ESPN’s Stephen A, FS1’s Sharpe Hint Race Involved in Josh Brown Not Being Suspended Like Ray Rice, Greg Hardy

The Friday fallout to New York Giants kicker Josh Brown being left in the United States as the team traveled to London for their game Sunday because of newly released information about domestic violence now has sports pundits questioning why more action has not been taken.

In 2015, Brown was arrested for assaulting his then-wife, Molly, at their home in Washington, but he was not charged. Brown was suspended for the first game of the Giants’ 2016 season for violating the league’s Personal Conduct Policy.

Newly released documents show Brown admitting in a journal to “physically, verbally and emotionally” abusing his now ex-wife, resulting in the Giants kicker being left behind to not play this week.

ESPN2 “First Take” co-host Stephen A. Smith and Fox Sports 1 “Undisputed” co-host Shannon Sharpe both questioned why the NFL is yet to take action on Brown, a white man, after toughening up its domestic violence policies following the cases involving Ray Rice and Greg Hardy, both black.

“I don’t know Josh Brown from a can of paint,” Smith said. “Nobody’s excusing Ray Rice. We damn sure ain’t excusing Greg Hardy. These are two individuals who committed egregious acts and needed to pay for them. Ray Rice has shown a lot of contrition, compared to Greg Hardy, which is why a lot of us promote the idea of him getting a second chance. But, the acts were committed, they deserved to be punished, everybody acknowledges that with the brothers. But, this white dude, Josh Brown, is a kicker on the New York Giants who literally has taken a journal highlighting his transgressions, his egregious acts and it is not until a couple days ago when the King County Office in Washington releases this information that suddenly here we are again?”

Sharpe said of Brown, “Ray Rice, Josh Brown. Even when the NFL said they didn’t have the information, they suspended [Rice] for two games. You have no information on Josh Brown, you suspend him one. Tell me why. Remember, 64 percent of the NFL players are black. The black guy gets two games, the white guy gets one game.”

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