Baltimore Ravens Head Coach John Harbaugh shocked many watching television Monday, saying he has “nothing but hope and goodwill for Ray” Rice. It was announced Monday that the Ravens had terminated Rice’s contract after TMZ released a video showing him beating his now-wife inside a casino elevator. “It was something we saw for the first time today, all of us,” Harbaugh said. When asked why today was the first time, Harbaugh said, “I have no answer for that.” Continuing his tone-deafness, when he was asked about whether he felt deceived by Rice—considering that Harbaugh defended him—Harbaugh said, “I don’t think of it that way. Everything I said in terms of what I believe, I stand by… We’ll always stand in support of them as a couple… My pain is for both of them as a couple.”
In a statement released Monday, White House Press Secretary Josh Earnest said, “The president is the father of two daughters. And like any American, he believes that domestic violence is contemptible and unacceptable in a civilized society. 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.
DeMaurice Smith, the executive director of the NFL Players Association, said, ”As a father, as a husband—when you see something like that, it’s jarring. It’s disturbing. For our union and for our players, it’s one of those things where you at least try to look at something positive. And that is the reminder how unacceptable any kind of violence, especially domestic violence, should be.” He also said the video is the only information he has seen, but has been notified of Rice being released.