The National Football League has received much criticism this fall. Most recently, former Baltimore Ravens running back, Ray Rice, was reinstated by the NFL and was granted freedom to sign with any team. This is in wake of Rice being suspended indefinitely after video surfaced of him hitting his then fiance unconscious in a hotel elevator.

“I just don’t understand how he’s allowed to play,” said sophomore Karis Roberts. Since the decision to let Rice back in, the league’s morality and commissioner Roger Goodell’s leadership have been in question. There is also speculation that Goodell knew about the videos and continued to let Rice play, only to suspend him when the videos became public.

“I think Goodell knew about the videos while Rice was playing and lied about not knowing they existed,” said junior Spencer Buehler. Goodell has not been popular in the public’s eye lately. From threatening to take away kickoffs to penalizing a player for dunking on the field goal post, he has been seen as stepping over his jurisdiction.

“I think it’s a terrible thing that the NFL did. If he really wanted to get back in the league, it should not have been this soon. He should have to earn his way back in,” said freshman Grant Griffith.

Just because Ray Rice has been reinstated, does not mean he will be guaranteed an NFL contract. In a poll conducted by Sportsnation, 58% of the voters said that they would not want Rice on their team.

“I couldn’t support a team that would sign someone who did that,” said senior Catie Williams.  Signing Ray Rice would not only be a performance liability because of how long he has been out of play, but it is also a moral issue.  People’s sympathy turned against Rice as soon as the video was released by TMZ.

“[The video] was pretty disgusting since it was his fiance,” said Buehler.

Rice’s controversy has been accompanied by fellow running back, Adrian Peterson’s own domestic violence issues.

Peterson has been suspended indefinitely after being charged with child abuse. Peterson used a switch to discipline his child which resulted in cuts across his abdomen. There is controversy surrounding the punishment for both players and how to decide on the punishment.

“They both made horrible decisions that they’ll regret,” said Griffith.

Whatever the NFL decides on, plan controversy and criticism of commissioner Goodell.