Baltimore Moves On Without Rice, Fans Show Some Support
The Baltimore Ravens started their season with a loss to the Cincinnati Bengals in Week 1. The team then lost its No. 1 running back Ray Rice after owners released him and he was suspended indefinitely following the release of a video showing him hitting his wife in an elevator.
On Thursday, the Ravens faced AFC North rivals the Pittsburgh Steelers in a crucial game for the team after having lost its opening game of the season.
Baltimore showed the football world that the Rice scandal was in their rear-view mirror as they dominated the Steelers 26-6.
Baltimore fans however, are not quite ready to forget Rice. Many fans wore Rice jerseys to the game as a way to show their belief in redemption and fairness.
One such fan during a tailgate party said that one single mistake or act should not define who a person is.
Rice was serving a suspension of two-games to start the season before the video was released.
Roger Goodell the NFL commissioner has received a great deal of criticism for the way the situation was handled.
Some fans at Thursday’s Ravens game said they felt Rice was not treated fairly, as nothing new emerged about the case last week except the video.
One fan said that Rice was further punished and condemned only because the video stirred so much public outcry.
Fans said that when the NFL punished Rice during the offseason they were aware of the facts of the case, but then went and added additional discipline to the running back once the video went viral.
Some football fans in general cannot understand the NFL’s reasoning behind suspending Rice indefinitely if in the original police report it said Rice had hit his then fiancé. Others cannot understand why the Ravens would release Rice since they already knew before the video came out that he had hit his fiancé.
One Ravens fan said Rice should have received a six game suspension since the NFL policy put into place following Rice’s punishment mandates that for domestic abuse first time offenders.
Those wearing Rice jerseys received mixed results – some were heckled and others cheered.
Many fans said everyone deserved a second chance in life.
Other fans added that they were disappointed that Rice was treated the way he was, but that it did not take away from the importance of their Ravens playing the Steelers on Thursday.
While fans will debate whether Rice was treated fairly or not, they will continue being Ravens fans regardless.
The team when a long way in helping the fans start life without Rice by dominating Pittsburgh on Thursday.
No one should forget however that the only victim in this entire saga is Rice’s then fiancé and now wife Janay.
