OK, let me start by saying there's no excuse for hitting a woman in a domestic dispute.  What Ray Rice did was despicable, cowardly, and he should have been punished more severely when he admitted punching his then-fiancee.
But why only now, with the release of some actual video of the punch, is Rice getting his ass handed to him? (Cut by the Ravens and suspended indefinitely by the NFL).
He already admitted he punched his wife.  Why is having footage of it telling us anything new beyond that we don't have to imagine what it looked like?  What about the video makes the actual facts worse than they already were?  That it was a roundhouse punch not a love tap?  And if there was video out there, why didn't the NFL get it before rendering its initial judgment?  They knew the assault happened on an elevator.  They knew elevators have cameras.  They have their own investigative branch and they should have gotten it.
My opinion is the NFL realized too late it hadn't done enough, was embarrassed, and took this occasion of the release of the video to cover its ass.
I'm not saying what they did in the end wasn't justified.  Simply that the way the NFL handled itself in this case made Roger Goodell look like shit. So I guess I answered my own question.  What am I missing? Nothing.

The Ravens lost the season opener yesterday at home.

Rice did not play.  Perhaps if he had the Ravens might have won.  We are not talking about his skill as a runner, but about the NFL's too-late action.  Once the NFL acted, even belatedly, the Ravens (no matter what they felt about the video itself) had no choice.  How can you not get that? Rice was suspended indefinitely by the NFL.  The Ravens needed to clear a roster spot since they'd expected him back after one more game.  What happened on the field yesterday had no bearing on any of this.  For you to connect the two is typically obtuse.  What a shock.

He lied and told Roger Goodell that it was self defense, however the video clearly shows him delivering a left hook knocking her out.  

This is from the NY Times' on-line edition this afternoon:  

Damn that's foul, I thought he was lied to.

That's the most shocking thing of all about this!! IMHO Roger Goodell should step down IMMEDIATELY!!

Had the NFL not indefinitely suspended Rice. He would have been able to play yesterday... Ray would still be a Raven.

When most people reacted poorly to the two-game suspension he realized he made a mistake and later said so. We won't know who at the NFL saw the video prior to the initial decision but someone certainly did, if you believe King.
Once the video came out and a new public outcry ensued, Goodell realized he needed to do more.  So I don't see a cover up, just a bad decision.  But he should resign, if only because his credibility has been shattered.
As for Rice saying he was hit first, he's technically right.  She gave him a little tap twice, once before getting on the elevator and once more inside it.  So what?  Rice's response was over the top and totally unjustified. He just cold-cocked her.

He was serving the first game of his two-game suspension yesterday.  He would have missed the next game, too.  The indefinite suspension was announced today.  It had no bearing on yesterday's game.  It would have had no bearing on the second game.
Please don't say you are "well aware" of anything.  You have proven time and again that you are retarded.

Oh, right.  There's a shot of him from a recent match.  Snappy dresser

It has a history of sensational stories but they have almost all turned out to be true.  You can go to their site and see what they have to say about it.

It really looks like the NFL AND the Ravens were so hell-bent on damage control and putting a positive PR spin on this incident from the very beginning that it clouded their ability to thoroughly investigate the issue. I don't know what else to say---if it's not an overt cover up this is the only other conclusion I can come to. And quite honestly this makes Goodell look even WORSE---he comes across as a confused, befuddled fool who's out of touch with what's going on!! He's gotta go...NOW!!

Here's a link.  So who do you believe? The NFL or SI's Peter King?

smoking a little bit of pot, having a little bit of fun on the side that they forgot to pay attention to real crime....

How about if you develop a "thought process?"  Your entire line of "thinking" here is warped but of course you can't see that.
Your assignment is to go back and read what we both wrote.

When in the history of the NFL has there been this much buzz about a player losing his job? Never

Curly, you have to keep in mind the players who were caned for smoking grass. Came after the negative attention from Rice's incident Now is not a good time for NFL players to take unnecessary risks.

the Collective Bargaining Agreement in 2012. One of the points of the new CBA is that the Commissioner has sole power in being the judge and jury in these type of cases. So this is the kind of Commissioner you get for $44M per year. I wonder if the NFL, and more specifically the players, are getting their money's worth? Nevertheless, I wonder what Janay Palmer will say, if she decides to speak publicly.

The commish can't be blamed solely for Rice. These owners are modern mobsters who allow crips and bloods to play in the league

Your husband knocked you out cold and now it's the media's fault for making that public?  Or are you just embarrassed that it came out?  Or maybe seeing those big NFL paychecks go away.

First, no way do I condone what Rice did. I grew up in a home where spousal abuse was present. But this has been plastered all over ESPN since the elevator video was aired yesterday. They devoted almost an entire Sports Center on it yesterday afternoon. In spite of the fact that there were two NFL games and several baseball games yesterday, it was the lead story on the early morning Sports Center today. while Ray Rice caused the wound initially, the media is causing it to fester.

Yes, it is a lead story.  A well know athletes knocks his wife-to-be out cold and then drags her out of the elevator.  The media will milk that to the end.  My point was both Sterling and Rice are assholes, but Janay Rice wants a pass from the media.

-- Modified on 9/9/2014 7:20:37 PM

Since the Commander in Chief, has weighed in?

We need the brilliant leadership of Al Sharpton right now!!! (DOIL!!!!!)

-- Modified on 9/9/2014 9:33:14 PM

How has my opinion changed?  It hasn't.  What does my opinion have to do with what Obama said?  I did hear the statement and it had nothing to do with what I wrote.
Your brain should be in the Smithsonian

I wouldn't let play this kind of people anymore in their life. Come on guys!! We are in 21st century!!!!