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    Ravens Running Back Ray Rice Suspended Two Games For Allegedly Knocking Wife Unconscious

    NFL says Baltimore Ravens running back Ray Rice violated the team's personal conduct policy. He'll sit out the first two games of the 2014–'15 season and forfeit more than $700,000.

    Baltimore Ravens running back Ray Rice was suspended for the first two games of the NFL season following his offseason arrest on assault charges, the NFL announced Thursday. The NFL says that Rice violated its personal conduct policy.

    In February 2014, Rice got into an altercation with Janay Palmer, his then-fiancée, while in a casino elevator in Atlantic City, N.J., allegedly knocking her unconscious.

    A week later, TMZ published a video that appears to show Rice dragging Palmer's body out of an elevator.

    Both Rice and Palmer were initially charged with simple assault. The charges against Palmer were later dropped.

    In March 2014, Rice pleaded not guilty to third-degree aggravated assault and avoided trial by being accepted into a counseling program for first-time offenders. The next day, Palmer and Rice were married.

    Under the personal conduct policy, the NFL can suspend players even if they're not charged or convicted of a crime.

    According to the league's decision, Rice will not be paid for the two games he has to sit out, plus he'll be fined an additional game check. Rice, who makes $235,294 per game, will forfeit more than $700K.

    The reactions on Twitter to Rice's suspension were mixed, with many people not happy about the lack of severity of Rice's penalty — especially considering that a player caught smoking weed can be suspended up to 16 games.

    Ray Rice gets suspended 2 games for beating up his wife, Josh Gordon gets suspended for the entire season for smoking pot. Yup. Makes Sense.

    .@RayRice27 gets a 2-game suspension for domestic abuse? Shame on @nflcommish @nfl for setting a terrible precedent: http://t.co/FhNlIbD1ek

    Schefter reports NFL also fining Ray Rice $58K. That'll teach a guy who made $25 million in the last two years!

    The NFL suspended Ray Rice 2 games for assaulting his fiancee. The NFL suspended Terrelle Pryor 5 games over free tattoos. In college.

    Thing is, if Ray Rice hadn't been taped and no charges filed, NFL would have done nothing. Domestic violence is not important to NFL.

    People should go off on the NFL for the Ray Rice non-punishment. The optics are horrible on the adjudication.

    The NFL suspensions are so out of whack. How does Ray Rice get only 2 games but someone who smokes weed gets 4?

    The NFL takes a bold stance against domestic abuse and suspends Ray Rice for TWO GAMES.

    So basically the NFL is saying it would've been a bigger deal if Ray Rice asked his wife for some weed instead of punching her in the face.

    Baltimore Ravens coach John Harbaugh said Thursday, "I stand behind Ray. He's done everything right since. He makes a mistake, all right? He's going to have to pay a consequence."