Ray Rice refused to denounce Greg Hardy. So that left NFL Players Association President Eric Winston to denounce the NFL.
Rice appeared on ESPN to speak about domestic violence on Sunday in the wake of photos that the website Deadspin posted on Friday of the victim in Hardy's domestic abuse case. While Rice refused to fan the inflammatory flames surrounding the Cowboys defensive end, Winston made the biggest accusation of the day.
Ray Rice Incident Saves Greg Hardy From Being Released
"It makes you wonder," Winston said of Rice, as reported by ESPN. "I definitely wonder how a guy that's had the career he's had can't even get a tryout.
"I definitely think there's been some sort of effort to not have him in the league. That's unfortunate. If there was a guy who could take a message out there, that could take a message to a locker room, it seems that Ray Rice would be a kind of guy that could do that."
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Rice, a four-time Pro Bowler with four 1,000-yard seasons, has watched as player after player with less-impressive career stats sign with NFL teams who have lost running backs to injury over the course of the season.
Rice had a subpar 2013 in which he rushed for only 610 yards, and analysts have said teams seem to be using that as an added reason not to sign the embattled running back.
The Ravens cut Rice and the NFL suspended him indefinitely after video was released showing Rice punch then-fiancée Janay in the face in an Atlantic City casino elevator, knocking her unconscious. When asked to assess Hardy's situation, Rice, like he has the entire time since his disgusting display, said the right thing. He refused to talk about Hardy, instead concentrating on his own situation.
"I totally understand what my visual did and the effect it had on society and the survivors of domestic violence," Rice said. "So, for me, to never be forgiven ... I understand those things, and I totally take full responsibility for my actions. The one thing I can say is ... I have made a lifelong decision to raising awareness about this.
"I used to have a situation where kids were like, 'I wanna be like Ray Rice.' And now I have to think about kids and parents saying, 'I don't want you to be like Ray Rice.' And that haunts me."
Meanwhile, Hardy, who still hasn't spoken to the media about his domestic violence case, issued two tweets to express regret about his situation.
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