Ravens coach John Harbaugh says the emergence of a video showing Ray Rice punching his wife changed everything.
Harbaugh, who was previously supportive of Rice after he was arrested and charged with domestic violence, says he and the rest of the decision makers in Baltimore -- owner Steve Bisciotti, President Dick Cass and G.M. Ozzie Newsome -- knew they had to cut Rice.
“After seeing the video this morning, we had a chance to get together with Steve, Dick, Ozzie and myself,” Harbaugh said. “We had a meeting -- it was not a long meeting -- and we came to the decision that we came to, to release Ray. That’s what we did. I had a chance to talk to Ray, along with Ozzie. . . . I have nothing but hope and good will for Ray and Janay and we’ll do whatever we can going forward to help them as they go forward.”
Harbaugh said he hadn’t seen the video until TMZ published it because “it wasn’t made available.”
“It’s something we saw for the first time today, all of us. And it changed things, of course. It made things a little bit different,” Harbaugh said.
Harbaugh added, however, that he still believes Rice can make positive changes in his life.
“Everything I said in terms of what I believe, I stand behind,” Harbaugh said.
But while Harbaugh believes in Rice, he will no longer be Rice’s coach.