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How Ray Rice Will Fight The NFL To Play Football Again

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The players’ union announced Tuesday it is appealing the NFL’s decision to indefinitely suspend Ray Rice following the release of a video that showed the running back punching his then-fiancée. BuzzFeed News takes a look at what happens next.

AP Photo/Nick Wass

Ray Rice is a seventh-year NFL running back formerly with the Baltimore Ravens. The Ravens drafted Rice, who played college football at Rutgers University, in the second round of the 2008 NFL draft. As a pro, Rice has run for more than 6,000 yards and scored 43 touchdowns.

On Feb. 15, Rice got into an altercation with Janay Rice, his then-fiancée, while in a casino elevator in Atlantic City, New Jersey, allegedly knocking her unconscious. TMZ published a video showing Ray Rice dragging Janay Rice's body out of an elevator.

On July 24, Rice was suspended without pay for two games by the NFL under the league's personal conduct policy and fined an additional $235,294.

On Sept. 8, the NFL indefinitely suspended Rice after TMZ published the full video showing Ray Rice punching Janay Rice and dragging her out of the casino elevator. Just before the league announced Rice's indefinite suspension, the Ravens terminated his contract.

On Sept. 16, the NFL Players Association filed an appeal of the indefinite suspension on behalf of Ray Rice.

AP Photo/Ben Margot

Roger Goodell is the NFL Commissioner. He is entering his eighth season as the league's top boss.

On Aug. 28, Goodell sent a letter to all NFL owners admitting that he did not get the Rice suspension right. He also issued a tougher domestic violence policy that calls for a six-game suspension for the first offense and "banishment from the NFL" for the second.

On Sept. 8, the NFL announced that Goodell was suspending Rice based on the video published by TMZ, which the commissioner said he had not seen until that week.

On Sept. 12, Goodell sent the NFL Players Association a letter informing the players' union why the league was changing its ruling against Rice:

"This video shows a starkly different sequence of events from what you and your representatives stated when [Ray Rice and the NFL] met on June 16," Goodell wrote, "and is important new information that warrants reconsideration of the discipline imposed on [Rice] in July."

"Based on this new information, I have concluded that the discipline imposed upon you in July was insufficient under all the circumstances and have determined instead to impose an indefinite suspension."

Goodell and the league have been widely criticized for their handling of the Ray Rice situation. The National Organization of Women has called for the commissioner to resign. Anheuser-Busch, the official beer sponsor of the NFL since 2011 which has a $1.2 billion deal with the league, said in a statement, "We are disappointed and increasingly concerned by the recent incidents that have overshadowed this NFL season."

At the same time, Goodell is also receiving support from NFL owners including Ravens owner Steve Bisciotti, Washington Redskins owner Dan Snyder, and Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones. New York Giants co-owner John Mara said in a statement that Goodell's job is not in jeopardy.


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