Barack Obama: NFL was 'behind the curve' in its handling of Ray Rice

On Friday's The Herd with Colin Cowherd, President Barack Obama said the NFL was "behind the curve" in its handling of Ray Rice.

On Friday's The Herd with Colin Cowherd, President Barack Obama said the NFL was "behind the curve" in its handling of Ray Rice. 

Obama joined the show to talk about a variety of sports topics, and was asked about domestic violence in the NFL and the situation with Rice in particular. The president said he was "so glad" that more awareness about domestic violence came out of the league's recent incidents, but he criticized the way the NFL dealt with the matter.

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"The way it was handled, also indicates that the NFL was behind the curve…in sending a clear message," hesaid. "You don’t want to be winging it when something like this takes place."

Obama also said both the NFL and NCAA have been "a little bit of an old boys network in terms of how it operates" and that "there have been some blindspots."

Rice was originally suspended for two games by NFL commissioner Roger Goodell, then suspended indefinitely following the release of a video showing him punching his then-fiancée​ in a casino elevator. Rice appealed the indefinite suspension and won reinstatement to the NFL last month. 

- Molly Geary