Baltimore Ravens general manager Ozzie Newsome said under oath Thursday that he heard Ray Rice tell Roger Goodell during a June 16 sitdown that he hit Janay Palmer, according to Outside the Lines, providing clarity on a key point of contention on the final day of Rice's appeal hearing.
Ray Rice told Roger Goodell he hit fiancee, Ravens GM testifies
Ozzie Newsome provided key testimony on the appeal’s final day, addressing the crux of the hearing.
Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports
What was said during that June disciplinary meeting between the former Ravens running back and Goodell has become the crux of the hearing, which concluded Thursday. Rice, who is seeking to overturn the indefinite suspension the NFL handed to him before the season for assaulting his then-fiancee, claims he was forthcoming with the commissioner. Goodell, who testified in court on Wednesday, contends that Rice’s account was ambiguous.
The primary argument presented by Rice and his legal team was that the NFL invoked double jeopardy when it expanded his original suspension. They say Goodell and the league were aware of the details of the assault when Rice’s original two-game suspension was handed down, and that Goodell had no new information when he upped Rice’s punishment to an indefinite ban.
That extension in the suspension came after security footage showing Rice punch Janay in a casino elevator was made public in September. But Rice contends that Goodell already knew what happened inside that elevator because Rice himself had come clean to him.
Both Rice and Janay testified during the hearing’s final day, according to NFL Media’s Judy Battista.
The NFL Players Association released the following statement after the hearing’s conclusion:
The NFLPA thanks Judge Barbara Jones for presiding over a fair and thorough hearing. This is the first time in the history of our League that a disciplinary hearing has been conducted pursuant to a joint agreement on a neutral arbitrator. We commend NFL owners and officials for the wisdom of this decision which enhances the credibility and integrity of our business. The collectively bargained rights of all players must be vehemently preserved and we take that obligation seriously.
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