Chiefs star Rashee Rice files for bankruptcy with $3.45 million in debts as Carton questions teammates' support
Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Rashee Rice has filed for bankruptcy in the United States. Information revealed this week showed that he has filed under Chapter 7 and reported debts of $3.45 million.
Sports commentator Craig Carton discussed the news on the Friday edition of his programme, The Craig Carton Show. He said he wanted to raise the question of why Rice's teammates and the Chiefs organisation did not offer him any assistance before he had to publicly file for bankruptcy.
Carton said Rice is still on his rookie contract. In his words, the four-year contract was worth about $6.5 million and that money is now all gone. Carton said the decision to publicly file for bankruptcy was a humbling one for Rice, that he took no joy from it and that he actually felt bad for Rice.
Carton also said he is not one of the people who gloat over the financial downfall of athletes. His anger, he said, came from the fact that Rice is surrounded by multi-millionaire teammates who are repeatedly described as being like family and like brothers to him.
Carton recalled that two years ago, when Rice was in trouble over a car accident, teammates were said to have stood by him. He described that incident as a ludicrous car accident.
When Rice was facing criminal charges and civil lawsuits, numerous Chiefs players wore shirts reading 'Free No. 4'. The report said some of those lawsuits are still pending. Rice wears jersey number 4.
Carton asked where that same support was today. In his words, teammates had shown solidarity then and did not care about public opinion, saying they knew Rice had done something wrong but had his back; his question was why that support was not visible now.
Carton made clear, however, that it is not his teammates' responsibility to bail Rice out financially, and that he was not saying it was. His point was that helping out is what a friend or a brother would do if they had the available funds themselves.
