On Feb. 15, the National Football League found itself in a familiar position. Not only was it the lead story on every sports and news station, it was due to another NFL player in trouble with the law. This time it was the Baltimore Ravens’ Ray Rice, who was arrested for assaulting his now-wife, Janay Rice. A few days later, a video was released showing Ray Rice dragging Janay Rice’s unconscious body off of an elevator. With no video of what happened inside the elevator, the country was left to speculate, and the NFL was left with a huge problem. How would Commissioner Roger Goodell discipline Ray Rice with the country watching closely?

Based on his past, many speculated that Goodell would suspend Rice for at least half of the football season. Other players who committed less severe crimes were suspended for more games. For example, Josh Gordon of the Cleveland Browns was suspended for a year for a second violation of the controlled-substance policy based on marijuana use. For violating the banned-substance policy, players are subject to a four-game suspension, so it’s no surprise the fans of the league expected a substantial punishment for Rice. But to the surprise of fans and the general public, on July 24, Goodell suspended Rice for two games of the 2014-15 season. Many questioned how Goodell could justify only suspending Rice for two games, especially in light of Goodell’s past disciplinary actions. What made this case different from the others?

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