ham-handed and cynical handling of the Ray Rice fiasco is, of course it will ("Looking for silver lining in the ugliness of the Rice case," Sept. 27). That's what it is intended for. Ravens owner Steve Bisciotti, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell and their respective coverup crews are so incredibly hypocritical. Throwing money at it has seldom been an effective solution to a societal problem, particularly one as serious and pervasive as intimate partner violence.

If you are wondering how fallout from the Ray Rice elevator attack might affect the Ravens image, check out this "Saturday Night Live" skit depicting the team as criminals. The Carolina Panthers, the team the Ravens play Sunday, was satirized in the same way last night, as well as the NFL and CBS Sports Jim Nantz and Phil Simms for their handling of the scandal. It's disingenuous for SNL to be mocking CBS and not its own NBC Sports, which has the biggest NFL show on TV in "Sunday Night Football.

Whoever gave or sold the security camera footage of Ray Rice and the then-Janay Palmer to the website TMZ must have known it was them. Did they plan to take down a professional football player ( "Ravens, NFL say they tried to obtain video of Rice assault," Sept. 9)? No questions have ever been raised about this individual nor has that aspect of the case been investigated. While everyone is so upset about the Ray Rice incident, we should be more concerned about what touched it off. Booze and money flow very freely at any casino, and with that mixture problems invariably arise.

Even as we continued to dissect the National Football League's mishandling of the Ray Rice case and millionaires associated with the matter apologized (again) for being obtuse to domestic violence, the conversation seemed to turn toward a silver lining. To wit: Maybe good will come of this ugliness. The NFL's inadequate reaction to Rice's assault unleashed strong public backlash, heightened awareness of the everyday reality of intimate-partner abuse and forced the league and the Baltimore Ravens to make big-time amends, including a six-figure donation to the House of Ruth Maryland.

Thank you, thank you, thank you for finally putting out a worthy and truthful account of the Ray Rice issue and its handling by the Ravens ( "The Ravens' story shifts," Sept. 23)! I am a domestic abuse survivor and I would really like to see that this situation could educate and really help victims, survivors and abusers. I was extremely hopeful when Ray Rice was handed a two-game suspension and when it was criticized by the public, many of whom do not even really know the whole story, know Ray Rice as the man and humanitarian he is or know anything about domestic violence.