Ray Rice had his say in public for the first time since his February arrest for assaulting his then-fiance' in Atlantic City. When the NFL will speak about the Ravens running back's situation remains to be seen.
With his wife Janay (the victim in the assault) sitting next to him, and his mother in the audience at the Ravens' facility in suburban Baltimore, Rice apologized to the team and fans Friday afternoon. Rice was tearful and emotional in his apology — even with an incredibly poor choice of words in the middle of it:
"I won't call myself a failure. Failure is not getting knocked down. It's not getting up."
Janay Palmer Rice, meanwhile, offered a questionable line of her own in her brief comments at the end of the 10-minute session: “I deeply regret the role I played in the incident,” she said, without elaboration.
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The Ravens' next OTA begins Wednesday. The NFL, however, has not discussed possible discipline for Rice.
The last two players suspended for violating the NFL's personal conduct policy were then-Titans wide receiver Kenny Britt and then-unsigned cornerback Aaron Berry, in August 2012, both for multiple offseason arrests. Britt got one game and Berry three; neither appealed.
Rice is a first-time offender. Chances are that if he were to get more than one game from the NFL, he could get it reduced on appeal.
The apology, and the eagerness of the Ravens to have him offer it before OTAs begin, even without general manager Ozzie Newsome and head coach John Harbaugh on hand, could work in Rice's favor if and when the NFL acts. Rice was approved for a pre-trial intervention program Tuesday, will not serve jail time and could have his record expunged after completion.
"I'm still the same guy. Me and Janay wish we could take back those 30 seconds of our life," Rice said. Neither he nor his wife took questions afterward.
The last time commissioner Roger Goodell mentioned Rice's situation was in Orlando in March at the league meetings — he told reporters that he was monitoring it, but when asked if he might be suspended or fined, he added "I don't know ... We will let the facts dictate that.'' The subject was not raised to him at this week's meetings in Atlanta.
Rice is one of three prominent NFL employees, along with Colts owner Jim Irsay and 49ers defensive end Aldon Smith, facing criminal charges in recent months, with league discipline looming over them all. Goodell has withheld judgment on all three so far.