NFL running back Ray Rice has been indefinitely suspended from playing professional football after an incident where he was caught on video abusing his wife.

On Sept. 8, a tape was released by TMZ, an enter- tainment news site, showing Rice punching Janay Palmer — his fiancee at the time of the incident — in an elevator about seven months ago. Previously, there had only been footage of Rice dragging an unconscious Palmer out of an elevator.

After NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell saw the first video, Rice was suspended from the NFL without pay and fined an additional game check.

NFL officials claimed to have no knowledge of the physical assault. Obviously, this discovery has sparked a huge uproar in the NFL and in everyday life.

While the NFL argues about who knew about the situation and how long they knew, I think the more important matter at hand is what actually happened.

Rice punched Palmer and he apparently did it pretty hard, because she was out cold.

Picture a muscular athlete punching a woman so hard she gets knocked out.

If you’re anything like me, you probably winced, became angry, or questioned his stupidity and insensitivity.

Rice eventually was charged with one count of third-degree aggravated assault, a felony charge that will be expunged in a year.

Goodell finally admitted the NFL’s punishment was not enough and publicly apologized. “We allowed our standards to fall below where they should be and lost an important opportunity to emphasize our strong stance on a critical issue and the effective programs we have in place,” Goodell said in a letter to NFL owners.

It really is incomprehensible that Rice received a punishment so insignificant for a crime that is inex- cusable and unjustifiable on so many levels.

I always am dumbfounded by the equality argu- ment that women are the same as men. It’s simply not true, especially when it comes down to physicality. Women are proven to be the weaker of the two sexes when it comes to upper body strength. It’s just a fact. Unless you happen to be a female boxer, UFC fighter, or body builder, chances are you can’t hold your own against men and even then, your chances are slim.

According to psychologytoday.com, men have up to 50 percent greater upper body strength than women.

Men also tend to be an average of six inches taller than women. Sounds like an unfair fight to me. I may be old fashioned, or labeled as a conserva- tive, or even a typical Oklahoman, but I believe men should treat women with respect. They should recognize we are the physically weaker sex, and not act like we’re a “bro.”

If a man ever lays hands on a woman, there is a problem. The circumstances do not matter.

Any man who ever physically assaults a woman deserves to be punished and the situation should not be taken lightly.

Pick on someone your own size.