Ray Rice wins appeal against NFL suspension in blow to Roger Goodell

Ray Rice, the former Baltimore Ravens running back who was caught on an elevator security camera punching his then fiancée to the floor, has won his appeal against indefinite suspension and is eligible to play again with immediate effect.

The decision to lift his suspension was made by a former US federal judge, Barbara Jones, at the end of an arbitration process agreed by the NFL and the players’ union. By effectively accepting Rice’s account of events – that he had confessed fully to his violent act before the video was released and had been wrongfully punished twice – Jones has dealt a further blow to the NFL and the reputation of its commissioner, Roger Goodell, who has already been heavily criticised for his handling of the affair.

Rice was suspended for the first two games of the season after the release of a video showing the player dragging his then fiancée Janay Palmer from an elevator at an Atlantic City casino. The incident occurred in February and the couple married a month later. The decision provoked an intense debate about whether domestic violence was taken seriously within America’s most popular sport, particularly at a time when the NFL is trying to attract more female viewers.

“I would like to thank Judge Barbara Jones, the NFL Players Association, my attorneys, agents, advisors, family, friends and fans - but most importantly, my wife Janay,” said Rice in a statement. “I made an inexcusable mistake and accept full responsibility for my actions. I am thankful that there was a proper appeals process in place to address this issue. I will continue working hard to improve myself and be the best husband, father and friend, while giving back to my community and helping others to learn from my mistakes.”

The debate flared up again in September when TMZ posted on its website the full security video from inside the elevator, which showed Palmer being punched to the ground. Responding to the ensuing furore, the NFL increased its punishment of Rice to an indefinite suspension.

At the time, Goodell insisted he had never seen the second video before TMZ published it and argued that as such it represented fresh evidence supporting a revised penalty.

But Rice told the arbitration hearing earlier this month that he had been upfront with Goodell when he met him for an initial disciplinary hearing in June, and that the new penalty therefore amounted to being punished twice for the same offence – a breach of the rules of the sport. Rice’s account appears to have been supported by Ozzie Newsome, the general manager of the Ravens, who reportedly told Jones at the arbitration he had heard Rice telling Goodell that he had hit his fiancée.

Theoretically, the arbitration ruling allows the three-time Pro Bowler to start playing again instantly. However, it is unlikely that any NFL team will pick him up, given how late it is in the season and the controversy that continues to swirl around him.

Goodell’s future also now looks uncertain. He could appeal the arbitration ruling to a court but the chance of that being successful are thought to be slim.

The commissioner is certain to face a renewed wave of criticism over his conduct. Having initially been accused of underplaying the significance of Rice’s violence, he now has had his story that he was unaware of the severity of the incident before TMZ posted the video called into question by a neutral former judge.