University of Florida Thesis Or Dissertation

CASE STUDY OF NFL’S RAY RICE DOMESTIC VIOLENCE INCIDENT AND CRISIS COMMUNICATION RESPONSES

ADRIANA YURIZZA

A THESIS PRESENTED TO THE GRADUATE SCHOOL OF THE UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE OF MASTER OF ARTS IN MASS COMMUNICATION

UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA

2017

To my parents and beautiful sister

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

I thank my parents for their love, support, and most importantly, for instilling in me the value of education and a strong work ethic. I thank my sister for being an amazing role model and supporting me throughout this process. I also thank my friends who made this experience one to remember. Thank you to my committee: Dr. Wright for being a helpful and understanding chair, thank you to Dr. Walsh-Childers for guiding me throughout the methodology, your help was a God send, and lastly thank you to Professor Spiker for your brilliant ideas and sharing your enthusiasm of sports with me.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

page

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS ...... 4

LIST OF TABLES ...... 7

ABSTRACT ...... 8

CHAPTER

1 PURPOSE OF THE STUDY...... 9

Ray Rice and His Domestic Violence Act ...... 10 Professional Football Career ...... 10 Domestic Violence Incident ...... 11 Domestic Violence Against Women ...... 11 Domestic Violence as a Problem in the NFL ...... 13 Idolization of Athletes May Exacerbate Violent Behavior ...... 14

2 LITERATURE REVIEW ...... 16

Four Expectations in Responding to Crisis Situations ...... 16 Impact on Reputation of Organizations ...... 17 High Relevance of Crisis Communication in Sports ...... 18 Research Questions ...... 19

3 METHODOLOGY ...... 21

Data Sources ...... 21 Crisis Communication Expectations as Themes ...... 26

4 RESULTS ...... 29

NFL ...... 29 Consistent About Making Decisions Based on Facts at Hand ...... 29 Consistent About Not Having Seen the Second Videotape Before September 8, 2014...... 30 Consistent About “Ambiguous” Account of Incident ...... 31 Other Crisis Communication Expectations ...... 33 Baltimore Ravens ...... 35 Consistent About Not Having All the Information ...... 35 Other Crisis Communications Expectations ...... 37 Ray Rice ...... 39

5 DISCUSSION ...... 41

Everything’s About Reputation ...... 41 Ray Rice Decides to Hide Behind Ravens During Crisis ...... 43 No Expression of Sympathy for Victim ...... 44 Effects of the Crisis on the Entities Involved ...... 45 NFL ...... 45 Baltimore Ravens ...... 45 Ray Rice ...... 46 Implications of the Findings ...... 47 Limitations and Future Research ...... 49

LIST OF REFERENCES ...... 52

BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH ...... 60

LIST OF TABLES

Table page

3-1 Data Sources for Initial Response to First Part of Crisis ...... 22

3-2 Data Sources for Initial Response to Second Part of Crisis ...... 22

Abstract of Thesis Presented to the Graduate School of the University of Florida in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Master of Arts in Mass Communication

CASE STUDY OF NFL’S RAY RICE DOMESTIC VIOLENCE INCIDENT AND CRISIS COMMUNICATION RESPONSES

Adriana Yurizza

August 2017

Chair: John W. Wright Major: Mass Communication

Domestic violence is a serious social issue. The NFL’s Ray Rice domestic violence incident took hold of public attention due to graphic video evidence. Although this 2014 incident was not the first among NFL athletes, it was critical in starting a national discussion about domestic violence acts committed by NFL players. This thesis examines this groundbreaking case through a public relations crisis communication case study analysis. Findings show that the

NFL and Baltimore Ravens exercised immense consistency in order to protect their reputations.

Ray Rice did not exercise crisis communication effectively at all. Despite public disapproval leading the NFL to change its misconduct policy, it did not lead to a change in its mentality toward the serious issue of domestic violence. Future research should analyze NFL domestic violence incidents post-Ray Rice and provide a comparison in the handling of the crises. Lastly, sports organizations and athletes should consider using their influence to change the attitude toward domestic violence.

CHAPTER 1 PURPOSE OF THE STUDY

During the last 17 years, the National Football League (NFL) and the issue of domestic violence have become highly intertwined. USAToday.com has compiled a NFL player arrests database which lists 103 domestic violence related arrests between 2000-2017 (USA Today,

"NFL Arrest-Database"). According to an article by ESPN, 48 NFL players have been found guilty of domestic violence between 2000 and 2014 (Fainaru-Wada et al., 2014). But the turning point, and the domestic violence incident central to the present study is the 2014 case of NFL

Baltimore Ravens player Ray Rice. On February 15, 2014, Rice was caught on video punching his then-girlfriend – now wife – Janay Rice at a casino. The lack of severe punishment for Rice in this case and, as it turned out, other acts of domestic violence by NFL players, especially when compared to the league’s more severe drug abuse policy, projected a very negative light on the league. According to McManus, “Commissioner Roger Goodell has issued longer suspensions for pot smoking, taking Adderall, DUI, illegal tattoos” compared to the Rice incident (McManus,

2014, para. 3). While football is considered America’s pastime, it has come under more critical scrutiny than ever, in part due to off-the-field issues, including episodes of poor behavior and behavior violations by players.

The researcher selected the topic of domestic violence by an NFL athlete because of the prominence of the issue in the NFL and in society in general, the influence NFL players have on society, and the relevance and importance of the topic to the area of crisis communication in sports public relations. A crisis is defined “as a significant threat to operations or reputations that can have negative consequences if not handled properly” (Coombs, 2014, para. 3). The Rice case was the first time the NFL had a domestic violence incident committed by one of its players in which there was video evidence. Due to this, heavy attention was drawn to both the social issue

of domestic violence and the manner in which the NFL deals with player misbehavior. This infamous 2014 case and the manner in which it was handled became a serious crisis for the NFL, the Baltimore Ravens football team, and for Ray Rice. To understand this crisis, it is important to first discuss who Rice is and the domestic violence incident in question, followed by a discussion of domestic violence against women, the history of domestic violence that exist in the NFL, and how the idolization of athletes may increase the severity of impact of domestic violence committed by NFL players.

Ray Rice and His Domestic Violence Act

Ray Rice was born in New Rochelle, New York in 1987. Rice grew up in The Hollows,

“a housing project…where gunfire seemed as commonplace as pickup football on concrete”

(Picker, 2011, para. 11). Having lost his father at the age of one to a drive-by shooting, Rice grew up very close to his mother Janet (Picker, 2011). Rice worked early on to help his mother financially and intended to make it to the NFL one day to take care of his mother (Picker, 2011).

In 2008, Rice was drafted from Rutgers University in the second round of the NFL Draft

(ESPN.com, 2017).

Professional Football Career

In terms of his football career, Rice is a former NFL running back who played seven seasons, all for the Baltimore Ravens team (ESPN.com, 2017). During his NFL career, Rice scored 37 touchdowns and rushed for a total of 6,180 yards (ESPN.com, 2017). Throughout his seven seasons playing in the NFL, it was in the 2011 season in which Rice was a rushing yards leader coming in at second place (ESPN.com, 2011). By 2013, his last season in the NFL, Rice ranked 30th in rushing yards leaders (ESPN.com, 2013). According to FiveThirtyEight senior sportswriter Neil Paine, Rice “had the league’s worst success rate among running backs…in

2013” (Paine, 2014, para. 5). Rice’s 2013 football statistics are considered to have made it more difficult for Rice to return to play football after his 2014 domestic violence incident.

Domestic Violence Incident

On February 15, 2014, both Rice and Janay were arrested on “simple assault charges”

(Bien, 2014, para. 7). On February 19, 2014, TMZ published a video in which Rice is seen dragging Janay out of the elevator, her body limp and on the floor before Rice attempts to pick her up by the shoulders (Bien, 2014). Rice was not punished by the NFL until July 24, 2014, when he was suspended for two games (Bien, 2014). Months later, on September 8, 2014, TMZ published a video showing footage inside the elevator. In the video, Janay is seen slightly shoving Rice as he approached her while she was pushing the elevator floor buttons. He then shoves her back and then backs away (TMZ Staff, 2014). When Janay moves towards Rice, he punches her in the face knocking her unconscious (TMZ Staff, 2014). Janay is seen hitting the elevator’s wall and railing as she falls to the floor after being punched by Rice. It is important to note that footage showing the couple before they got into the elevator shows Rice taunting her as she walks by him, to which Janay swats him away and keeps walking to get into the elevator.

After the publishing of this second videotape, Rice was released by the Baltimore Ravens and suspended indefinitely by the NFL (Bien, 2014).

Domestic Violence Against Women

Domestic violence is defined “as a pattern of abusive behavior in any relationship that is used by one partner to gain or maintain power and control over another intimate partner” (U.S.

Department of Justice, 2017, para. 1). It can be “physical, sexual, emotional, economic, or psychological actions or threats of actions that influence another person” (U.S. Department of

Justice, 2017, para. 1). The frequency and effects of domestic violence also factored into the topic selection. According to the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence (NCADV), in

the United States, about 20 individuals are physically abused by their partner every minute

(NCADV.com, 2017). The NCADV also states that “on a typical day, there are more than 20,000 phone calls placed to domestic violence hotlines nationwide” (NCADV.com, 2017, para. 5).

Regarding women specifically, as it pertains to this study, one in three women have been victims of physical abuse by their partner, and one in five women have been severely physically abused by their partner (NCADV.com, 2017). Domestic violence can occur at any time and to any one as it affects individuals “in every community, regardless of age, economic status, sexual orientation, gender, race, religion, or nationality” (NCADV.com, 2017, para. 2).

The effects of domestic violence are immense and can lead to both physical and mental health problems. Domestic abuse can lead to post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), depression, and anxiety, among other problems (Office on Women’s Health, 2014). Physically, a woman who is victim to domestic violence can develop long-term physical issues such as traumatic brain injury, seizures, sexually transmitted diseases, and gynecological disorders, among others

(Mellor & Wong, 2014). There has even been a link found between domestic violence and suicidal behavior (NCADV.com, 2017). In addition, there has also been a link found between domestic violence victims being murdered by their abusers. The risk of an abuser murdering their domestic partner is increased when firearms are present in the home. Since January 1, 2017, there have been 306 “domestic violence gun related fatalities” (NCADV.com, 2017, para. 2). In terms of women as the victims, a study conducted by the Violence Policy Center analyzed the

Federal Bureau of Investigation’s (FBI) 2014 Supplementary Homicide Report and discovered that “there were 239 women shot and killed by either their husband or intimate acquaintance during the course of an argument” (Violence Policy Center, 2016, p. 3).

Domestic violence not only affects the victim, but also children who witness the violent behavior in their household. Witnessing domestic violence “predisposes children to numerous social and physical problems” (U.S. Department of Justice, 2017). These children could develop behavior problems, and mentally it could lead them to developing depression, anxiety, substance abuse, and other mental health problems (Office on Women’s Health, 2014). Moreover, these children grow up believing that this violent behavior is normal and/or acceptable and it increases

“their risk of becoming society’s next generation of victims and abusers” (U.S. Department of

Justice, 2017).

Economically, the actual monetary costs of domestic violence also are significant. The

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimate more than $8.3 billion in costs per year due to domestic violence (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2015). Victims of abuse require health treatment for mental and/or physical problems if abused once, let alone if abused repeatedly. Domestic violence also leads to the victim having problems at work or having to miss work which could lead to getting fired. The CDC states that victims “lose nearly 8 million days of paid work – the equivalent of more than 32,000 full-time jobs – and almost 5.6 million days of household productivity each year” (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention,

2015).

The effects of domestic violence are severe for the victim, let alone for the rest of society.

When discussing domestic violence and the NFL, there is an increase in the effects of this social ill because of the repeated offenses by NFL players. Next, the researcher will discuss the problem of the domestic violence in the NFL.

Domestic Violence as a Problem in the NFL

Domestic violent acts by NFL players occurred long before the USAToday.com’s NFL

Player Arrest Database was created and before former NFL Commissioner Paul Tagliabue

enacted the 1997 personal conduct policy. Notorious domestic violence cases by an NFL player before 1997 include Andre Rison who was involved in an altercation with his famous singer girlfriend, Lisa Lopes, in 1994 (Barrabi, 2014). In 1995 there was the case of O.J. Simpson, who aside from being accused of murdering his wife, Nicole Brown, was accused of both physically and emotionally abusing her for 17 years (Noble, 1995). In 1996 there were domestic violence cases involving Dan Wilkinson, Warren Moon, and Lawrence Phillips (Barrabi, 2014). And in a

1999 case, Jim Brown was found guilty of vandalism after he smashed his wife’s car with a shovel during an incident (CNN Library, 2017). Brown already had a history of domestic violence, having committed violent acts towards various women in 1965, 1968, 1985, and 1986

(CNN Library, 2017).

It was not until 1997 that the NFL executed “its first personal conduct policy, which empowered the commissioner to hand out suspensions and stiff fines to any player convicted of a domestic violence offense” (Fainaru-Wada et al., 2014, para. 2). Before 1997, there was no policy for punishment of players who engaged in this violent behavior. The enactment of the

1997 policy was “in response to this problematic trend” (Webb, 2012, p. 752). According to

Webb, “prior to the 1997 season, many NFL players were increasingly becoming associated with domestic violence” (Webb, 2012, p. 752). This suggests that the NFL only felt the need to create a specific conduct policy when there was a noted increase in violent acts by its players, not when it first started occurring. In addition to NFL players’ misconduct and association with domestic violence, it is important to discuss the impact that these athletes’ behaviors have on fans and/or viewers who idolize them.

Idolization of Athletes May Exacerbate Violent Behavior

Having surpassed baseball as America’s pastime, American football is heavily consumed by individuals ranging in age from toddlers to elders. Aside from supporting professional teams,

fans support and even idolize individual players. The idolization of NFL players is not always a positive thing given that players are still humans who can and will make mistakes. Plus, their influence on young fans is often significant because “sports role models can shape young admirers’ attitudes and behaviors” (Hyman & Sierra, 2010, p. 228). In addition to idolization,

Adubato’s (2015) study found that on football game days there was a “statistically significant number of domestic violence arrests” when compared with non-football game days (Adubato,

2015, p. 29). This offers evidence that when watching a sport already considered to be violent, the chances of some fans engaging in violent behavior – specifically domestic violence – increase. Given the increasing awareness of the problem of domestic violence in society, one might expect that lenient punishment for NFL crimes of domestic violence might lead to greater acceptance of the violent behavior, especially when the players involved are idolized.

Overall, because of the crises created by repeated domestic violence offenses by NFL players, the harmful effects on victims – for purposes of this study, specifically the effects on women – the NFL’s mishandling of previous misconduct, and the idolization of athletes, the researcher deems this study vital to help reach a better understanding of how to manage such a crisis. Therefore, a case study examining the responses to the Rice crisis by the three main entities involved – the NFL, the Baltimore Ravens, and Ray Rice – will be used to apply expectations of Crisis Communication Theory. This method will be used to discover which crisis communication expectations were more prominent than others for all three entities.

CHAPTER 2 LITERATURE REVIEW

In this literature review the researcher will discuss the Crisis Communication Theory, the four expectations set by W. Timothy Coombs, the impact of crises on the reputation of organizations, and the relevance of sports crisis communication.

First, Crisis Communication Theory was chosen to guide this study. Specifically, the four crisis communication expectations – quickness, consistency, openness, and expression of sympathy for victims – when responding to crises will be used as the basis of the analyses

(Coombs, 2013). W. Timothy Coombs states that there are two categories of crisis communication: managing information and managing meanings (Coombs, 2013). For this research, managing meanings is deemed most relevant as the Rice crisis communication by all three entities occurred reactively, as a response to the incident being made public. Managing meanings is defined as involving “efforts to influence how people perceive the crisis-for instance…the character of the organization involved in the crisis, and the quality of its response”

(Coombs, 2013, p. 3). When facing a crisis in which one is managing meanings, Coombs states

“meeting crisis communication expectations” as necessary (Coombs, 2013, p. 4).

Four Expectations in Responding to Crisis Situations

Coombs (2013) has established that there are four expectations in responding to crises: quickness, consistency, openness, and expression of sympathy for victims. The organization(s) in a crisis are expected to respond quickly, specifically within an hour of the crisis, according to

Coombs (2013). Consistency means that the organization(s) are disseminating messages that are organized and free of contradictions (Coombs, 2013). The third expectation of openness focuses on whether or not the organization(s) are transparent about the crisis with stakeholders and

victims (Coombs, 2013). The last expectation is expression of sympathy for the victims as crises do create this specific stakeholder group (Coombs, 2013).

The researcher would like to note that Coombs states that victims “are the reason for…adjusting information” (Coombs, 2013, p. 5). Adjusting information is any information that helps the victims cope with the crisis, specifically, “corrective action, the steps the organization is taking to prevent the crisis from happening again” (Coombs, 2013, p. 5).

Impact on Reputation of Organizations

Literature on Situational Crisis Communication Theory (SCCT), within Crisis

Communication Theory, names “reputation” as the most important component of the theory

(Botan & Hazleton, 2006, p. 175). Reputation is showcased through information about the organization(s), and the media are the key outlets through which information passes (Coombs,

2007). Crises post a threat to the organization(s) involved because they can “disrupt an organization’s operations and poses…a reputational threat,” as stakeholders can be affected

(Coombs, 2007, p. 2). Stakeholders can vary from employees to community members (Coombs,

2007). Mainly, crises invite individuals “to think badly of the organization” (Coombs, 2007, p.

2). In this case study, the reputation of the NFL, one of its teams, and one of its players was in question due to the crisis created when of one of its professional athletes engaged in an act of domestic violence. Stakeholders that can be affected are identified as members of the NFL such as athletes, coaches, and other staff members, the victim of the domestic violence incident, fans who consume professional American football, and sponsors.

Continuing the main theme of reputation, the NFL, serving as both the governing body of professional American football and of the other two entities involved, has faced domestic violence incidents by its athletes dating at least as far back as 1965. USAToday.com’s database of all NFL player arrests made from 2000 to the present includes a list of domestic violence

incidents (USA Today, "NFL Arrest-Database"). The NFL has been harshly criticized regarding this aspect of its history. A major criticism is that the NFL’s process for punishing players who engage in domestic violence is not being strictly enforced (Belson & Pennington, 2016).

Reoccurrences of domestic violence incidents post the Rice case have led individuals to believe the NFL is not handling the crises effectively and that it reacts too passively to such behavior by its players.

High Relevance of Crisis Communication in Sports

Professional American football is a high-profit industry. The total revenue of the NFL was “projected to surpass $13.3 billion” in 2016 (Belzer, 2016, para. 1). Understandably, almost anything involving the NFL is highly covered in the media. The 2014 Rice case analyzed in the present study drove an increase in media coverage of the NFL, particularly anything that occurs off-the-field. A Northern Arizona University (NAU) study by Jurich (2015), stated that “the media is paying more attention to domestic violence specifically because of the video evidence” from the Rice incident in 2014 (p. 5). When there is video or picture evidence of domestic violence incidents by athletes, the importance and critical nature of sports crisis communication increases. Jurich’s study focused on the responses of NFL players and NFL officials in explaining the behavior of the players who engaged in violent acts by analyzing two situations of different violations – domestic violence and animal cruelty – and looked at accusation and apologia. Although not solely focused on domestic violence incidents by NFL players, Jurich’s

(2015) study stated that the NFL needed to address domestic violence issues through statements because the NFL is perceived to be too lenient towards players that engage in the violent behavior. The study concluded that by using strategies of public statements and establishing goals to show that the NFL was addressing the issue, from a public relations viewpoint, it would benefit the organization in handling the crisis (Jurich, 2015).

In addition, crisis history puts the sports organization and respective parties involved in the crisis at the forefront. Crisis history in sports is vital to determining whether the causes of the crisis will be attributed to the organization or the athlete. Sports crises add to crisis communication in a unique way by allowing the public to attribute blame on more entities than just the offending athlete. For example, another sports crisis study with a focus on SCCT from the University of Alabama by Brown (2012) found that more responsibility was attributed to the organization when the athletes had a history of misconduct.

In many other types of crises caused by individuals outside of sports, for the most part responsibility is only attributed primarily to the perpetrator, not to the organization the individual is a part of. In sports crises, responsibility may either be attributed to the individual athlete, himself or herself, or the organization for which the athlete plays, or both. Attribution of crisis responsibility is different in sports because the crisis history of the organization and the player(s) are closely intertwined. Because NFL football is an extremely popular, highly profitable industry, more research is necessary regarding the handling of related crises, especially NFL player incidents involving domestic violence, because of the potential impact on the league, the teams and players, and society in general. With this in mind, the researcher proposes three research questions for this study.

Research Questions

Based on the literature review, three research questions will guide this study. The goal is to determine which crisis communication expectation(s) were the most prominent in the responses of the three different entities – the NFL, the team and the player – involved in the Rice domestic violence incident:

 RQ1: Which of the four crisis communication expectations was the most prominent in the response(s) of the NFL about the domestic violence incident?

 RQ2: Which of the four crisis communication expectations was the most prominent in the response(s) of the Baltimore Ravens team about the domestic violence incident?

 RQ3: Which of the four crisis communication expectations was the most prominent in the response(s) of Ray Rice about the domestic violence incident?

CHAPTER 3 METHODOLOGY

The method chosen for this research is the case study method. Case studies are “in-depth studies of particular people, organizations, events, or even processes” (Stacks, 2011, p. 157).

Because the event, the Ray Rice domestic violence crisis faced by the NFL has already occurred, this is a historical case study through which the researcher will analyze “what and why something occurred and…how that outcome was managed” (Stacks, 2011, p. 158). Two major advantages of case studies are that they describe and provide examples of what works and does not work and that they are “not limited to public relations campaigns” (Stacks, 2011, p. 158).

Moreover, case studies allow for theory to be applied to specific situations, as is the case with this research. Although case studies cannot be generalized, the insight provided can help us better understand a specific situation in case it occurs again (Stacks, 2011).

Data Sources

The data sources used for this research encompass a variety of formats and reflect the initial responses from each entity for this specific two-part crisis. “Initial,” in this case, means the first official response made publicly. The first part stemmed from the news that Ray Rice and his then-girlfriend – now wife – Janay Rice were arrested at an Atlantic City, New Jersey casino due to “a simple assault complaint” (Bien, 2014, para. 7). The second part began with the release of security video footage inside the elevator, which shows Rice punching Janay and knocking her unconscious (TMZ Staff, 2014). The formats of the data sources range from online articles from the entities’ own websites to transcripts of interviews with independent news outlets. It is important also to note which individuals serve as the main spokespersons for specific entities.

For the NFL, Commissioner Roger Goodell is the spokesperson. For the Baltimore Ravens team, then-Head Coach John Harbaugh and General Manager Ozzie Newsome serve as the

spokespersons. Lastly, Ray Rice served as his own spokesperson. The researcher will use a total of 12 data sources. Please refer to Table 3-1 and Table 3-2 for a detailed breakdown of each data source.

Table 3-1. Data Sources for Initial Response to First Part of Crisis Entity Source Date Published Source Type

NFL Baltimore Ravens March 26, 2014 Online article Website NFL NFL.com March 27, 2014 Online article Baltimore Ravens Baltimore Ravens February 17, 2014 Press conference Website transcript Baltimore Ravens NFL.com February 16, 2014 Online article

Baltimore Ravens Baltimore Ravens February 21, 2014 Online article Website Ray Rice Baltimore Ravens May 23, 2014 Press conference Website transcript

Table 3-2. Data Sources for Initial Response to Second Part of Crisis Entity Source Date Published Source Type NFL NFL.com September 8, 2014 Online article NFL CBSSports.com September 10, 2014 Interview transcript NFL ABCNews.com September 19, 2014 Press conference transcript Baltimore Ravens Baltimore Ravens September 8, 2014 Press conference Website transcript Ray Rice SBNation.com September 9, 2014 Online news article Ray Rice ESPN.com September 9, 2014 Online news article

These data sources were chosen because they are the first publicized responses from each entity. As can be noted, most of the sources – with the exception of four – stem from the entities themselves. The researcher’s goal is to analyze data sources that stem from the entities themselves versus sports-related news sources because these materials constitute direct statements from the entities involved in the crisis without third party involvement. On the other

hand, the researcher decided to use four data sources that do not stem from the entities themselves for specific reasons. The transcript of the CBSSports.com Sept. 10, 2014, interview with Norah O’Donnell is part of the initial response from the NFL to the second part of the crisis.

The researcher searched the NFL’s website extensively and could not find any transcript of an interview the NFL itself conducted related to this second part of the crisis. Secondly, the transcript of the NFL press conference held September 19, 2014, is derived from ABCNews.com because, again, the researcher did not find the interview on the NFL’s website. The third and fourth data sources not taken directly from the entity itself are Ray Rice’s initial responses to the second part of the crisis. These two specific data sources – one online news article from

SBNation.com and one online news article from ESPN.com – provide details about Rice’s communication with two different sports journalists. In the SBNation.com online news article,

Rice’s communication with then-CNN sports journalist Rachel Nichols, is discussed, including the Tweet she published about Rice’s comments to the second part of the crisis. In the

ESPN.com online news article, details and quotes are provided about the phone call ESPN’s

Josina Anderson had with Rice following the release of the security video footage inside the elevator. Extensive online research shows no other communication by Rice in the immediate aftermath of the release of the second video, in which he is shown punching his then-fiancée.

It is important to note that some sources for an entity are derived from the website of another entity involved. For example, one of the sources for the NFL’s initial response to the first part of the crisis came from the Baltimore Ravens’ website. The reasoning behind this is that as an NFL team, the Ravens may at times be at the same events in which information and/or statements are made that the team can use in its own communication and vice versa. This type of

data is utilized in the analysis because, obviously, more data from each entity helps assure more meaningful analyses.

The time frame of the data sources varies. The researcher searched for and selected only data sources that were the first public responses from each entity involved. Because this was a two-part crisis involving three different entities, the goal was to compare how each entity responded the first time to each part of the crisis. The fact that this was a two-part crisis makes it unique and intriguing to see how the parties involved managed the continuation of the crisis after already having an opportunity during the first part. Therefore, it was determined that using only the initial public responses would provide the most meaningful analyses. Follow-up responses were not used because such responses are products of the entities involved having time to evaluate their initial responses and determine what and how to communicate moving forward.

This tends to lead to premeditated responses. Future research might include follow-up responses in a separate analysis.

The researcher used the following timeline to choose the data sources. The first part of the crisis began on February 15, 2014, the date of the incident; the first known response from each entity that occurred on or after February 15, 2014, was considered the initial response. For example, Rice did not officially address the domestic violence incident until May 23, 2014. On this date, Rice held a press conference, along with his wife, the victim of the assault shown on the video, and this was the first time he had addressed the first part of the crisis. The researcher searched Ray Rice’s Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram accounts for any response prior to this date, but none was found. Rice’s Facebook page shows a post on February 12, 2014, and then skips to posts in 2015. One 2015 post is a farewell to the city of Baltimore that is not an initial response to the domestic violence incident. On Rice’s Twitter account, the last tweet was posted

February 12, 2014, three days before the violent incident. Rice posted an identical message on

Facebook the same day. The last Instagram post by Rice was July 23, 2013, long before the incident. The researcher also searched on Google for a website owned by Rice and did not find one. Additionally, the researcher searched through the NFL’s and Baltimore Ravens’ websites for any indication of a statement from Rice about the incident and did not find any. The only instance in which a spokesperson for Rice commented on the incident involved Rice’s attorney,

Michael Diamondstein; this comment was included in an online article from NFL.com and was part of the NFL’s initial response. In this article, Rice’s attorney stated, “We deny Ray

Rice committed aggravated assault. Neither Ray nor Janay Palmer wish to prosecute the matter.

Ray and Janay are together. They're happy, and they're in counseling. We believe that as a matter of law that Ray Rice did not commit aggravated assault. We ask only that the public reserve judgment until all the facts come to light” (Wesseling, 2014, para. 5).

Thus, a press conference held May 23, 2014, was selected as Rice’s initial response although it occurred three months after first release of the original video. An SBNation.com online news article that includes a detailed timeline of the Rice domestic violence incident states that this press conference was the first-time Rice spoke about the incident after being arrested over three months earlier on February 15, 2014 (Bien, 2014).

The same process was applied to the selection of the data sources for the three entities for the second part of the crisis, which began on September 8, 2014 when a more detailed and graphic version of the video was released. For example, Commissioner Roger Goodell’s first initial address of the release of additional video surveillance footage inside the elevator was in an interview with CBS, which occurred September 10, 2014.

Crisis Communication Expectations as Themes

Quickness, consistency, openness, and expression of sympathy for the victim will be searched for as themes. Quickness will be determined by comparing the time elapsed from the date news broke of the couple’s arrest on “simple assault charges” – February 16, 2014 – to the responses by the entities involved (Bien, 2014, para. 7). It must be noted that this date is being used because it was the day the news was publicized, even though the domestic dispute occurred the previous day. Under the best crisis management practice, Coombs states, an organization

“responds quickly, within one hour of the crisis event” (Coombs, 2013, p. 4). For the second part of the crisis, quickness will be determined by comparing the time elapsed from the date of the release of the security video footage inside the elevator – September 8, 2014 at 1:00 AM PDT

(4:00 AM EST) – to the responses by the entities involved (Bien, 2014).

Consistency is defined as “providing a coordinated response that is free of contradictions” (Coombs, 2013, p. 4). Consistency will be determined to be present if the researcher observes no contradictions in each entity’s statements in response to the first and second parts of the crisis. The initial responses made for the second part of the crisis should not contradict the initial responses made for the first part for each entity individually. For example, if in the initial responses, an entity involved mentioned not having seen or known of the security video footage of Rice punching Janay in the elevator, but then stated in the responses to the second part of the crisis that they did know of or had seen this specific footage, then consistency is not met. It is important to note that responses for the second part of the crisis might include additional information, which is appropriate as long as it does not contradict what was initially stated during the first part of the crisis.

Openness is defined as “being willing to discuss the crisis with interested stakeholders, answer inquiries, and disclose information rather than stonewall information” (Coombs, 2013, p.

4). For purposes of this research, openness can be determined to be present if the statements offer any details about what the entity is doing about the domestic violence incident, what penalties will be handed down to Rice, if the parties allowed for questions from reporters, and how willing the parties were to answer questions. Openness also will be assessed in terms of whether the spokesperson(s) for each entity made themselves available for questions after press conferences and for interviews and/or conducted other interviews aside from the ones used as data sources.

The researcher will search online for interviews given after the official press conferences and list them. If any are evident, then openness will be determined to be present at this point as the entities made themselves available outside of their official communication to continue to speak about the domestic violence incident. This would show that the entities did not shy away from disclosing information or shy away from being available for further inquiries (Coombs, 2013).

For the expression of sympathy for the victim there are several ways in which this theme could be considered present in the communication. One is whether the entities mention Janay

Rice, the victim, by name and/or make reference to how the domestic violence dispute affected her. Equally important is not blaming the victim for the incident. The researcher will search for any instances or mentions of blame being put on Janay Rice. If such are present, then the researcher will note that expression of sympathy for the victim is not being met. The second way in which expression of sympathy can be deemed present is by statements about any “corrective actions…steps the organization is taking to prevent the crisis from happening again” (Coombs,

2013, p. 5). This last component of the expression of sympathy theme is vital to this specific crisis because it pertains to domestic violence. This crisis calls for the consideration of the victim stakeholder group of women who can be abused by male domestic partners. Examples of corrective action(s) can range from changes in policies and/or penalties, attempts to educate the

public or other players about domestic violence, and so forth. Due to there being several ways in which the researcher can deem this specific theme present, the researcher will note how the entities attempted to meet this theme. For example, if an entity mentions any steps to correct the situation, but also mentions Janay Rice because they are putting blame on her, then this theme was met less strongly. At that point, the researcher would explain how the entity attempted to meet this theme, but did only to a lesser extent because of such reasons.

CHAPTER 4 RESULTS

The Ray Rice domestic violence incident was not the first time the NFL had to deal with one of its players engaging in violent behavior off-the-field. As mentioned previously, it was the first time that such violent behavior by an NFL player was caught on video, thus causing the league, as well as, other entities, a public relations nightmare. For this specific case, the researcher analyzed the initial crisis communication(s) by the three entities involved to determine which of the four expectations from the Crisis Communication Theory was most prominent. This section aims to explain the results of the researcher by first answering each research question proposed and further explaining why such theme was prominent.

NFL

The first research question asked:

RQ1: Which of the four crisis communication expectations was the most prominent in the response(s) of the NFL about the domestic violence incident?

Consistent About Making Decisions Based on Facts at Hand

The crisis communication expectation of consistency was most prominent in the communication by the NFL. In both parts of the two-part crisis, the NFL stated that it would make and made decisions based on the information it had at the moment. The NFL’s spokesperson, Commissioner Roger Goodell, stated during the first part that “we’ll let the facts dictate that,” when asked if Rice would be suspended (Goodell, 2014, para. 2). This specific communication was part of the initial statement the NFL made and occurred over a month after the news broke of the couple’s arrest. In the second part of the crisis, during the press conference held by the NFL on September 19, 2014, Commissioner Goodell was asked about what differed when he spoke to Rice to what was on the second videotape. Commissioner Goodell’s response

remained consistent with the message that the league made its decisions based on information it had at hand and as it became available, “when we had that new information…we had the ability to say ‘we’re going to interject and we’re going to take additional action and that’s what we did”

(Goodell, Sept. 19, 2014, Press Conference, time 20:33). It is also evident that Commissioner

Goodell did not really answer the question about what differed between what Rice told him occurred to what was on the second videotape. He shifted his response more to continuing to ensure that the league made decisions based on information as it became available.

Consistent About Not Having Seen the Second Videotape Before September 8, 2014

Aside from ensuring to make clear that the NFL made its decisions based on information it had at the moment, another point the NFL stressed consistently is not having seen the second videotape before its public release. There is no mention of the second videotape in the communication for the first part of the crisis because that information had not been made public at the time. Nonetheless, in the communication during the second part of the crisis, the NFL consistently denied having seen the second videotape and stressed that it asked for all evidence and was denied access to what is now known as the infamous second videotape. This point was repeated eight separate times throughout the three data sources analyzed, but most of the repetition occurred throughout two of the three sources, the CBSSports.com Sept. 10, 2014 interview with Norah O’Donnell and the NFL’s press conference. In the CBSSports.com interview, when asked if “anyone in the NFL,” had seen the second video before its public release, Commissioner Goodell simply responded “no” (Goodell, Sept. 10, 2014, Interview

Transcript, para. 2). Even when asked a second time right after that, “no one in the NFL?”,

Commissioner Goodell remained consistent, even using similar language used in the statement released by the league the same day the tape was released, and stated, “no one in the NFL…we were not granted that…we were told that was not something we would have access to…on

multiple occasions, we asked for it…and on multiple occasions we were told no” (Goodell, Sept.

10, 2014, Interview Transcript, para. 4). In the NFL’s press conference, held over a week after the release of the second videotape, Commissioner Goodell once again reiterated that the NFL did not know of and/or had not seen the second videotape and alluded to learning about this videotape when it became public, “we had not seen that second tape that became public roughly

10 days or so ago” (Goodell, Sept. 19, 2014, Press Conference, time 20:47).

In addition, within the NFL’s attempts to consistently refute ever knowing of the second videotape, Commissioner Goodell carefully stated in the CBSSports.com interview that he had no knowledge of how TMZ or any other website gets their information, and that the NFL does not seek information from sources that are not credible (Goodell, Sept. 10, 2014, Interview

Transcript). In the press conference, Commissioner Goodell was contested by a TMZ reporter,

Adam Glenn, who stated that through one phone call, TMZ was able to learn about the videotape inside the elevator (Goodell, Sept. 19, 2014, Press Conference, time 39:47-39:52). Glenn asked

Commissioner Goodell how it was possible for an organization having the legal department it does, it was not possible for the NFL to know about it. To which the commissioner responded, “I can’t explain how you got the information only you can do that so” (Goodell, Sept. 19, 2014,

Press Conference, time 39:52-39:54). Immediately after the commissioner finished that statement, he turned to a different reporter calling for his attention ask a question.

Consistent About “Ambiguous” Account of Incident

Another point the NFL was consistent about was that Ray Rice gave an ambiguous account about what occurred on that night in February. A conversation between Commissioner

Goodell and Rice took place after Rice and his now wife Janay were arrested and before

September 8, 2014. Fast forward to the release of footage inside the elevator in September 2014 and Commissioner Goodell stated that what Rice told him did not correlate with what is seen on

the second videotape. Goodell said, “when we met with Ray Rice and his representatives, it was ambiguous about what actually happened…we certainly didn’t know what was on the tape”

(Goodell, Sept. 10, 2014, Interview Transcript, para. 12-18). This same point is stated in the league’s press conference along with refusal to state what Rice said. Reporters asked the commissioner what Rice said to him during their conversation and he claimed that he cannot offer those details because the case was in the middle of an appeals process and that it was just inconsistent with the evidence on the second videotape (Goodell, Sept. 19, 2014, Press

Conference, time 21:12-21:26).

The NFL’s crisis communication effort was very minimal in the first part of the crisis.

Simple statements were made in which the NFL stated that it would follow the domestic violence incident and make decisions as information became available. It is in the second part of the crisis where the NFL not only made simple statements, but decided to have a sit-down interview with the CBS network and hold its own press conference. After analyzing all of the information, the

NFL showcased the expectation of consistency by never contradicting its statements made in the first part of the crisis during its communication in the second part. Even though little information was disclosed during the first part, the NFL did state it would make its decisions as information became available and it stuck to that point during all of its communication in the second part. In addition to this, the NFL remained highly consistent throughout the second part of the crisis in which it disclosed much more information. Even when questioned about the same things in different ways, Commissioner Goodell made sure to never contradict anything said earlier. A tactic used by the commissioner was to use wording such as “as I told you”, “as I mentioned”, and “in my statements.” These are all phrases that can be used to reiterate a point already made.

Other Crisis Communication Expectations

The other three expectations were either not prominent or present at all. For quickness, the NFL clearly had none in the first part of the crisis as it addressed the situation over a month after the news broke of the arrest on February 16, 2014. But the NFL did exercise some quickness, not within the hour though, in terms of the second part of the crisis. The NFL addressed the release of footage inside the elevator hours later on the same day it was made public. The other two communication sources were certainly delayed and thus not allowing for quickness to be met. The sit-down interview with CBS’ Norah O’Donnell occurred two days after the release of the second videotape. The press conference was delayed by 11 days, clearly showing lack of quickness.

Regarding openness, the researcher found the NFL to become open in its communication only in the second part of the crisis. As stated previously, the first part was only composed of simple statements informing that the league was looking at the situation and would not be deciding anything at the moment. During the second part of the crisis, specifically in the press conference held by the NFL, the league showcased openness by detailing the corrective actions it would take to guarantee that it would manage future domestic violence incidents better and apologized for how it initially managed the Ray Rice incident. The NFL was also open about the punishment it served Rice and made it clear that it did not know whether the athlete would return to play any time soon. While the NFL did allow for reporters to ask questions, specifically in its press conference, the willingness to answer the questions was not always strong. Due to the NFL wanting to remain consistent, not answering and/or shifting away from questions regarding how

TMZ obtained the videotape and what Rice told Goodell during their meeting, precluded openness. Yet, the NFL was very open when discussing the changes it made to the conduct

policy, how an investigation into the managing of the Rice case was being launched, who was involved, and even some of the names of the individuals who would be involved.

The researcher searched online for follow-up interviews and whether the league made itself available for further questions. This component of the openness expectation was not met.

There are two examples, one after the CBSSports.com interview and one after the NFL’s press conference. In an ESPN article, dated September 12, 2014, Van Natta Jr. stated in his article that

“NFL spokesman Greg Aiello declined to comment Thursday afternoon” (Van Natta Jr., 2014, para. 14). In the second example, an ESPN article by Van Natta and Van Valkenburg, dated

September 19, 2014, clearly states, “Greg Aiello, a spokesman for the NFL, on Friday afternoon did not answer any written questions submitted to Goodell and the league by "Outside the

Lines" (Van Natta Jr. & Van Valkenburg, 2014, para. 9). It is evident that openness was expressed to some extent, but only when it seemed most convenient for the NFL. The league was open about its corrective actions, apologizing, and in any statements that showed it being consistent. But openness lacked when reporters asked about points that would make the NFL seem anything but consistent and it clearly did not make itself available outside of its own official communications.

Lastly, expression of sympathy for the victim was not met. In no communication was the victim, Janay, mentioned by name. Janay is alluded to indirectly by mentioning how she and

Rice are a couple, but never by name. The NFL did not put any blame on Janay and while corrective actions were discussed, there was never any mention of corrective actions or help that the NFL would be giving to Janay specifically. The only instance in which the NFL came close to discussing how it would help her is by stating that “the family has a lot of work to do...we’re going to obviously provide whatever resources we can to help them work through that” (Goodell,

Sept. 10, 2014, Interview Transcript, para. 22). Again, she is never mentioned by name or separately as the individual that she is. Anytime Janay is alluded to, it is always as a part of something – that something being the relationship – but never individually. Not even when

Commissioner Goodell discusses the emotions that the second videotape produced does he mention Janay by name or at least allude to her, “what we saw…was extremely clear, it was extremely graphic, and it was sickening” (Goodell, Sept. 10, 2014, Interview Transcript, para.

16).

Baltimore Ravens

The second research question asked:

RQ2: Which of the four crisis communication expectations was the most prominent in the response(s) of the Baltimore Ravens team about the domestic violence incident?

The Baltimore Ravens showed consistency as the most prominent throughout its crisis communication. In contrast to the NFL, the Ravens had two individuals – Head Coach John

Harbaugh and General Manager Ozzie Newsome – as spokespersons, and yet the communication remained consistent.

Consistent About Not Having All the Information

During the first part of the crisis, both head coach Harbaugh and general manager

Newsome remained consistent about not knowing details of the domestic violence incident. Both spokespersons stated in separate press conferences that occurred four days apart, that they would wait for all the information to make decisions, knew very little about what occurred, and that

Rice was still a part of the team. Newsome stated:

I don’t know the situation. I’ve only gotten what has been written. I’ve not had a chance to talk to Ray; I have not had a chance to talk to (director of security Darren Sanders. So I really don’t know the situation and up until – with me – I get all the answers, then that’s when we make decisions within this organization – once we

get all the information we can get. (Ozzie, Feb. 17, 2014, Press Conference Transcript, para. 46)

Head coach Harbaugh repeated that sentiment of waiting for all the facts to decide and further elaborated that there are still things to be known by stating, “there are a lot of facts and a process that has to be worked through in anything like this…there are a lot of question marks”

(Harbaugh, 2014, para. 12).

A point the researcher would like to make is that it could be debated that both spokespersons did make a decision without having all the facts by publicly stating that Rice was still a part of the team. Despite head coach Harbaugh not having all the details and publicly stating that he is waiting on all the facts to decide, he made the following statement within the same press conference when asked by a reporter if there was a scenario in which Rice would not be a part of the team, “not that I’m aware of…I haven’t seen anything that would remotely make me think that” (Harbaugh, 2014, para. 5). Although, both spokespersons claimed that a decision regarding Rice would be made once the team had all the information, it was decided that Rice was still going to play based on what they knew at the time.

Consistent About Supporting Rice

The second point that the Ravens were consistent about was its support for Rice, especially head coach Harbaugh. In the first part of the crisis, head coach Harbaugh made it clear that he supported Rice by defending Rice’s character as he told the press, “Ray’s character, you guys know his character, so start with that,” after very clearly stating that there are a lot of facts that were being waited on (Harbaugh, 2014, para. 12). In the second part of the crisis, head coach

Harbaugh still supported Rice despite the video evidence of Rice’s crime. Even when asked if

Rice misled him even after defending Rice back in February, head coach Harbaugh responded,

“everything I said, in terms of what I believe, I stand behind. I believe that still, and I’ll always

believe those things. And we’ll always stand and support them as a couple, and that’s not going to change” (Harbaugh, Sept. 8, 2014, Press Conference Transcript, para. 3).

Other Crisis Communications Expectations

The Ravens were certainly quicker in its responses to both parts of the crisis, quicker than the NFL and Ray Rice himself. During the first part, the Ravens’ very first statement was made the same day news broke of the arrest, only a few hours later. The following day on February 17,

2014, general manager Newsome addressed the situation towards the end of the press conference about another player’s contract extension. Head coach Harbaugh was the only spokesperson of the two whose response was not as quick as it occurred five days after the news broke. When it came to the second part of the crisis, the initial response occurred the same day. Although quickness is to be met by responding within the hour of the crisis, the Ravens did attempt to meet this expectation more than the NFL who waited over a month for the first part and only responded within hours to the second part. At that point, the crisis went from bad to worse. Rice waited even longer than the Ravens and the NFL to respond to the first part, but this will be discussed further when research question three is addressed.

In regard to openness, this crisis communication expectation was not fully and/or prominently met. While the team was open about not having all the information to make decisions and that it supported Rice, it was not open when it came to details about the second videotape. For example, when asked about how come the team had not seen the second videotape until its public release, head coach Harbaugh claimed he had no answer for that

(Harbaugh, 2014). In the same press conference when asked later about how the second videotape changed things for him, head coach Harbaugh brushed off the question by saying he did not want to get into details and that it is obvious because everyone had seen the video

(Harbaugh, 2014). He proceeded to not answer questions regarding the second videotape. Later

on, in the press conference when a reporter brought up the topic of access to and knowledge about the second videotape, and if the organization did its duties to see what occurred on the videotape, head coach Harbaugh seemed to get defensive:

Absolutely. Sure. I’m not following where you’re going with that…I don’t know why that would be a hard thing to understand. It wasn’t made available. It wasn’t there for us…it wasn’t something we already saw or ever had access to. (Harbaugh, Sept. 8, 2014, Press Conference Transcript, para. 11-13)

Moreover, the topic about what Rice had told Ravens officials about how the domestic violence incident had unfolded was brought up again, and just as the NFL was not open about that topic, neither were the Ravens. Head coach Harbaugh said he did not want to get into that and that it should be kept private as it was a personal conversation (Harbaugh, 2014). When it comes to openness through availability for follow-up questions/interviews outside of its official communication, the Ravens did not shy away from answering questions if the topic of Ray Rice was brought up during a press conference after the first part of the crisis. After the second part, the Ravens spoke about the issue lightly in order to defend itself in the press against the

September 19, 2014 ESPN article by Van Natta Jr. and Van Valkenburg (Van Natta Jr. & Van

Valkenburg, 2014).

For expression of sympathy for the victim, only spokesperson head coach Harbaugh mentions Janay by name. But the mention was insufficient to meet this expectation to any extent because he never expresses sympathy for her, and like the NFL, he mentions her as part of a couple. Even in the few times that head coach Harbaugh mentions Janay, he never discusses how it impacted her, he only states that as a couple, both individuals have issues, that they are working on them, that he supports them as a couple, and that he and his wife are willing to be of help, but never specific as to how (Harbaugh, 2014). It is important to note that, in one statement, head coach Harbaugh seems to suggest putting some of the blame on Janay, “the two people

obviously have a couple issues that they have to work through, and they’re both committing to doing that…they understand their own issues” (Harbaugh, 2014, para. 9). By stating that Janay also has some issues to manage, head coach Harbaugh puts her on the same level as Rice when it comes to the domestic violence incident. Putting blame on the victim is not showing expression of sympathy in any way. Plus, the Ravens did not mention any corrective actions it would take as an organization to prevent another player of its team committing a domestic violence act.

Therefore, expression of sympathy for the victim is not evident at all throughout the crisis communication of the Baltimore Ravens.

Ray Rice

The third research question asked:

RQ3: Which of the four crisis communication expectations was the most prominent in the response(s) of Ray Rice about the domestic violence incident?

In his crisis communication, Ray Rice did not practice any of the four expectations. There was no quickness in the first part of the crisis as he held a press conference three months after his arrest. In the second part, he was quicker as he responded a day after the release of the second videotape. But quickness is not met at all.

In terms of consistency, Rice was only consistent about stating that he is there for his family, his wife and daughter, in both parts of the crisis. In his May press conference, Rice stated:

One thing I do know is that I am working every day to be a better father, a better husband and just a better role model...and the best thing I have to do is be a role model for her throughout everything. (Rice, May 23, 2014, Press Conference Transcript, para. 2)

Despite his initial statements to the second part being very short, he repeated the idea of being there for his family in a text message he sent to former CNN reporter Rachel Nichols

stating, “I’m just holding strong for my wife and kid, that’s all I can do right now” (Rice, 2014, para. 3). The same idea was repeated to ESPN’s Josina Anderson who spoke with Rice on the phone, “I have to be strong for my wife…I have to be there for Janay and my family right now”

(Rice, 2014, para. 4-5). It must be noted that Rice remained consistent about never publicly apologizing to Janay during the crisis communication.

Openness and expression of sympathy for the victim must be discussed together. First,

Rice was open about the corrective action he and wife Janay were taking to work through the domestic violence incident. It is important to note that the corrective action Rice speaks of is counseling and he states that both are attending counseling, “me and Janay together, what counseling has done for us – we want the world to see that it definitely did help us out” (Rice,

May 23, 2014, Press Conference Transcript, para. 1). Therefore, Rice evidently blamed Janay as well for the domestic violence incident. This by no means is showing sympathy for the victim.

Furthermore, it is imperative to include what Janay said after Rice spoke at this same press conference in which she apologized publicly for her role in the domestic violence incident, “I do deeply regret the role that I played in the incident that night” (Rice, May 23, 2014, Press

Conference Transcript, para. 4). Rice allowing her to publicly apologize for being a victim of domestic violence clearly cannot be considered as expressing sympathy for the victim. Finally,

Rice did not allow for questions from the press and did not make himself available for follow-up questions/interviews outside of his press conference. He also did not make himself available in the second part of the crisis until December 2014 in which he appeared on “The Today Show” speaking with Matt Lauer (NBC Today, 2014). At that point, once again it had been months from the release of the second videotape. In the end, Rice did not practice any of the four crisis communication expectations properly if at all.

CHAPTER 5 DISCUSSION

The purpose of this study was to apply the Crisis Communication Theory expectations and discover which were the most prominent among the three entities involved in the same crisis.

The Ray Rice domestic violence incident was a crisis that stood out most profoundly due to graphic video evidence. As noted previously, the NFL is no stranger to domestic violence incidents committed by its players. The Baltimore Ravens saw itself in the eye of the storm as well because Rice was on the Raven’s roster when the crisis occurred. One domestic violence act committed and caught on videotape by one individual led to three entities scrambling to manage a crisis that in its first stage was not taken seriously. Once the second videotape was released on

September 8, 2014 showing Rice punching his then-girlfriend – now wife – Janay Rice, the incident was deemed a crisis. At this point, two entities pursued reputational protection, while the third hid behind the other two as much as possible.

Everything’s About Reputation

This crisis calls for the communication to be centered around managing meanings,

“efforts to influence how people perceive the crisis-for instance…the character of the organization involved in the crisis, and the quality of its response” (Coombs, 2013, p. 3). To manage the crisis effectively, the entities involved must meet the crisis communication expectations (Coombs, 2013). Neither entity met all four expectations of quickness, consistency, openness, and expression of sympathy for victim. The NFL and the Ravens chose consistency to protect themselves in the court of public opinion.

The NFL most strongly chose to exercise consistency. By continually stating to the press it did not know of the videotape inside the elevator and had never seen it before its release, the

NFL aimed to present itself as an organization that made a mistake because it did not know or

have all the information about the incident. To further promote this idea to the public, the NFL was consistent about recruiting outside parties to conduct an investigation and stressed changes made to its conduct policy. The NFL wanted the public to believe it managed the Rice case incorrectly only because it lacked imperative information, such as the second videotape, and that it was not to blame for lacking such evidence. Through all its information about what steps it was taking to prevent a future domestic violence incident, the NFL was protecting itself from further backlash. As previous research has shown, the organization would benefit through the use of strategies such as public statements and goals to show it was doing something to address the issue (Jurich, 2015).

The Baltimore Ravens also prominently exercised consistency to protect its reputation.

While it may not have been consistent about repeatedly saying what steps it was taking to prevent a similar situation, it did make public statements that remained consistent throughout all of its communication (Jurich, 2015). The team was consistent in wanting all the information before making a decision, even though confirming that Rice was still a part of the team before having all the information was a decision. While it might seem contrary to being consistent, the team stood behind this crisis communication statement and even stood behind Rice’s character in both parts of the crisis. If the Ravens had done otherwise, then it would seem as if the team had known about the second videotape all along and did indeed have all the information when it made its decisions. Like the NFL, the Ravens chose to never be contradictory, even if the team had to create the impression that they still supported the perpetrator that put them in the crisis.

Overall, the Ravens were consistently inconsistent, stating statements, but not always acting accordingly. But through the illusion of trying to sound consistent, the Ravens aimed to protect their reputation.

Even though neither the NFL or the Ravens communicated according to Coombs’ crisis communication expectations, the reasoning behind choosing to at least exercise consistency was to protect their reputations. As the Crisis Communication Theory implies, reputation is the most vital component of the theory (Botan & Hazleton, 2006). The way in which an organization facing a crisis showcases and protects its reputation is through the information the organization disseminates (Coombs, 2007). Since the media was covering and further distributing the information, it was imperative for both entities to have their sides of the story remain consistent through it all. Through consistency, the organizations attempted to show at least some control over the situation.

Ray Rice Decides to Hide Behind Ravens During Crisis

Ray Rice, on the other hand, simply seemed to not realize it was a crisis until he was released from the Ravens and suspended indefinitely from the league. Rice decided to allow the

Ravens to do most of his crisis communication. His May 2014 press conference was held at a

Ravens’ facility and included a backdrop with the team’s logo, as well, as the Ravens’ Twitter account live tweeting quotes from the press conference. Within this same press conference, Rice apologized to the Ravens’ owner, general manager, head coach, and fans. But Rice never publicly apologized to his wife Janay in his crisis communication, not even when she was sitting next to him in the press conference. Yet, when it came to the second part of the crisis, it was apparent that Rice could not rely on the Ravens for his crisis communication anymore as he was released from the team. Head coach Harbaugh made it publicly known that the decision did not take long, announcing:

We had a chance…after seeing the video this morning, we had a chance to get together with Steve Bisciotti, Dick Cass, Ozzie Newsome and myself, and we had a meeting. It was not a long meeting, and we came to the decision that we came to, to release Ray Rice. And that’s what we did. (Harbaugh, Sept. 8, 2014, Press Conference Transcript, para. 1)

It is evident that when it came to the handling of a crisis he brought upon himself, Rice hid behind the Ravens until the team no longer let him. Today, Rice is helping the NFL with its social responsibility program by speaking about the domestic violence incident (Brennan, 2017).

Aside from that, Rice has spoken at high schools, colleges, and other groups about his story to help teach the younger generation about the problem and impact of domestic violence (Brennan,

2017). Rice still hopes to have a chance to play in the NFL again.

No Expression of Sympathy for Victim

Neither of the three entities met the crisis communication expectation of expression of sympathy for the victim. What this represents is a lack of acknowledgement that Ray Rice did something very wrong. By never showing expression of sympathy for Janay, the NFL did not acknowledge the severity of Rice’s actions. The NFL mainly discusses what it did wrong in handling the crisis and what it hopes to do in the future, but never that Rice domestically abused his wife. The Baltimore Ravens’ lack of sympathy for Janay also fails to acknowledge the severity of Rice’s violent behavior. To suggest even partial blame on Janay is equivalent to removing her from this incident as a victim. Lastly, Rice never publicly apologized to Janay, not when she was sitting next to him at the May 23, 2014 press conference, and not after the second videotape was published. As mentioned previously, this lack expression of sympathy for Janay downplays the severity of the Rice’s violent behavior. It contributes to the mentality of acceptance of this violent behavior because no one acknowledged how damaging to the victim this incident was. All three entities acknowledged that a wrongful act was committed, but never that an egregious, violent and wrongful act – that occurs too often in society and leads to serious mental and physical health issues – was committed. This failure shows how neither entity involved took this behavior as seriously as they should have and it conveys a notion that no one else should as well.

Effects of the Crisis on the Entities Involved

NFL

The NFL only suffered public disapproval from this crisis. An NBC News/Marist Poll conducted September 2014, reported “that 53 percent of Americans and 57 percent of football fans disapprove of the way the NFL has handled the recent reports of domestic violence” (NBC

News, 2014, para. 5). Despite the public’s disapproval, the NFL’s viewership remained unaffected as “86 percent of fans say the domestic violence news hasn’t changed the amount of professional football they watch” (NBC News, 2014, para. 7). A game between the Baltimore

Ravens and Pittsburgh Steelers which took place on September 12, 2014, four days after the release of the second videotape, had double the ratings compared to the previous year (Gregory,

2014). As Gregory reports, “more players will likely break the law. But these developments won't affect the NFL one bit. Because even during one of the league's worst hours, the votes kept rolling in” (Gregory, 2014, para. 9). But the disapproval from the public was enough for the league to increase its punishment for Rice and change its personal conduct policy. After the Rice domestic violence incident, the NFL held a mandatory domestic violence and sexual assault education program for everyone who works at the league (Brennan, 2017). The program still exists today and the NFL has made Rice part of it by allowing him to speak about the incident in a short video conversation to be used in the program (Brennan, 2017).

Baltimore Ravens

This entity as well suffered public disapproval, but not enough to diminish its game attendance. The Ravens’ handling of the crisis led to its owner, Steve Bisciotti, apologizing to fans and sponsors (Walker, 2015). Bisciotti even alluded to the second videotape that caused the disapproval by “blaming himself…for failing to push his security officials to obtain tape of Rice punching Palmer” (Walker, 2015, para. 42). Aside from the public, the Ravens also received

criticism from ESPN who claimed the Ravens were misinforming about the incident (Walker,

2015). Former FBI director Robert Mueller, who was called upon by the NFL to conduct an investigation, also disapproved of the Ravens’ handling as they did not disclose “damning information” about the incident to NFL investigators (Walker, 2015, para. 45). As mentioned previously though, the disapproval was not enough to hurt the team’s game attendance as every home game was a sellout (Walker, 2015). Regarding the Ravens’ exchange of Rice jerseys, they were “turned in…by the thousands,” but fans supported both Rice’s replacement and the team

(Walker, 2015, para. 49). Similar to the effects of the crisis on the NFL, the Ravens only suffered in the court of public opinion.

Ray Rice

The entity that was the most affected by the crisis was the perpetrator himself, Ray Rice.

To this day, Rice does not play for an NFL team and is only involved with the NFL through the previously mentioned educational program video which is a voluntary position (Brennan, 2017).

For the most part, Rice holds only voluntary positions throughout the community. Aside from speaking about his experience for the NFL to high school students and other groups, Rice serves as a volunteer assistant coach for New Rochelle High School’s football team (Thomson, 2017).

But the position, which he has held for three years, is completely unofficial (Smith, 2017).

Although public disapproval was the only and most prominent effect of the crisis, it shows that it can push the entities affected to make changes. Even if the changes are not as major or impactful as the public might desire, it does hold the entities accountable for their actions. If domestic violence incidents by NFL players continue, which they have, the public’s disapproval may increase and cause for the NFL to once again make changes. Plus, with its history of domestic violence, the public’s patience on how the NFL manages domestic violence by its players can only extend so far.

Implications of the Findings

Domestic violence is more than an issue between the victim and abuser. It is a social issue because the effects it has on victims are so severe as to also impact society. After conducting this analysis, it is important for the NFL and its athletes to understand this about domestic violence. It is also important for them to understand that their actions and its consequences extend beyond a football field. As the governing organization of America’s favorite sport, the NFL must understand that the way in which the Ray Rice domestic violence case was handled did not help in preventing or stopping domestic violence. Because the NFL did not consider Rice’s violent behavior to be a serious problem, the organization went about handling the crisis in an ineffective way. It also went about creating the impression that the NFL has not learned from its domestic violence history. One of the most significant findings of the present study is that the NFL, the Ravens, and Ray Rice, all chose to exhibit little sympathy for the actual victim, Janay. What this suggests, explicitly or implicitly to fans, viewers, and sponsors is that the NFL does not take domestic violence or its impact seriously. If such a powerful organization in charge of America’s pastime presents itself as someone who does not truly care about this problematic social issue, then it is likely that this mentality begins to be more, instead of less accepted. In other words, the NFL’s seemingly careless posture towards domestic violence could help lead to more acceptance of domestic violence, thus exacerbating the harmful impact of this social issue. Because of its history of domestic violence by its players, the NFL should consider its obligations in the practice corporate social responsibility (CSR). The league was brought into the social issue of domestic violence when the first incident of this behavior by an NFL player occurred. As more players commit this violent act, the worse the social issue becomes. CSR is about creating and developing values, “such as…acting responsibly” that can be applied to society (De-los Ángeles Gil Estallo, Giner de-la Fuente, and

Gríful-Miquela, 2007, p. 381). Due to its involvement in this social issue, the NFL must look beyond profit-making and became a key player in contributing to ending the issue of domestic violence.

As for Ray Rice, committing this violent crime tarnished the public’s perception of him.

No longer were his accomplishments on the field discussed, only his actions on the night of

February 15, 2014. For athletes, this study helps as a reminder that no matter how great you perform on a playing field, what you do off-the-field is also observed, taken into account, and ever more readily available for scrutiny. It is also important for athletes to know that despite being part of a major sports organization, it is important to communicate on their own terms, even if in a degree of cooperation with the organization when facing a personal crisis. Rice chose to hide behind the Baltimore Ravens until they no longer allowed him to do so. This, plus the lack of communication from Rice himself about his own violent behavior, created the immediate impression that he cared little about what he had done to his now-wife, and cared little about his fans, the organization or the sport of football. His actions or lack thereof most likely contributed an impression that his violent actions were not a major issue to be taken seriously.

Although the impact of a single study is limited, the findings are a step in helping lead to a better understanding of how the NFL and other sports organizations handle incidents of violence by athletes. As a result, this can lead to more effective and appropriate domestic violence crisis communication responses from the leagues, the teams, and the individuals involved. This, in turn, could lead to a better overall understanding of the widespread societal problem of domestic violence, particularly among sports fans. Ultimately, similar studies can combine to eventually help contribute to a greater societal awareness which could help reduce the number of domestic violence incidents. The NFL is not the only sports organization with acts

of domestic violence by its players. Major League Baseball (MLB), which is reported to have a worse record than the NFL regarding domestic violence, finally developed a domestic violence policy in August 2015 (Hagen, 2015). Only as of last year, the National Hockey League (NHL) implemented a domestic violence prevention training for its players and teams, despite already have its own share of domestic violence cases (Iversen, 2016). Lastly, the National Basketball

Association (NBA) created a policy on domestic violence to be implemented July 1, 2017

(Moskovitz, 2017). As a result of the occurrence of domestic violence offenses in sports, these organizations and athletes should take a stand on domestic violence and treat it as the serious social issue it is. If the athletes idolized by fans and the organizations in charge of governing the pastime of numerous individuals were to show intolerance to domestic violence, the mentality of these individuals could change. The mentality could change in ways that could lead to better understanding domestic violence and how to prevent or stop it from occurring. This same logic can be applied to other social issues such as drug use, sexual abuse and rape. If sports organizations and athletes with powerful influence take an immediate stance against and show intolerance towards these social issues, it could help change the way in which these issues are thought of and handled.

Limitations and Future Research

One limitation of the current study is the accessibility to official communication by the entities, especially that of the NFL and Baltimore Ravens. The researcher was limited to accessing official communication published online. Having access to the NFL’s press releases and possible recordings and/or transcripts of the meeting(s) held behind closed doors, would allow for a more in-depth understanding of the process taken in the crisis communication. On the

NFL’s official website, press releases or any other type of public relations material related to

Rice cannot be found. The database does not allow for searches in 2014. The researcher had to

use NFL communication that is still discoverable online or the online articles that were used as data sources. Another key piece of communication the researcher could have used is anything from the meeting Ray Rice had with Commissioner Goodell and the Ravens behind closed doors.

The NFL and the Ravens were never open about what was said during those meetings.

Another limitation of this research is that the crisis was broken down into two separate parts. The second part of the crisis was the most discussed by two of the three entities involved.

In the second part of the crisis, the NFL and the Ravens decided to make longer and more in- depth statements as initial crisis communication responses. This provided more data sources for analysis of the second part of the crisis, but fewer for the first.

Another limitation is the lack of communication by Ray Rice. The researcher only had three data sources available for the initial responses by Rice. If Rice had decided to communicate on his own more versus hiding behind the Ravens’ crisis communication, the researcher could have had more data to analyze when searching for a prominent expectation. It also could have allowed for a more in-depth analysis into how the athlete handled the crisis.

Future research should look at other NFL related domestic violence incidents that have occurred post Ray Rice. Through this, the field of sports communication can examine whether or not the NFL is handling these types of crises more effectively, the same, or worse. Additionally, future research should compare the Ray Rice case to other NFL related domestic violence incidents for which there is no digital footage. Equally, the researcher suggests a comparison in crisis communication between the Rice case and the more recent Greg Hardy domestic violence case. In the case of Hardy, who at the time of the incident played for the NFL’s Carolina

Panthers, there was no videotape, but there was photographical evidence. This and other NFL

domestic violence incidents can be studied to better understand how the NFL handled that handles crisis communication.

In conclusion, crises can occur at any time and to any person or organization. As is evident in the Ray Rice domestic violence crisis, the entities must exercise all four crisis communication expectations. If not, the message the entities involved send out to the public is that they believe situation does not amount to a crisis, thus intensifying the severity of the crisis.

It also sends out the message that the violent behavior is or should be accepted by society. Due to the case study methodology utilized in this study, the results are not generalizable. But the findings do indeed provide a real-world example of what tactics should not be practiced when faced with any crisis, and the results provide additional support for Coombs’ crisis communications guidelines.

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Wong, J., & Mellor, D. (2014). Intimate partner violence and women's health and wellbeing: impacts, risk factors and responses. Contemporary Nurse, 46(2), 170+. Retrieved from https://login.lp.hscl.ufl.edu/login?URL=http://go.galegroup.com/ps/i.do?p=HRCA&sw= w&u=gain40375&v=2.1&it=r&id=GALE%7CA369064643&sid=summon&asid=2d37ed 3a533069f85eb0d57981b3390b

BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH

Adriana is a double Gator, having earned her Bachelor of Science in Telecommunication and Master of Arts in Mass Communication from the University of Florida. Her interest in sports, especially American football, and passion for communications inspired her thesis topic.