Get the popcorn: NFL commish Goodell and Ravens execs ordered to testify at Ray Rice's appeal hearing

Greg P. | 10:28 AM on October 23, 2014

One of the lesser reported aspects of the Ray Rice case has been Rice’s appeal of his indefinite suspension by NFL commissioner Roger Goodell. Rice’s argument in this appeal is that under the NFL’s collective bargaining agreement between the players and the league, a player cannot be punished twice for the same infraction. Kind of like a union version of double jeopardy.

What Goodell and the NFL knew and when did they know is as at the heart of Rice’s argument and if Rice can prove that Goodell did know everything when he first issued the light suspension of two games, then the NFL isn’t allowed to slap Rice with the indefinite suspension.

Goodell and the NFL are claiming, however, they didn’t have all the information they needed to render a verdict initially and the indefinite suspension should stand.

But as Twitchy reported, there is some question if that’s really a true statement:

‘Roger Goodell, call your office’! AP: NFL execs had Ray Rice tape 3 months ago

Well, the judge in the appeal now wants to know the details of exactly what Goodell knew and is ordering the commish and other Ravens executives to testify under oath. This could get entertaining real fast, to say the least:

Per league source, Roger Goodell will testify in the Ray Rice appeal hearing.

— ProFootballTalk (@ProFootballTalk) October 23, 2014

Key remaining question about Goodell testimony is whether Judge Jones will limit the scope of it. Still trying to nail that down.

— ProFootballTalk (@ProFootballTalk) October 23, 2014

Judge Jones requires Goodell to testify in Rice appeal, and Robert Mueller should be very interested in what he says http://t.co/UW3eIKRvlM

— ProFootballTalk (@ProFootballTalk) October 23, 2014

Robert Muller being the former head of the FBI who was hired to conduct and independent investigation of Goodell and the NFL’s handling of the entire Rice affair.