Actually. Based on the original video (the one where rice coldly dragged an obviously unconscious woman out of an elevator, combined with the fact there was never a denial or attempt at mitigating what happened by Rice; the video of the inside of the elevator is actually not nearly as bad as it could have been. She slaps at him, he hits her, she lunges toward him and he knocks her out. This is obviously very very bad. But based on what we knew prior to the video, id say this video is almost better than what you'd expect to see. It could have been far more gruesome. So the nfl hiding behind only seeing the video now, and I think we are all naive to think that goodell's office won't e able to claim plausible deniability on viewing the tape, is extra [expletive]. They knew unequivocally he knocked her out in the elevator. I still don't understand why not seeing the tape absolves goodell from anything. Goodell had long set himself up as the judge jury and executioner of the off-field conduct of nfl players. It's probably his most most public role. Tape or no tape he failed at his most public role, a role which he defined for himself. The NBA has billy hunter for this and not david stern. If the nfl had such a guy, then he could shield goodell but they don't. So I think tape or no tape the owners should fire goodell. Goodell is probably too smart to publicly deny seeing the tape if there was any way to prove that he saw the tape. So it's kinda [expletive] that the goalposts are now "did he see the tape", and once he proves he didn't he "wins".