Janay Rice, Ray Rice's wife, has been outspoken in defense of her husband

The NFL, Ray Rice and domestic violence have been plastered all over the news this week, after TMZ released a video showing the former Baltimore Ravens running back punching his fiancé in an elevator. The Ravens promptly released Rice, and the NFL followed suit by handing down an indefinite suspension.

That sounds like an appropriate response the NFL should be lauded for, right? Well, the largest U.S. sports league is trying to clean the egg off its face as people criticize “the shield” for not taking more decisive action sooner. Rice faced charges from the incident this summer, yet the NFL only suspended the star running back for only two games, eliciting a heavy dose of criticism and negative publicity.

After being raked over the coals by the media and fans over its lenient punishment, the NFL came out with a harsher penalty for domestic abusers—a six-game suspension for first-time offenders and a lifetime ban on the second offense.

Some have applauded the league for its handling of the Ray Rice situation as a sign of the league’s new tough stance on men hitting women. However, the NFL and its players have an obvious problem with this matter. In July, Panthers defensive end Greg Hardy was convicted of assaulting his girlfriend, and right before the first week of the 2014 season, 49ers defensive lineman Ray McDonald was arrested for striking his pregnant girlfriend. The league has yet to discipline either of these players.

The NFL has been making inroads with the female market over the past few years, and it has been incredibly successful. Women comprise as much as 40 percent of NFL viewers, and the pro football championship game was the most-watched show among women last year. However, the NFL’s handling of the Rice, Hardy and McDonald cases puts it in jeopardy of alienating its female fan base. It’s essentially thumbing its nose and saying “We don’t care about you,” by taking such a nonchalant approach to the violence its players commit against women. Would it be any surprise if women, in turn, decide to show a similarly disregard to the sporting mammoth?

What do you think? Will the NFL’s inconsistent method of handling domestic violence cause you to watch less football?