You think you're angry at the NFL over its Ray Rice debacle? Watch Jon Stewart.

You think you&#039;re angry at the NFL over its Ray Rice debacle? Watch Jon Stewart.

(Image credit: Daily Show)

last updated 8 January 2015

On Wednesday night's Daily Show, Jon Stewart gave the NFL a one-finger salute — literally — for its partially acknowledged mishandling of ex-Baltimore Ravens running back Ray Rice's beating of his future wife, captured on elevator security cameras. Stewart has the story, and the footage, if you're not familiar.

After slapping "All Star elevator puncher" Rice with a two-game suspension, the NFL upped its first-time domestic abuse punishment to six games — so, NFL players, "if you hit a woman, they will not let you hit a man for six more weeks," Stewart deadpanned. But once TMZ released the actual footage of Rice hitting his fiancée, the NFL kicked him out of the league and sponsors tried to erase his existence.

The NFL compounded its troubles by saying it was never sent the second tape — until The Associated Press said Wednesday that a law enforcement agent sent the just-leaked tape to the NFL in April. (After Stewart filmed the episode, the NFL said it is setting up an independent investigation into its handling of the Rice affair, headed by ex-FBI director Robert Mueller III.) Stewart found the idea that the NFL, with its "obsessive-compulsive tape-watching addictions," just sat on the video for five months absolutely laughable, given its multi-angle shots of each play. So the next time the NFL tries to cover-up its players acting badly, Stewart said, "we'll know to throw the red challenge flag." --Peter Weber

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Peter has worked as a news and culture writer and editor at The Week since the site's launch in 2008. He covers politics, world affairs, religion and cultural currents. His journalism career began as a copy editor at a financial newswire and has included editorial positions at The New York Times Magazine, Facts on File, and Oregon State University.

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