Ravens owner talks domestic violence

Baltimore Ravens owner Steve Bisciotti said he's embarrassed that his team and the NFL placed domestic violence on the same level as every other off-the-field infraction.

"I think that we were pretty stupid not to recognize domestic violence as a category by itself," Bisciotti said Wednesday in a conference call with about 5,000 season-ticket holders. "No other infractions -- failed drug tests, bar fights or DUIs -- nothing to me should rise to that level. I'm embarrassed to say that they were lumped together. So, I'm happy that we found ourselves comfortable taking that categorically and putting it into at the top of the list as something that is just unacceptable."

The Ravens were at the forefront of domestic violence in the NFL for over a year because of the Ray Rice scandal. Rice, a three-time Pro Bowl running back, struck his now-wife unconscious on Feb. 15, 2014, while in a casino elevator in Atlantic City.

Team officials publicly supported Rice for seven months until the second video of the running back striking Janay Rice surfaced. The Ravens swiftly cut Rice on Sept. 8.

Bisciotti said the Ravens have to do what their conscience tells them and acknowledged the franchise was "between a rock and a hard place."

"We did the best we can," Bisciotti said. "I can't say I don't have regrets. I said back then, my regret was not cutting him. My regret was not demanding to see the video. I believe we could've gotten it. If we had seen the video back in the spring, I think we would have a different circumstance. We would've released him. We should have seen the video in May and not in September."

Bisciotti reiterated the franchise's stance on avoiding players with domestic violence in their backgrounds.

"I think it's changing our draft board, and it certainly is going to change the free agents that we're looking at," Bisciotti said.