Steve Davis: Will NFL Play "Let's Make A Deal" With Rice?
Now that Rice has appealed, I think the NFL might have been bitten off more than it could chew.
Somehow, the league thought it was okay to violate a credo of the criminal justice system, no double jeopardy. You can't try someone for the same crime twice, so obviously, you can't punish someone for the same crime twice. That is essentially what they did with Rice.
Now, the NFL is not our justice system, so it isn't subject to the same rules, but the CBA might lean Rice's way, saying a team and the NFL can't discipline a player for the same offense. So, can the NFL do it twice? Maybe.
But, how about this scenario. Goodell has basically said Rice lied when he met with him in June. Ozzie says Rice told the truth in February. The NFL consulted with the Ravens, so didn't Ozzie tell Goodell the truth?
The answer is either yes or no.
If it is yes, then Goodell knew what Rice did and could have called Rice on it.
If the answer is no on Ozzie, then shouldn't the Ravens be in big trouble for not telling Goodell what they knew.
By the way, I am not suggesting it is choice two. I believe Ozzie and the Ravens were truthful with the NFL. Never mind the whole part about whether the NFL saw the video, which I believe at least some people with the NFL did, just based on the fact that Ozzie says Rice was truthful means the NFL knew what Rice did and shouldn't be able to punish him again just because they blew it the first time around.
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