When a law enforcement official sent the full video of Rice punching his then-fiancee to the NFL he addressed it to Miller, the NFL's vice president of security, according to a new report from the Associated Press.
The AP reported two weeks ago that the tape was sent to the league offices, but didn't specify who it was sent to. The AP reported then that a female left a voicemail saying the tape arrived on April 9 and she said "You're right. It's terrible."
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The NFL has been in full denial that it ever saw the full video. Miller said through a NFL spokesman, "I unequivocally deny that I received at any time a copy of the video, and I had not watched it until it was made public on September 8." If the NFL wants us to believe that, they'll immediately look into who might have had it, now that there are more specifics to follow up on, and be transparent about what happened. I doubt anyone is holding their breath for that to happen.
Either the AP is being entirely misled by a source, or the NFL should be able to figure out who actually received that mail and why it never found its way to Miller (or, the NFL is lying about never having seen it). The league's approach the entire time has been to believe its fans have no common sense, so it's unlikely those answers come soon.
The AP's source addressed why he decided to reveal who he anonymously sent the tape to, after not doing so two weeks ago.
"Since the NFLPA and NFL have launched separate investigations into the league and the Ravens' handling of Ray Rice's case, I want to make a few things clear. No one from the NFL ever asked me for the inside-elevator video," the official told AP. "I mailed it anonymously to Jeff Miller because he's their head of security. I attached a note saying: 'Ray Rice elevator video. You have to see it. It's terrible.' I provided a number for a disposable cellphone and asked for confirmation that it was received. I knew there was a possibility Mr. Miller may not get the video, but I hoped it would land in the right hands."
There is mounting evidence that the tape made its way to the NFL offices, even though it's possible that it was in the offices and none of the NFL's top officials saw it. The league should be able to figure out why that tape never got to Miller, or commissioner Roger Goodell, now that the recipient should be narrowed down. Whether the league is serious about letting everyone know exactly what happened, or if it just wants to keep figuring its fans and observers are not smart enough to figure out that something doesn't line up with their story, that remains to be seen.
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Frank Schwab is the editor of Shutdown Corner on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at shutdowncorner@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter! Follow @YahooSchwab
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