Just 72 hours after getting his day in court, Ray Rice will get his day in the court of public opinion.
BaltimoreRavens.com reported that the embattled Baltimore Ravens running back will hold a news conference Friday with his wife, Janay Palmer, apparently to discuss the couple's altercation at an Atlantic City casino in February that resulted in TMZ Sports obtaining a shocking video of Rice dragging a seemingly unconscious Palmer out of an elevator.
Rice will make his first public remarks since the incident on today at the Ravens' Under Armour Performance Center at 3 p.m. ET. Parker, who was his fiancée when the incident took place, also will speak at the news conference.
Whether Rice's speech will be considered more like that of Adam Silver, the NBA commissioner, or that of Donald Sterling, the Los Angeles Clippers owner remains to be seen. But Rice, who was one of the league's public relations ambassadors for his works in the community, could go a long way in restoring his reputation with the correct words.
ESPN's Chris Mortensen said on "NFL Insiders" that a suspension from the NFL is likely to occur but that the number of games was still up in the air, FanSided.com reported. Speculation is swirling that he could miss up to a quarter of the season.
Both Rice and Palmer should be well-rehearsed in what to say and what not to say about what happened that led to the video recording of Rice removing Parker's limp body from the elevator; otherwise, they already would have explained the situation.
It's not out of the realm of possibility that he may have arranged an agreement with the Ravens and the league on the length of the punishment and could offer it in a public forum to make it look like he was willing to accept the consequences of any lengthy prison term.
According to BaltimoreRavens.com, "Rice and his wife have attended counseling since the incident, and the Ravens have praised him for the steps he has taken to rectify the situation. The NFL and the Ravens have waited for the legal proceedings to finish before handing down any punishment."
If Rice is suspended, backup Bernard Pierce would become the featured back of an offense that had the worst rushing attack in the league in 2013 with less than 1,100 yards on the ground.
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