NFL can't tackle domestic violence

I DON'T BELIEVE for a hot minute that no one from the NFL ever saw the video of Ray Rice cold-cocking fiancée Janay Palmer last Valentine's Day weekend.

If TMZ could get hold of the footage - which shows Palmer, now Rice's wife, taking a punch that slams her into the wall of an elevator at Atlantic City's now-closed Revel Casino Hotel - it's a joke that the NFL's powerful legal eagles couldn't get hold of it, too.

But, fine, let's go with the fairy tale. Let's believe that NFL commissioner Roger Goodell imposed an indefinite suspension on Rice as a result of seeing that horrific TMZ video yesterday for the first time.

If that's true, here's a question:

Why would Goodell even need to see the new video to take such strong action? He'd already seen that first surveillance video, released on Feb. 19 by TMZ, of an unconscious Palmer being dragged like meat out of the elevator.

How did Goodell think Palmer got that way? Too many Long Island iced teas in Revel's HQ Nightclub?

And what did he think Rice was apologizing for at a news conference a few weeks later, when he referred to his behavior that night as "the biggest mistake of my life"?

Rice admitted to the assault when he said that what had happened was a "one-time incident" because he'd "never had a problem with domestic abuse" before.

How depressing that Rice's own admission wasn't good enough for a serious response from the NFL gatekeepers. How despicable that it took public reaction to the second TMZ video for the NFL finally to respond the way it should've when the first video emerged.

No wonder so many domestic-assault victims never report the violence to which they're subjected. If a man's actual confession isn't enough for those in authority to believe he slugged a woman, what hope does any woman have of being believed when she herself reports a beatdown?

Jeannine Lisitski is disgusted by the dissembling that has characterized the Ray Rice assault.

"It's clear that this has been handled as a public-relations problem" by the NFL and not as the life-and-death issue that it is, says Lisitski, executive director of Philly's Women Against Abuse. "It tells me that people still don't understand the level of violence we're talking about when we talk about domestic abuse."

In the United States, one person in four experiences serious domestic violence, she points out. Last year, in Pennsylvania alone, 158 victims died from their injuries. And in Philly alone, nearly 100,000 incidents are reported to police each year - and that's only a portion of the violence that occurs, since we know that many incidents are never reported.

"Last year, we had to turn away 12,000 requests for safe shelter" from women assessed for being at credible risk of assault, says Lisitski, because the city has only 200 beds for women and children running for their lives.

Imagine their desperation.

Lisitski, a researcher trained in psychology and social work, knows that for real change to happen, advocates must seize teachable moments. The Rice assault is presenting just that moment for Lisitski, for Pa. Rep. Gene DiGirolamo and for Laurie MacDonald, CEO of Pittsburgh-based Center for Victims.

Four weeks ago, the trio co-wrote a letter to Eagles owner Jeffrey Lurie and Pittsburgh Steelers chairman Daniel Rooney, asking them to man up.

"While we strongly believe that the league . . . should do more to address the violence that Ray Rice has perpetrated," they wrote, "the recent events and their mishandling offers an opportunity for all teams to reflect on the incidents of domestic violence that happen regularly in their community and the culture of violence that is often replicated in systems like the NFL."

Then they threw down the glove.

"We challenge both the Eagles and the Steelers franchises to step off of the sidelines and into the game to address the culture of family violence and provide leadership for safe families and safe communities."

They then asked both teams for help to provide safe emergency housing and legal representation to domestic-violence victims.

Which is an absolutely reasonable ask from those who advocate every day for women who have not been "lucky" enough to have their abuse proved by surveillance video.

I defy Lurie, Rooney or any other NFL power player to refuse their request.

Their letter, dated Aug. 12, has not yet received a response.

Maybe yesterday's horrific TMZ video and the public outcry it is eliciting will get their rears in gear. If so, it'll be the first positive thing to come out of the Ray Rice disgrace.

It's about damn time.

Phone: 215-854-2217

On Twitter: @RonniePhilly

Blog: ph.ly/RonnieBlog

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