Ray Rice Could Be Back in the NFL
But he wonโ€™t be wearing purple.
But he won’t be wearing purple.

I guess this is what they mean by โ€œindefinite suspension.โ€ Former Ravens running back Ray Rice is appealing the punishment he received following the release of security footage that depicted his assault of his then-fiancee in an Atlantic City hotel elevator. And according to CBS Sports, his case looks โ€œexceedingly strong.โ€

Riceโ€™s attorneys will argue that the running back did not lie about his actions to NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell, who they โ€” and others! โ€” claim had access to the inside-the-elevator footage before settling on his initial two-game suspension. And even by the standard of the NFLโ€™s new domestic-violence policies, he would have been suspended for six games, which have already passed.

Yikes! Sounds like a pretty strong argument to me. If he gets reinstated, it might be a good lesson for the NFL โ€” and by extension the Ravens, who fired Rice immediately upon the release of the inside-the-elevator footage. The lesson? Nobody is buying these belated gestures of moral outrage. So, if you really want to protect your image, youโ€™re going to have to act ethically, on the fly, and in real time. Retroactive doesnโ€™t work.