Ray Rice has filed a grievance against the Baltimore Ravens


Jay Busbee, Yahoo:
In the wake of the outrage comes the lawyers. Pro Football Talk is reporting that former Baltimore Ravens running back Ray Rice has filed a grievance against the team for cutting him in September.

First, a refresher: In February, Rice got into an altercation with his then-fiancee (now wife) in an Atlantic City elevator, striking her and knocking her unconscious. He was suspended for two games by the NFL in July; two months later, when tape of the actual striking surfaced, Rice was suspended indefinitely by the league and cut by the Ravens.



Having been rewarded by NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell with an initial two game suspension on July 24th, it appeared that life with the Baltimore Ravens would be just fine. The February 15th haymaker that knocked out Janay Palmer in the elevator was yesterday's news. When TMZ released the video on September 8, the promise Ravens' owner Steve Bisciotti had made on March 24 that "Ray will be back" no longer applied.

After the TMZ video, the Baltimore Ravens cut Ray Rice, and the NFL followed suit with an indefinite suspension. According to Dan Wetzel of Yahoo Sports, "the decision was made because Rice had allegedly been dishonest with the team about what transpired".

The hearing for the grievance filed by Ray Rice and his attorneys is slated for November 5 and 6.
Jay Busbee, Yahoo:
Rice is apparently protesting the Ravens' decision to cut him, on the basis that the NFL's collective bargaining agreement only permits for one punishment per infraction.
His attorneys have contended that since commissioner Roger Goodell knew of the existence of the incriminating videotape, Rice should not be doubly punished for the same offense just because of public outrage.

Ray Rice is trying to expedite his return to the playing field by claiming the NFL is in violation of double jeopardy, being punished for the same crime twice. Ray should know that in the history of the United States, Double Jeopardy has only been used once. That was in the 1986 murder conviction case of United States Army Master Sergeant Tim Hennis, which was chronicled in the book by Scott Whisnant, "Innocent Victims".

Andrea Mitchell on MSNBC reports, "if U.S. District Court Judge Barbara S. Jones rules in favor of Ray Rice in his arbitration hearing on November 5-6, he could be back on the playing field by mid-November. " The Baltimore Ravens would be on the hook for $3.52 million to Ray for grievances.

It seems unfair that Ray Rice would benefit due to public outrage. If I am the Baltimore Ravens' owner, I would give the $3.52 million to the National Domestic Violence Hotline. I am sure that they would not be as compassionate as NFL Commissioner, Roger Goodell.


Paul Murphy is a freelance writer from New Hampshire.

Follow me on Twitter at @_prmurphy

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