In reaction to the punishment levied on Ray Rice for assaulting onetime-fiancée Janay Palmer, the Baltimore Ravens running back spoke to reporters this past Thursday and apologized for his actions. Reactions from across sports and media have so far been swift and damming with many pointing out that the two-game suspension NFL commissioner Roger Goodell gave the 27-year-old, was far too lenient.
ESPNW.com's Jane McManus went as far as to question the NFL's message to female football fans, which make up 45% of their total viewing audience. Suspensions of NFL players who face domestic violence charges are notably lighter than suspensions for drug and DWI charges.
Deadspin's Samer Kalaf commented on the mixed message sent to female NFL fans, pointing out that pink Ray Rice Jersey's, which are manufactured and sold in support of breast cancer awareness, are still available.
ESPN's saw commentary on the situation from both more that just McManus. Stephen A. Smith and Michelle Beadle's comments have also made headlines.
Stephen A. Smith, the network's "First Take" pundit, talked at length about the issue of domestic violence on his July 25 show, in which he discussed Rice's suspension.
"We know you have no business putting your hands on a woman," he began. Smith then went on to say, however, that women have a role in preventing domestic violence by learning how not to "provoke" the situation. Speaking to his debate partner, Skip Bayless, Smith said:
But what I've tried to employ the female members of my family, some of who you all met and talked to and what have you, is that again, and this is what I've done this all my life, let's make sure we don't do anything to provoke wrong actions, because if I come, or somebody else come, whether it's law enforcement officials, your brother or the fellas that you know, if we come after somebody has put their hands on you, it doesn't negate the fact that they already put their hands on you. So let's try to make sure that we can do our part in making sure that that doesn't happen.
One of the first people to react to Smith's rant was fellow ESPN Sportsnation host Michelle Beadle, who took Smith to task for his "provoking" rant in a spirited series of tweets attacking his theory. In response, some "First Take" fans hurled misogynistic insults Beadle's way. Smith attempted to clarify his stance in a series of tweets that afternoon but deleted them soon after and was subsequently suspended from both his TV and radio hosting gigs for one week on July 29.
