When former Baltimore Ravens running back Ray Rice was suspended by the NFL for knocking out his then-fiancée in a casino elevator, the Bartlett family of Ellicott City, Md., had a dilemma on their hands.
Their children, 9-year-old Bryson and 6-year-old Brynn, owned Rice jerseys, and the parents didn’t know what they should do with them. Then, father Bryan Bartlett had an idea.
“We were just trying to decide what to do with our kids’ Ray Rice jerseys, as we really didn’t feel we wanted them to wear them anymore,” Bartlett told The Baltimore Sun’s Kristine Henry. “Everyone we saw online was cutting them up or things like that. We tried to come up with something a bit more positive and fun.”
Bartlett partially covered the name on Brynn’s jersey, turning “Rice” into “Be nice to girls.”
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The Bartletts also made sure they sent their kids a message themselves.
“It is a tough conversation to have with your children,” Bartlett said. “We explained why you should never been mean to anyone and certainly never hit or hurt anyone. Explained to them that while if they do it now, they may end up in timeout or lose a privilege, when they are older the consequences are much more severe, and you could lose everything.”
“They agreed that you should never hit anyone, ‘especially a girl,’ my son said, and that Ray Rice should not be a Raven anymore.”
