NFL VP adamant Ray Rice's punishment is justified

There's been no shortage of critics who have vehemently disagreed with the NFL's handling of the Ray Rice domestic abuse incident and the subsequent two-game suspension the Baltimore Ravens running back received.

Many feel Rice deserved a much more severe punishment than the penalty that was handed down last Thursday, resulting from an incident in an Atlantic City casino where Rice allegedly hit his then-fiancée Janay Palmer in the elevator of the hotel, knocking her unconscious.

NFL senior vice president of labor policy Adolpho Birch appeared on ESPN Radio's "Mike and Mike" on Monday and addressed the comments towards the league's handling of the situation.

Listen, I think if you are any player and you think that based on this decision that it's OK to go out and commit that kind of conduct, I think that is something that I would suggest to you that no player is going to go out and do that. So in terms of sending a message about what the league stands for, we've done that. We can talk about the degree of discipline, we can talk about whether or not third parties need to be involved. I would suggest to you that a third party has been involved in this matter and that was the court that reviewed it, the prosecutor that reviewed it.

But if it is a question about what the principle of the league is and what standards we stand by, that cannot be questioned. I think it is absolutely clear to all involved that the NFL does not condone domestic violence in any way and will not tolerate it in our league. I don't know how you can reach a conclusion other than that although I certainly respect the opinion.

Following a three-day period to appeal the NFL's decision, Rice opted to accept the punishment Monday and will serve his two-game suspension starting Week 1 against the Cincinnati Bengals.