Report: Ray Rice's wife made 'convincing case' to Roger Goodell to reduce punishment

The NFL has been widely criticized for issuing Baltimore Ravens running back Ray Rice only a two-game suspension for his involvement in an incident that ended with his wife (then fiancee) Janay Palmer lying unconscious on the floor at a casino, but one person who thinks the punishment is severe enough is the victim herself.

Per The MMQB's Peter King, Palmer "made a moving and apparently convincing case" to NFL commissioner Roger Goodell at a June hearing about Rice's upcoming suspension. King says Palmer insisted the alleged assault was a one-time event and that Rice had never acted violently toward her before.

Palmer "urged Goodell ... to not ruin Rice’s image and career with his sanctions."

This revelation makes the shockingly light suspension a little easier to understand, though probably (in the eyes of most) no less reprehensible. 

It will be interesting to see how Goodell weighs the wishes of victims when determining punishment for players in the future. Clearly, Palmer stands to benefit financially from Rice's suspension and fines being minimized.