Baltimore Ravens announce Ray Rice jersey exchange as Nike drops endorsement
By RYAN GORMAN
The purge is on as the Baltimore Ravens are now offering to exchange fans' Ray Rice jerseys and Nike has cut all ties with the running back.
In a move similar to what the New England Patriots did as the Aaron Hernandez investigation wore on last year, the team announced Tuesday that it will allow fans to exchange the released running back's jersey.
The Baltimore Ravens will offer an exchange for Ray Rice jerseys at stadium stores. Details to come.
- Baltimore Ravens (@Ravens) September 9, 2014
The announcement of the jersey exchange came only minutes before athletic apparel company Nike announced it has terminated an endorsement deal with Ray Rice, ESPN reported.
The moves came one day after a Baltimore pizzeria offered fans free personal pies in exchange for Ray Rice jerseys.
Post by Hersh's Pizza and Drinks.
A bar next door to the pizza place then offered disgruntled Ray Rice fans an additional $10 bar tab, 'no questions asked."
The amount of support &retweets is incredible.We will match our neighbor @HershsPizza and donate $2.70 per jersey! Plus the $10 tab! @ABC
- No Idea Tavern (@NoIdeaTavern) September 8, 2014
The troubled star was released Monday by the Ravens only hours after disturbing new video of him assaulting then-fiancee Jenay Palmer in February appeared on TMZ.
The pair has since been married and Rice had only one game left in his two-game ban originally handed down in the wake of the incident. But team and league officials quickly cut ties with Ray Rice when the true nature of his brutal crime became public.
EA Sports has also announced that the star running back is also being deleted from the popular Madden '15 football video game in an upcoming software update, according to Fox Sports. The 27-year-old will not appear on the Ravens roster or as a free agent.
Source tells @FOXSports1 that @EASPORTS will remove Ray Rice from Madden '15 as part of Wk 1 update. Won't be on Ravens or free agent lists.
- Mike Garafolo (@MikeGarafolo) September 9, 2014
Further details of the Ray Rice jersey exchange have not been made public, but the offer may follow a similar track to the one offered in July 2013 by the Patriots.
The team allowed any fans with a Hernandez jersey a free exchange for any jersey of equal or lesser value at the team store within Gillette Stadium.
Thousands of people showed up to take advantage of the offer, which Patriots owner Robert Kraft later said cost his team about $250,000.
Related links:
'THIS IS OUR LIFE': Wife stands by Ray Rice in angry Instagram statement condemning media
Ravens mum after deleting Janay Rice tweet after severing ties with Ray Rice
'Take the stairs!' Fox News host jokes about video of Ray Rice knocking out his wife
