National Football League

49ers CEO York says 'Ray McDonald is not Ray Rice'

Published Sep. 10, 2014 12:46 p.m. ET

share

facebookxredditlink

Sid Saraf

Jed York isn't going to compare and contrast.

The 49ers CEO appeared on a Bay Area radio station on Wednesday and explained why -- in the wake of the Ray Rice situation -- defensive lineman Ray McDonald will play on Sunday despite being arrested over Labor Day weekend on suspicion of domestic violence.

"Ray McDonald is not Ray Rice," York said during an appearance on the KNBR Morning Show. "And as a society we have a sense of saying, 'You didn't do it right with Ray Rice right away, so you need to overdo it with Ray McDonald or whoever else that is.' And I don't believe that that's the country we live in. I don't think that's a fair way to approach it ... I think you have to be very careful not to punish somebody that's in a different situation than the last one and apply what happened in the last one to this one."

McDonald has not been charged yet and has a court day scheduled for Sept. 15. He played in the 49ers' season opener against the Dallas Cowboys, but the team was hit with criticism from local media which felt that McDonald should have been placed on some sort of leave until his legal sitation was settled.

York didn't agree.

"I will not punish somebody until we see evidence that it should be done or before an entire organization, an entire legal, police investigation, shows us something," York said. "For me to look myself in the mirror and say 'I'm going to punish somebody, whether it's not playing them, cutting them or suspending them or whatever that punishment is, before you can go through an entire legal process and an entire investigation,' that's not who I am."

Police at the scene of the arrest reported that McDonald's pregnant fiance had "visible injuries." Former 49ers players such as Steve Young and Ronnie Lott have spoken out against the team's decision to play McDonald.

However, McDonald's parents spoke to the San Jose Mercury News and said their son did not hit his fiancee and came to the team's defense.

"My son -- listen to me now when I tell you this -- if they knew us and our son and the type of person he is, our son is not this vicious woman beater he is portrayed to be," LaBrina McDonald -- Ray's mother -- said. "He comes from a very strong family -- very strong morals, upbringing."

The parents also added this statement in an email.

"We feel confident that the same information shared with the 49er organization, is the same information shared with us and that if and when all the information is released, everyone will then get the full story."

And as far as the 49ers choosing to play McDonald, LaBrina McDonald said this on Facebook earlier this month:

"Trust that if the 49er organization thought that even a smidgin (sic) of this was true, he would not have sniffed the field," she said.

(H/T to Pro Football Talk for the story)

share

Get more from National Football League Follow your favorites to get information about games, news and more

in this topic

National Football League