NFL: How the Ray Rice video has changed our views on domestic violence
A.J. Perez, USA TODAY 3 hrs ago
One of the darkest moments in NFL history may have never come to light if not for $91,000.
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That's how much the video footage of Ray Rice assaulting his then-fiancee in an Atlantic City elevator was sold to TMZ for before being published on Sept. 8, 2014, a person with knowledge of the sale and the NFL's investigation into the video told USA TODAY Sports. The person was not authorized to publicly speak because details of the league's investigation remain private.
The release of the video set off a chain reaction, leading the Baltimore Ravens to release Rice, who would never again play in the NFL, and putting Commissioner Roger Goodell and the NFL under such intense scrutiny that former FBI Director Robert Mueller was hired to conduct an investigation into the league's handling of the case. Call it the original Mueller report.
The release of the video also spurred action.
In the five years since the Rice video, the subject of domestic violence in the NFL has been front and center. The league has taken steps to address the issue, including stiffer penalties, player education, and donating more than $26 million over eight years to the National Domestic Violence Hotline.
Hotline CEO Katie Ray-Jones told USA TODAY Sports the non-profit saw an 80% increase in volume in the 24 hours after the footage went live and the number of calls and messages taken each day has never dipped to levels before the video surfaced.
"In one instant, people saw actual domestic violence looks like," Ray-Jones said. "It started a discussion around the complexities of domestic violence, including victim blaming."
But the NFL is still criticized for a domestic violence policy that is inconsistent, seeming to depend on the cooperation of the women allegedly abused or existence of irrefutable proof.
Ezekiel Elliott's former girlfriend provided the NFL with text messages and photographs to corroborate her accusations, and the Dallas Cowboys running back was suspended for six games. Tyreek Hill was heard on an audio recording threatening the mother of his children, who he was convicted of abusing in 2014. But the Kansas City Chiefs receiver was not punished after the woman declined to speak with NFL investigators and prosecutors couldn't determine who broke their 3-year-old son's arm. NFL investigators, who interviewed family members, made efforts to obtain details of the incident from law enforcement, but were denied because the case involved a minor.
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On Thursday, Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., called on the league to do more to curb domestic violence among its players.
“It’s definitely one of the most important stories we’ve ever broken because it started a dialogue about domestic violence in America and how sports leagues like the NFL handle discipline when it comes to off-the-field issues," Evan Rosenblum, an executive producer at TMZ Sports, told USA TODAY Sports. "And you know the video specifically was one of the first times you’ve seen a high-profile person, a beloved person, commit such a shocking act of violence a lot of people didn’t think was possible from Ray Rice."
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