Rice attends New Rochelle High football game
NEW ROCHELLE – In his first public appearance since video was released by TMZ of him striking his wife and knocking her unconscious in an Atlantic City casino last February, suspended NFL running back Ray Rice was the focus of a swarm of media attention when he attended New Rochelle's 34-6 win over Ramapo at his alma mater on Saturday.
Rice watched the first half from the sidelines and was accompanied by his wife Janay, a Mount Vernon native, daughter Rayven, mother Janet and several former classmates from New Rochelle High. He did not speak with the media.
With rumors swirling that Rice might be in attendance, about two dozen journalists from national media outlets — including CBS, ABC, CNN and ESPN — flocked to McKenna Field, where they were restricted to a roped-off area in the corner of one end zone.
"I'm not surprised by it at all," New Rochelle High School principal Reginald Richardson said. "This whole situation opened a national conversation, of course, and we're at the center of it, being that this is his home."
Several Baltimore Ravens No. 27 jerseys dotted the half-filled bleachers, with many of the roughly 200 spectators in attendance voicing their support for Rice.
"We support the kids, first and foremost," Mount Vernon resident Douglas Mangrun said. "That's what it's all about. And we support Ray Rice. We want to make sure that these kids see that we're going to be behind them, no matter what."
On Wednesday, the school decided to take down Rice's plaque from its Wall of Fame and remove his No. 27 Ravens jersey from the gymnasium. But his retired No. 5 jersey from high school remains on display.
Sources told The Journal News that rumors of New Rochelle football coach Lou DiRienzo threatening to resign after the removal of the Rice mementos were false, and DiRienzo told the media during an unorthodox halftime address that the school had no problem with Rice attending Saturday's game.
"No pushback at all," he said. "Our administration made some decisions in their best judgment, but they are very happy that Ray is here."
DiRienzo has remained close with his former player over the years, and said he went to Baltimore to see Rice on Monday after the video was released.
"The New Rochelle football program is a very strong program, and once you're a member of that program, you're a member of that program for life," DiRienzo said. "Ray is a part of our family and a part of this program, and that's why I'm very happy that he's here today. He made a mistake — and he made a very terrible mistake — but I know the character of the man, and he will rise from this. The mistake that he made will be erased by the good deeds he will continue to do. And because of the good deeds that he has done, New Rochelle High School will always be Ray Rice's home."
He was asked what kind of message Rice's presence sends to his team, which scored a touchdown on the opening kickoff and jumped out to a 28-0 lead in the first quarter.
"What a better way to explain the message, and my kids got that message (Friday) night," DiRienzo said. "Twenty seconds, or 30 seconds, of a bad decision has affected this young man's life forever, and they need to think before they act. So I think my kids are getting great lessons in terms of making a mistake, admitting it, not repeating it, and learning from it. What better lesson to learn from an NFL superstar."
Richardson called Rice's actions as caught on video "horrible," but also noted that the school does not intend to turn its back on him now.
"It's complicated when you're talking about home," he said. "If you have a family member who does something bad, you really don't condone what that family member has done. But guess what? The next day, they have to come home. Now you have to deal with, 'How are we going to be in our home together? What are we going to do in terms of helping you and supporting you as you go through things?' I think that is the part of it that people from outside the community don't quite understand."
Many fans took issue with the way the NFL has handled the Rice incident.
Commissioner Roger Goodell originally suspended Rice for two games, but changed the NFL's domestic violence policy to a six-game suspension for first-time offenders due to mass criticism. Yet, after the video was released of Rice punching his then-fiancèe in an elevator, Goodell, a Bronxville High alumnus, decided to suspend him indefinitely.
"He's got to pay for what he did, and he's doing that, (but) I think the NFL overreacted," said Geoffrey Rhett, a New Rochelle resident and coach in the New Rochelle Youth Tackle League that Rice once played in. "They came out with a couple of new rules based on his issue, and then kind of superseded those as soon as they saw the tape. There are some issues with that, too."
The Rice supporters made it clear that they hope he will be given an opportunity to change the public's perception.
"People should be forgiving so a man can get a chance to redeem himself," said Yedidah Yehudah, a New Rochelle resident who has two sons who graduated from the high school and played football. "The voices that are overbearing are airing on the side of throwing him under the bus, persecuting him, take everything away from him, throw him in jail, and I think that the voices who are supporting him are lost in that.
"We believe that he should get a second chance."
Twitter: @vzmercogliano
