Former Raven Ray Rice caught on tape abusing fiance; punches her in the face

Palmer looks utterly defeated and resigned at a press conference shortly after elevator assault.

(photo credit:  Rob Carr/Getty Images) 

TMZ must know the keeper of every piece of elevator surveillance tape in the country.  Whatever they are offering these hotel or security employees to leak proprietary information must be enough to make them take the risk of losing their jobs.  Yesterday they leaked the video of NFL player Ray Rice landing a horrific blow to the face of Janay Palmer (his fiancé at the time, and now his wife) that sent her crashing to the floor, banging her head against the hand rail on the way down.

The Baltimore Ravens terminated their contract with Rice and the NFL has suspended him indefinitely.  President Barack Obama (who has two daughters) commented on the situation saying, "Hitting a woman is not something a real man does, and that's true whether or not an act of violence happens in the public eye, or, far too often, behind closed doors. Stopping domestic violence is something that's bigger than football, and all of us have a responsibility to put a stop to it."

That is one of the elements that is so disturbing about this situation.  This isn’t some kid off the street who doesn’t know what fatherly love feels like.  No, Rice is a grown man and the father of, believe it or not, a precious beautiful little girl.  He presumably feels this fatherly love whenever he gazes down into her eyes.  One wonders did the thought even cross his mind momentarily how he would be sickened at the thought of someone beating down his baby girl?  That should have been enough to draw back his fist before it met flesh because even though Palmer is his wife now, she too started out as someone’s bouncing baby girl.

Palmer expressed anger and frustration in an Instagram post today saying, “No one knows the pain that the media & unwanted options from the public has caused my family. To make us relive a moment in our lives that we regret everyday is a horrible thing. To take something away from the man I love that he has worked his [butt] off for all his life just to gain ratings is a horrific. THIS IS OUR LIFE! What don't you all get. If your intentions were to hurt us, embarrass us, make us feel alone, take all happiness away, you've succeeded on so many levels. Just know we will continue to grow & show the world what real love is!”

And that perhaps is the saddest commentary of all.  Palmer, and many other victims of domestic abuse have convinced themselves, or allowed their significant others to convince them, that this is what “real love” is.  If you or anyone you care about is in this situation, please convince them to get help before their partner loves them to death.

National Domestic Violence Hot Line Number 1-800-799 (SAFE) 7233  has operators at the ready to help 24 hour a day, seven days a week.  They only have the power if you don’t tell.

Don Jones rams Michael Sam with 'Mean Girls' tweets; fined and suspended

Don Jones apologizes to Michael Sam for "OMG" and "Horrible" tweets.

(photo credit:  Don Jones via his Twitter page)

Donald Sterling isn’t the only sports figure whose mouth is getting him in trouble these days.  Athletes have often had not-so-delicate locker room conversation, but what was said in the locker rooms stayed in the locker rooms.  These days social media (in this instance Twitter) makes it so much easier for bloopers to go viral.  Sunday the NFL’s Miami Dolphins organization fined safety Don Jones for mouthing off about fellow football player Michael Sam.

Michael Sam is the first openly gay player taken in an NFL draft. (Continue reading full story here.)

You've Got To Know When To Fold 'Em!

Photo credit:  Courtesy of USATSI

On November 5, 2013, NFL Denver Bronco lineman John Moffitt sent out a tweet that was quite startling in this economy. He announced that after three years, he was going to leave football and all its glory. It's interesting that he would leave one of the big three cash cows (baseball and basketball being the other two) of sports.

When you look at the economy right now, everyone is hustling to try to make an extra buck. So many companies that have been around for years are closing their doors. This is only adding to the swelling lines at unemployment offices, many of which are facing dire budgetary concerns themselves and reducing benefit amounts.

Advocates are fighting tooth and nail to get the minimum wage raised to an actual livable wage. Many states are even having to reduce the benefit amounts of their WIC (Women, Infant, and Children) programs. These programs help provide milk and nutrition for pregnant women and/or their children in families that cannot afford it on their own.

Plain and simple, just about everyone you meet needs more money. Enter John Moffitt and the fact that he is walking away from a six-figure salary. Although most of us would do cartwheels over the moon to have a yearly salary one-third of that amount, there is a big part of what he is doing that is understandable.

Yes, playing in the NFL can involve injuries, fear of injuries, and time away from family. John Moffitt mentioned all of the above concerns in passing, but the first and foremost statement that he made is that "I just really thought about it and decided I'm not happy".

Wow. In this society where money is that elusive, almost revered entity that we sometimes so desperately seek, John Moffitt's statement is utterly refreshing. When something to which you are devoting your life ceases to bring you enjoyment, it is time to go. Granted we must keep a roof over our heads, but it can be done.

We spend, on average, 40 hours per week out of our lives working. That's too much time to be unhappy. John Moffitt is setting an example that no matter how crazy people might think you are for walking away, you must do what brings you happiness. Don't just run screaming out of the door today and leave yourself with no income stream, but start socking something away, pray about it, make your plans and you'll find yourself smiling a little more each day. Thanks for the reminder John Moffitt and we wish you the best.

The Tarnishing Of The South's Crown Jewel

A beautiful and historic city, Atlanta, Georgia, sprang to international prominence in 1996, when it hosted the Summer Olympics. Piggybacking on this spotlight, Atlanta flourished. With its lovely weather, affordable homes outstanding educational institutions such as Spellman, Emory, and Morehouse, Atlanta attracted visitors and new residents from all over the world.

Atlanta also became known as a mecca for entrepreneurs lured by its fertile business opportunities. Atlanta provided an outlet for sports enthusiasts of every kind with professional teams such as the Atlanta Falcons, the Atlanta Braves and the Atlanta Hawks. Not to mention the many college sports. Atlanta became know as the south’s crown jewel. On Sunday night, September 18, 2011, the south’s crown jewel became horribly tarnished.
The Atlanta Falcons fought a hard-won battle against the visiting Philadelphia Eagles. The Eagles’ starting quarterback was Michael (Mike) Vick, once the starting quarterback for the Atlanta Falcons. Mike Vick, as so many young athletes do, made a terrible decision that changed his life forever. He was convicted of and served time for his participation in dogfighting. He not only disgraced himself, but he let down thousands of fans who’d looked up to him as a hero.

This sentence bears repeating: He was convicted of and served time for his participation in dogfighting. According to our judicial system, he has served his time and paid his debt to society. Even with this debt already having been paid, it is worth noting that Mick Vick continues to speak to youth groups across the country. He has humbled himself to the point where he goes before these young people, many of them aspiring athletes, admits to and apologizes over and over again for what he did, and puts his all into warning them to stay away from this dangerous path.

Here is where the story turns ugly. Late in the game, Mick Vick was injured during a play in which a Falcon, in a clean hit, pushed Vick, whose helmet collided with the helmet of a one of his own Eagle teammates. Unfortunate yes, but one of the sad possibilities that always exist in the sometimes brutal game of football. There was no foul play.

What was foul was the reaction of a large number of Atlanta fans. They booed Vick as he was taken into the locker room to be examined. I am an avid watcher of both professional and college football and I have never ever seen such a cheap and degrading lack of class displayed by a mob of so-called sports fans. I’m not saying this as an outsider looking in, I lived in Atlanta for 10 years and dearly love that city. I am ashamed of what took place last night.

Athletes put their bodies at risk all the time. Yes, they do it for the often heady amounts of fame and monetary earnings, but also for love of the sport. They provide me and many other sports fans with countless hours of entertainment. I’d like to remind my former neighbors that one of the key elements of athletics is sportsmanship. Not just for the athletes, but for the fans.

Whether or not a fan tries to live by the scripture (John 8:7) that says let he who is without sin cast the first stone, one does not have to be a biblical scholar to exhibit common decency. There are some hard-hearted Hannahs and Hanks who will never forgive Mick Vick even if he’d served 200 years in prison. That’s between you, your conscience and God.

The point is an athlete was down on the field. I watched in dismay as a crazed throng of fans booed an injured player. What is going on? Are these fans the type of parents that would teach their children to boo a fellow student injured in a schoolyard game of kickball or volleyball? Would they teach their children to be happy when a diver from the opposing swim team slips and cracks his head on the edge of the diving board? Scary thought isn’t it?

Most of the time an injured player is cheered as he is taken from the field, both by fans of the home and opposing team. That is as it should be. But if that is too much to ask, I ask the Atlanta fans to, in the future, show at least some modicum of decorum. Go back to the days and lessons of our other crown jewels, our grandparents. If you can’t say something nice, don’t say anything at all. In the eyes of the millions of television watchers, Atlanta’s fans would have been much more admired if the stadium, unable to bring themselves to applaud, had at least fallen into silence.

Some may use the excuse that we had no way of knowing, until later reports, that Mick Vick had suffered a concussion. Still, no excuse. Even if it turned out that Vick, or any other player had simply stubbed his toe, there was no call for such an appalling lack etiquette. We can only hope that the next time there is an injured man down on the field, the offending fans (for we cannot and must not lump all Atlanta fans into this group) will have learned better and will do better.