I’m not surprised that Ray Rice assaulted his fiancé (now wife) or that the NFL is letting him off with a slap on the back, er, I mean, on the wrist. A look at the history of NFL game suspensions (rather than kicking them off the team) shows that these Good Old Boys think that violence is a healthy part of the sport—or is it a sport in itself? Consider these suspensions:
Felony aggravated assault on your fiancé/wife = 1 -2 games
Assault on a former roommate = 3 games
Alleged sexual assault in a nightclub = 4 games
Altercation with a bodyguard = 4 games
Attacking a stripper and threatening a security guard, or DUI that killed someone = 16 games
Participating in a “bounty” = 3 – 16 games
Illegal hits on opposing players during a game = 1 – 2 games
Shooting self in the leg = 4 games [my personal favorite]
Participating in dog fighting = 2 games
DUI = 2 – 3 games
Multiple DUIs and other incidents = 32 games
Involvement with steroids or tattoos = 6 games
For a more offenses and penalties, see the chart at CBS.com.
By the way, Commissioner’s Roger Goodell and the league’s excuse for Rice’s mild penalty is that they have to go by precedent. I guess reason and justice don’t count, especially if the offender wins games for you.