There are certain things no man should ever do and one of those is lay their hands on a woman. Baltimore Ravens running back Ray Rice punched through that line on Feb. 15, 2013, when he hit his then fiancée, Janay Palmer, in the head, knocking her unconscious in an elevator at an Atlantic City casino.

The National Football League (NFL) then proceeded to suspend Ray Rice for a measly two games for the offense, a surprising punishment after Cleveland Browns wide receiver Josh Gordon was suspended for 10 games, for a second substance abuse infraction. Rice was not charged with assault, because he elected to take a year-long intervention course, which replaced jail time.

On Monday, Sept. 8, the video of the events in the elevator became available to the public, and those two punches quickly came back in a big way. He was cut by the Ravens and suspended indefinitely by the league the same day.

The league has since explained that they had not viewed the video from inside the elevator prior to Rice’s two game suspensions. Coach John Harbaugh told reporters that “It changed things.”

How could a billion dollar league like the NFL not be provided access to the tapes of Rice and how could they take no for an answer? Either they looked at the video and tried to cover it up for one of their star players or they are incompetent.

It was then revealed by an Associated Press report that the league did receive the tape by an independent source at the casino. The inside source then confirmed the report by playing a 12 second tape of an NFL executive at the league office confirming the arrival of the tape.

The NFL reported that they hired ex-FBI head Robert S. Mueller III to conduct an independent probe of the league office. NFL commissioner Roger Goodell has pledged the League’s full cooperation in the upcoming investigation.

The problem with this investigation, however, is that Mueller works for the law firm that the NFL has employed to help negotiate its T.V. deals with Direct TV and represents both owner Dan Schneider and employed Ravens owner Dick Cass. This is a problem. It means that the NFL is employing a law firm to investigate its employer. The investigators get their paychecks from the NFL.

Goodell has screwed this up more than anyone thought he could. He botched the investigation of the event by forcing the victim of domestic violence to sit next to her attacker while his job was on the line which is the equivalent of a hostage with a gun to her head.

He then botched the original suspension by only giving two games for that vicious left hook. He then congratulated the League for even punishing Rice. Then the video was released which blew the leagues credibility apart. Then we realized the NFL had the video and whatever remains of that credibility was burned to ashes.

Now Rice is appealing his indefinite suspension, and legally, he has the upper hand. Under the fifth amendment of the Constitution it is impossible for a justice system of any kind to pass down double jeopardy. Since Goodell already suspended him two games, it is legally impossible for him to punish him again for the same action.

This seems to illuminate a deeper issue that says domestic violence is not that big of a deal. Think about someone female that you care about and put them in that situation. No one should have to deal with that. Just because you a celebrity doesn’t mean you are above someone else, especially your wife.

It is a shame that this even has to be brought up. It is a shame that in 2014 the problem of women being treated lesser than their husband is still a problem. It is a shame that we could even consider that someone wouldn’t take this as the serious and awful crime that it is.