Steve Bisciotti says Ray Rice is trying to muddy the waters

David Ginsburg, WEEI:

Baltimore Ravens owner Steve Bisciotti refuted a report suggesting he and other team officials tried to persuade the NFL to be lenient on Ray Rice after the running back was arrested in February for knocking out his then-fiancee in an Atlantic City elevator.

Their accusations didn't jibe with what we know is fact," said Bisciotti.

The only thing missing in this fight between Ravens owner, Steve Bisciotti and the Ray Rice team is the Watergate parking garage in Rosslyn, Va. I am sure there is a person in this tussle, who is second in command like Mark Felt of the FBI was, has been passed over, and is willing to talk. Woodward and Bernstein are probably Don Van Natta Jr. and Adam Schecter of ESPN.

It seems strange that Steve was surprised when the suspension carried only a two game ban when he expected four to six. Making no attempt to obtain the second videotape from the Atlantic City casino was the first intentional mistake. Asking whether it was just a slap and not a punch set up the Ray Rice camp to perfection. For Steve, it has to feel like he was the one in the elevator because the hits just keep on coming. It was just like being read your rights. "Anything you say can and will be used against you."

ESPN reported that that Bisciotti sent a text message to Rice offering him a job after the was done with football, and that Rice told friends he was "incredibly insulted" in that it appeared to be an offer of hush money.

On the Ravens' bizarre Ray Rice PR campaign... That has to be ownership-drive. Has to be. Clues into how Goodell bowed to Bisciotti, too.

— Tim Kawakami (@timkawakami) July 29, 2014

Tim Kawakami of the San Jose Mercury News predicted that the ESPN report was correct on July 29th. The newer version on ESPN's Outside the Lines only confirms his original thought. By making things easier for Ray Rice and Janay Palmer, Bisciotti's 14 year ownership of the Ravens went down the tubes. Steve is just another billionaire like Jerry Jones or Ziggy Wilf who can't seem to get it right.

Paul Murphy is a freelance writer from New Hampshire.

Follow me on Twitter at @_prmurphy

For more of my articles, click here.