In the aftermath of leaked footage of former Baltimore Ravens running back Ray Rice punching his then-fiancee Janay Palmer, now his wife Janay Rice, the NFL indefinitely suspended Rice and claimed they had never seen the video of him striking her. Ex-FBI director Robert Mueller will now investigate the NFL's pursuit of the facts regarding the Rice incident.
At the time the story first broke, all that was available was video of Rice dragging an unconscious Palmer out of an Atlantic City elevator. Rice later admitted to league officials he had struck her, and was subsequently suspended for two games.
The two-game ban was widely panned as too soft, especially in the face of a season-long suspension handed down to Browns wide receiver Josh Gordon for failing a drug test after testing positive for marijuana use. While Gordon was a repeat offender, the NFL's reaction to domestic violence seemed tame.
Following the leaked video of the actual assault, the NFL did an about face and suspended Rice indefinitely while the Ravens released him from his contract. The NFL issued statements claiming to have never seen the footage, and said they sought the tape but it was unavailable to them.
On Wednesday, the Associated Press reported that a law enforcement official had indeed sent the tape to an NFL executive, and had a voicemail in which the person leaving the message commented on its contents. The number was one linked to the NFL's office.
In light of the new revelations, there has been harsh scrutiny on the NFL, and commissioner Roger Goodell in particular. He's been pressured to resign by several high-profile outlets, including the National Organization for Women (NOW).
"NOW continues to ask for Roger Goodell to resign, and for his successor to appoint an independent investigator with full authority to gather factual data about domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault and stalking within the entire NFL community - not just regarding the Ray Rice incident - and to recommend real and lasting reforms," NOW president Terry O'Neill said.
"The NFL does not just have a Ray Rice problem, they have a violence against women problem."
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