Ray Rice Will Reportedly Argue that TMZ Tape Was Edited

In his appeal of his indefinite suspension from the NFL, Ray Rice will argue that the TMZ surveillance video was “a cleaned-up, whittled down and condensed version of the events that took place in the Atlantic City casino elevator,” according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter.

Roger Goodell has implied that Rice’s second suspension was enacted because the former Ravens running back was not truthful during the league’s investigation; Outside the Lines reported that Rice told Goodell that he knocked his then-fiancee out.

Given the force with which Rice punched his then-fiancee, there isn’t really a feasible scenario that would exonerate Rice in the court of public opinion (though, that’s different than the NFL’s appeals process).

Related: OTL Report: John Harbaugh Wanted to Cut Ray Rice Immediately, Was Overruled By Ozzie Newsome and Steve Bisciotti