OWINGS MILLS, Md — A defiant Steve Bisciotti shot back Monday at the Ray Rice camp and an ESPN report that alleged the organization engaged in a “pattern of misinformation and misdirection” following the running back’s assault of his then-fiancee in February.
In a tense, 49-minute news conference at the Ravens’ complex in Owings Mills, the Ravens owner reiterated that the organization failed in its handling of the Rice investigation, but he responded to what he perceived as an attack on his organization’s credibility and integrity.
“What’s obvious is the majority of the sources (for the ESPN report) are people that work for Ray,” Bisciotti said. “Almost everything in there is anonymous, but it’s clear from the subject matter that it’s Ray’s attorney, it’s Ray’s agent and it’s Ray’s friends. They are building a case for reinstatement. Their accusations didn’t jibe with what we know is fact.”
Bisciotti’s news conference started about 15 minutes after the organization sent a seven-page message to its fans, refuting several aspects of the ESPN report. Those aspects included the assertion that coach John Harbaugh wanted to cut Rice not long after his February arrest but was rebuked by high-ranking team officials, and the issue of whether Rice told team officials the truth about what happened in the elevator that night.
“Ray told me he slapped her,” Ravens director of security Darren Sanders was quoted as saying in the Ravens’ statement. “He denied punching her.”
Asked what the organization chose to address the report in this manner, Bisciotti said: “We responded to an article that questioned our integrity and our character on Friday. These are the answers.
“When your integrity is questioned, it’s pretty humbling. Last week, it was our competence being questioned.”
Following Bisciotti’s news conference, ESPN released a statement that said: “We stand by our reporting.”
Bisciotti acknowledged that the situation was the worst crisis of his tenure as the team owner, and he vowed to make changes with how the organization handled similar situations going forward. However, he said that there would be no scapegoats.
“Nobody is losing a job here,” Bisciotti said. “I’m very confident of that.”