outside the lines: team cover up

[dc.]

http://m.espn.go.com/general/story?storyId=11551518&src=desktop&rand=ref~{"ref":"http://t.co/5tcyuBkA6V"}

 

Implicates just about everyone. Says Harbaugh wanted him cut in February but eventually followed what Bisciotti and Newsome (among others) asked him to.

[tsylvester]

Shouldn't be a shock from what we have seen from Biscut; two "secret meetings" with all personell in the front office- get the stories straight....

[thundercleetz]

Wow Harbaugh pushed twice to release Rice and Ozzie basically told him off.

 

This story really paints Bisciotti as an enormous douche. I don't know if the team's reputation will ever recover as long as Bisciotti is owner.

[tsylvester]

There had better be some discipline handed down to the Ravens, Biscut, after this report comes out as well as for Goody. Cove ups have been going on too long, time to crush them now, since they are "getting serius" with "domestic abuse, sexual abuse, child abuse, drugs and alcohol".....

[dc.]

Goodell's press conference today was such a joke. Just a great big, "but we didn't know! We're trying now!" Heard or driving home on WBAL.

 

Worst was his attempt to again day he was misled by Rice about the video and that the video was "new evidence."

[ForceEight]

There are so many people that have done so many things wrong in this situation, that I'm beginning to view Rice as a victim. And, considering what he did, that is about as poor a statement as can be made about the Ravens or NFL.

[dc.]

I don't disagree, force.

 

If this all came out, 100%, in February.. I'm not sure he's cut.

 

I think a huge punishment is more than needed and warranted, but I also cannot already mesh with the idea that any criminal can never work again. We'd be a society of anathemas.

[vmax]

The only people to see the video in this contrived guessing game story is the security guard and Rice's lawer.

After the meeting with the security guard, everybody knew there was an inside the elevator video showing that Ray hit Jannay.

 

I believe this....

 

 

Ray Rice

AP Photo/Mel Evans
The incident involving former Baltimore Ravens running back Ray Rice and his wife, Janay, has blown up into one of the NFL's biggest crises in its 95-year history.

"Outside the Lines" interviewed more than 20 sources over the past 11 days -- team officials, current and former league officials, NFL Players Association representatives and associates, advisers and friends of Rice -- and found a pattern of misinformation and misdirection employed by the Ravens and the NFL since that February night

 

http://espn.go.com/espn/otl/story/_/id/11551518/how-ray-rice-scandal-unfolded-baltimore-ravens-roger-goodell-nfl

 

So glad they wrote this...

 

No player did more for the community than Rice, and no player on the team embraced the city of Baltimore the way he did. Rice named his daughter, Rayven, after the team's nickname. He had the "Baltimore" tattooed on his forearms. He became friends with Baltimore Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake, appearing with her regularly at charity events. He raised millions for sick children, urged the state legislature in Annapolis to pass anti-bullying laws and hosted a football camp for hundreds of disadvantaged kids each year. He even dressed up as Santa Claus at an event hosted by the House of Ruth, a Baltimore shelter for victims of domestic violence. During the week before the Super Bowl this year, two weeks before the incident, Rice appeared on an anti-bullying panel. Perhaps most visibly, Rice was the longtime spokesman for M&T Bank, one of the team's main sponsors and one that has its name on the Ravens' stadium. Practically every time Bisciotti asked Rice to make an appearance on behalf of the team, he'd say yes.

 

Ray is a very good man who had one bad moment and I can't fault Steve for wanting to believe it wasn't so bad. It's called denial and almost everybody falls into it one time or another....

 

"We kind of heard what we wanted to hear and imagined what we wanted to imagine because we loved Ray," Bisciotti told The Baltimore Sun last week about the team's initial reaction to the Rice incident.

 

He's telling the truth. He's human. He was wrong....but that goes with being human.

 

 

 

For his part, Rice spent most of his time working out at Sweat Performance, a gym regularly frequented by Ravens football players, their wives and girlfriends, and up-and-coming high school and college football players. One afternoon in mid-April, Rice and Jakobe finished a workout just as a group of 15 high school football players entered the gym to begin their own grueling training session. Rice asked the players to form a semicircle around him, then he began talking. The speech lasted only a few minutes, but right away, Rice began to cry as he tried to get the words out. He put his arms around the nearest boys, several of whom were now crying, as well, and the semicircle closed in to become more like a football huddle. I made a huge mistake. I hit my wife, and I'm so sorry. But I want to tell you, please don't focus on trying to be the kind of man I was. Focus on being a better man than I was.

 

This confirms what I think about Ray.

He's a really good man....and he got drunk and had a nightmare moment that he'll take to his grave regretting and feeling horrible about it.

[tsylvester]

Wait, Max, you can't blame Biscut for covering up the truth? You believe his story that "he only wanted to belive the least possible reason she was unconscous"?

 

You can't blame the Biscut for cutting Ray, putting all the blame on him and then, out of the back door, offering him a job? He would hire Ray to "lead young players" but not to play for the team?

 

A team suspension would have been fine, cutting him in September, knowing what they knew back in Feb, sits well with you and "you can't blame Biscut!?! Really?

[thundercleetz]

The only people to see the video in this contrived guessing game story is the security guard and Rice's lawer.

After the meeting with the security guard, everybody knew there was an inside the elevator video showing that Ray hit Jannay.

 

I believe this....

 

http://espn.go.com/espn/otl/story/_/id/11551518/how-ray-rice-scandal-unfolded-baltimore-ravens-roger-goodell-nfl

 

So glad they wrote this...

 

Ray is a very good man who had one bad moment and I can't fault Steve for wanting to believe it wasn't so bad. It's called denial and almost everybody falls into it one time or another....

 

He's telling the truth. He's human. He was wrong....but that goes with being human.

 

 

 

This confirms what I think about Ray.

He's a really good man....and he got drunk and had a nightmare moment that he'll take to his grave regretting and feeling horrible about it.

I want to agree with you max, but the video showed Rice spit on his wife. I don't believe an event like what occurred isnt a one time occurance due to alcohol. That's not my place to judge. However, what the article does state is an action like Rice's lands the average man in jail, less than 1% of NJ suspects in that situation get the treatment Rice got.

 

There is so much blame to go all around, Rice, Goodell, Cass, Ozzie, and Bisciotti. If anything Goodell and Bisciotti did Rice a disservice suspending him two games. If they had suspended him eight games, this probably isn't as big a deal and he's still on the team. Rice has every right to be mad at this point, and I'd certainly be filing a lawsuit if I were him.

[vmax]

Wait, Max, you can't blame Biscut for covering up the truth? You believe his story that "he only wanted to belive the least possible reason she was unconscous"?

 

You can't blame the Biscut for cutting Ray, putting all the blame on him and then, out of the back door, offering him a job? He would hire Ray to "lead young players" but not to play for the team?

 

A team suspension would have been fine, cutting him in September, knowing what they knew back in Feb, sits well with you and "you can't blame Biscut!?! Really?

 

Read what I said. I can't fault him for wanting to believe ""We kind of heard what we wanted to hear and imagined what we wanted to imagine because we loved Ray,"

 

I have not commented on the other stuff that you are bringing up.

[dc.]

Max, I don't disagree with the sentiment that one bad moment should not necessarily define his life... But transparency is the only appropriate path. Anything short of that is unacceptable.

[tsylvester]

 

Read what I said. I can't fault him for wanting to believe ""We kind of heard what we wanted to hear and imagined what we wanted to imagine because we loved Ray,"

 

I have not commented on the other stuff that you are bringing up.

 

 

Again, I say, you believe that crap? After he was told point blank from his security people, that what went on inside the elevator was horrible, discusting, and he sees Janay not moving outside the elevator. Yes, we all only want to hear what we want to believe after all of that, sure. I know you haven't comented on the "other stuff", but it all ties into Biscut was telling a tale in that interview.

[dc.]

Now I disagree, Max. This want a situation of wanting to hear one thing no matter what. He heard. And yes, I can believe he truly things rice isa great guy who made a mistake.

 

But his handling of the situation days that even if this was the case, his intent in dealing with the public was to cover every track. No excuse

[vmax]

I believe what I posted.

If your child did this, most parents at first would not want to believe how violent and horrible it actually was. That's the denial part that loved ones fall into. Especially if the person they love has been a really good person. It is very hard to believe that they could do something so terrible....so you minimize it.
It took a long time for them to wake up....and they wouldn't have except the video got out.

 

I also believe that Steve and his team went to work immediately to minimize the impact on Ray and to try and prevent the video from going public...to try and "get him through this with the least amount of damage to him and to them."

 

What makes this whole tragic saga facinating to me is how deep it goes into human character, corporate character and societal issues and "sick secretive behavior". Because the NFL is so popular millions are following this and I hope they are using it to look in the mirror to grow, wake up and change.

If you've lived long enough, then you've fallen into similar quicksands that this huge cast of characters are in....only not on a World Stage for millions to comment on.

It's like a Shakespeare tragedy.

 

We've all fucked up and done things we regret.

All these characters are wrong.

 

But Ray Rice, it seems, sobered up, and reverted to his true character and did what is right. "Always tell the truth."

He told them all....when it got time for the media though, he could not flat out say "I knocked her out with my fist." He balked.

I would too.

[ForceEight]

Max, I'm curious as to your opinion specifically of Bisciotti, Goodell, Cass, and co. right now as it relates to what we've determined about their role in the cover up. We can definitely agree to disagree about the shady parts and grey areas of the OTL story, and I have no fault with that, but it has become irrefutably clear that lying and covering up happened, and I'm curious as to your opinion of the above now that we know those facts.

[vmax]

Like I said..."I also believe that Steve and his team went to work immediately to minimize the impact on Ray and to try and prevent the video from going public...to try and "get him through this with the least amount of damage to him and to them."...and "All these characters are wrong.".

 

For a moment they looked like they had got back on the right track...for a moment....

 

Before leaving for New York, Rice was told by several Ravens executives that he had better be completely honest and forthcoming with the commissioner because the organization believed Goodell had seen a copy of the inside-elevator video. A source confirmed to "Outside the Lines" that the team believed this.

 

 

This news is still sinking in. I haven't been able to process all of it, but I hate lying, back stabbing snakes.

The texts from Steve to Ray smacks of "Take the Fall for Us."

Is that what Steve did? It's hard for me to believe that at this moment...because it's so sleazy.... but I may wake up believing that.

[ForceEight]

Fair enough. It's hard to take in the idea that people we've been fans of for so many years--people we thought were "good" and/or better than their peers around the league--could just be scumbags like all the others. Bisciotti and Cass are at the top of that list.

 

To me, every one of us has lost in this situation. The only person I can reason to not have lost respect for so far is Harbaugh.

[vmax]

Fair enough. It's hard to take in the idea that people we've been fans of for so many years--people we thought were "good" and/or better than their peers around the league--could just be scumbags like all the others. Bisciotti and Cass are at the top of that list.

 

To me, every one of us has lost in this situation. The only person I can reason to not have lost respect for so far is Harbaugh.

 

 

Yea...Harbaugh is looking good to me too.

 

That's why I say this is "Shakspearian"

Goodell and Bichiotti are the powerful Kings tied to their Kingdoms. Steve might have helped take Roger down by convincing him on the 2 day deal.

Money was certainly a big factor that clouded their decision making.

And their public image. That's what spinning the truth is all about...playing us for fools.

The media is spinning this too.

 

And then there's the forgotten Jannay. Is she caught in the pattern many abused women get stuck in?

Is she ok? I mean healthy or is she in denial?

 

And yea Force!... the public?! Us.

I feel dirty....like I'm part of the mad crowd of spectators at the Colliseum giving the thumbs up or thumbs down with each development.

 

When all is said and done there will be 587,000 versions of the truth.

[oldno82]

I can't possibly see this franchise ever recovering from this scandal under the current ownership. I liked, admired, and trusted Bisciotti.

 

No more.

 

And say goodbye to local ownership. I don't think Baltimore has that many billionaires. I can even imagine some outsider buying this team and moving it to L.A.

[tsylvester]

 

Before leaving for New York, Rice was told by several Ravens executives that he had better be completely honest and forthcoming with the commissioner because the organization believed Goodell had seen a copy of the inside-elevator video. A source confirmed to "Outside the Lines" that the team believed this.

 

 

He told the reporter in his interview when asked if he thought the league had seen the inside video, No, he did not believe so. Another lie or is outside the line wrong?

 

 

It is one thing to not want to see the worst, quite another to ignore the facts, and then work so hard to cover them up. Who here, knowing there was a recording of what happened inside the elevator, did not know it would come out and make matters worse?

 

No one; we all knew it would come out and that the truth would be revealed. So either Biscut is truly ignorant, having no fore thought at all, or he is not being honest.

 

Since there was such a huge cover up, it has to be he lied to everyone, in writing, on camera.

 

He will keep the franchise, other owners have done worse and still own teams. But the players will suffer as they likely lose draft picks, cap space.

[cravnravn]

I don't believe we lose any draft picks or cap room, how can the NFL levy that kind of punishment on an owner when they are just as wrong, and it is documented too.

[tsylvester]

I don't believe we lose any draft picks or cap room, how can the NFL levy that kind of punishment on an owner when they are just as wrong, and it is documented too.

 

 

Just a guess on my part, but after all of this, when the news comes out about this cover up, and the national medai gets a hold of it, the fury will be huge. I know several owers have done just as worse, but they were able to keep it hush-hush. Not this story, that video is going to change the NFL and lead to owners being held just as responsible as they hold their players.

 

Smith has the leverage now, why do you think the presser was 15 minutes late? They were trying to get Smith there and either it was impossible or he flat refused. I believe the later.

 

The owners want an out lause to save cap space, the only way the NFLPA is going along with that is by using the words of the owners, via Goody- we hold our selves to a higher standard than the players- against them; thus now setting up penalties for owners like Biscut, Wolf, Danny Boy, Jerryboy, etc.

 

Finning them will not be enough for the masses nor for the players; so draft picks and cap space is almost a must, it is the only way to truly penalize the owner.

[OutsideRzAcE]

I don't believe we lose any draft picks or cap room, how can the NFL levy that kind of punishment on an owner when they are just as wrong, and it is documented too.

 

Goddell will be fired. I never thought it would happen or believed it would happen until hearing about this story yesterday and reading it today. Once Goddell is fired the new commish will come in and we will get fined and lose draft picks. From the first time Ray was cut I thought this was BS. Why stand behind Ray and cut him just because a video came out showing what we already knew to be true. Some of us asked "what changed?" It sounds over simplistic but bowing to public pressure and doing a 180 so fast after that video came out was so "Un-Raven like". We stood behind Ray, we stood behind Jamal. We have cut people for bad character, not a bad mistake.

 

As for Bisciotti, it started looking bad for him right after he and Newsome contradicted each other about Ray telling the truth from the start. Still, I never imagined he would be this devious, complicit, snake-like. Very sad day for me.

 

Harbs looks good in this. Rice looks good in this (in terms of handling the aftermath). Bisciotti and Cass look like snakes.

[OutsideRzAcE]

On the positive side, the anticipation is killing me for the next Byrne Identity!