Ray Rice's name is being brought up again this week. And for the first time since at least 2013, that's a good thing.
Dallas defensive end Greg Hardy's comments on his return from a four-game suspension the NFL handed to him concerning an incident in July 2014 in which Hardy was found guilty of assaulting his ex-girlfriend and threatening to kill her has been rehashed over and over this week.
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Hardy, who was accused of throwing his ex onto a couch full of assault rifles and bragging they were loaded, said this week he was ready to come out "guns blazin'" when the Cowboys take on the Patriots, CNN reported.
He said his time away from the game was "the most awesome time of my life," and said he hoped Tom Brady's supermodel wife comes to the game and brings her sister with her.
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Told that Jacksonville quarterback Blake Bortles' wife also was attractive, Hardy responded, "Is she? This kind of information is important. That's how I select my pro bowls."
In response, USA Today Sports' Christine Brennan wrote "Remind me again why Rice is considered persona non grata in the NFL, while Hardy will be welcomed back with open arms on Sunday."
She noted Rice's contrition during an interview with ESPN's Jemele Hill last summer over the infamous video of him punching and knocking out now wife Janay in the elevator of an Atlantic City casino in February, 2014, that went viral in September when it was released.
"Domestic violence is real," Rice told Hill. "It happens every 12 seconds as we speak. I made a life-long commitment to my wife and to my daughter, to the survivors of domestic violence, to go out there and not only help but share my story so that men can make better decisions. That was the worst decision I've ever made in my life.
"To the survivors of domestic violence, I understand how real it is, and I don't want to ever take that for granted, because this is a real issue in our society. My video put the light out there. If you have never seen what domestic violence looks like and you look at my video, I could understand why some people would never forgive me."
Hill answered Brennan's question Thursday on ESPN's "Mike & Mike" radio show when she said that Hardy's passing rushing skills are rare, making him an NFL commodity. Rice's running back skills are not rare, which is why it's easier for NFL teams to pass on him.
But at least Hardy's foolhardiness has reminded the NFL of Rice's handling of the same situation and may prompt a team to give Rice the second chance Hardy received.
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