There’s not much to add to the out of control Ray Rice story that a million people haven’t said already. It’s one of the few occasions where sports crosses into the mainstream and even rarer than that, everyone shares the same view on the subject. Everyone except Ray Rice and Roger Goodell that is.

There are two things that unsettle me from this series of events and are moral dilemmas that I can’t get my head around.

1. After all the events of the past week or so, I’m still going to tune in on Sunday at 6pm sharp and look forward to an evening of football. Millions of people around the world will do the same thing, despite their aversions to Ray Rice, Roger Goodell and the culture of protecting the integrity of a league which has no integrity. Javon Belcher, Terrell Suggs, Greg Hardy, Donte Stallworth, Josh Brent. That list includes murderers, DUI killers and alleged domestic violence perpetrators. The Belcher story in particular is horrifying and yet the fallout lasted a week and everyone got on with their lives. Josh Brent was found guilty of intoxication manslaughter in Jan 2014, killing his teammate as he crashed a car while driving at 110mph in a 45mph zone. But of course, he’d already been driving under the influence back in 2009. He’s also tested positive TWICE for marijuana while on parole/in jail since the car crash with his teammate in December 2012. Oh and by the way, he was driving with a suspended and expired driving licence. He’s signed to the Dallas Cowboys reserve list and received a suspension for the first 10 games of the 2014. So week 11, he could be back on the field. Either way, I’ll still hate the Cowboys and I’ll still watch football.

2. Second chances. Does everyone deserve a second chance? I don’t honestly know the answer to that. I look at Michael Vick, who is still one of the most hated athletes in US sports today. He was given a second chance and has parlayed that into making a difference. Some people will never forgive him, and I understand that. But he’s also kept entirely on the straight and narrow since he was released from jail and become a model for second chances in the league. Will Ray Rice be given a second chance? I’d be more surprised if Ray Rice never plays football again, than if he does. Obviously it may be a year or so down the line but some team will bring him in to the practice squad and kick the tires on him.

Right now, I’ll tell you that he doesn’t deserve a second chance. I’d like to see some remorse from the guy but he has not shown an ounce of it thus far. Take a look at some of the quotes from his press conference after the event:

“I want to first off apologize to [owner] Steve Bisciotti, [general manager and executive vice president] Ozzie Newsome and [head] coach [John] Harbaugh, and I also want to apologize to my fans, to the kids, to everyone who was affected by this situation that me and my wife were in.” 

I’m sorry Ray, what “situation” is it that you AND your wife are in exactly?! The “situation” where you, a person who spends their entire job getting bigger and stronger, punch a woman in the face and knock her out cold. Is that the “situation”? In the first part of his statement, he actually says that he usually gives conferences off the top of his head but this time, wrote his thoughts down. So his thought out apology is one of the most crass and insincere apologies of all time. It’s an insult to apologies everywhere to call that an apology. But then he takes it one step further with this:

“But I won’t call myself a failure. Failure is not getting knocked down; it’s not getting up.” 

Unforgivable and thoroughly insensitive choice of words. Would you call your wife a failure because she was unable to stand after you knocked her unconscious and had to drag her lifeless body out of the elevator to your hotel room? Show some remorse and accept responsibility for your actions, you spineless coward.

Roger Goodell likes to use the phrase “protect the shield” in reference to how he protects the “integrity” of the NFL. Why exactly does one need to protect a shield, isn’t a shield a protective device in itself? No one brings a shield into battle and then uses another shield to protect the original one. He’s bungled so many decisions now, he’s out of control. From 18 game schedules, to Thursday night games, to expanded playoffs, the handling of player punishment. This might be the only time ‘protect the shield’ is relevant, because he’s going to require a shield protecting another shield to save himself from the disgrace he’s caused himself.

And yet, they’ll both continue on as if nothing has happened. Will Goodell step down? Earning $44mn a year and bringing millions/billions to the owners he represents, presents a strong case that nothing will change and he’ll continue to squeeze every cent out of the players and fans that he can. Will Ray Rice be given a second chance by a team? I’m sure he will once his suspension is lifted.

Nothing changes in the NFL in spite of the disgrace Goodell, Rice, Brent, Suggs, Hardy, Stallworth, etc have brought to the league.

And on Sunday at 6pm, I’ll still be watching and I can’t tell you why.

Pittsburgh (+3) tonight over Baltimore.