Your attempt here to rationalize away Rudulph's culpability by blaming the sloppy drunk white chick's purported influence on the soldier is a perfect example of how easily the perpetrator can be made out to be the victim. The fact that Rudulph is suspended from playing in the Civil War game could be a life-changing event for him, and whether that's good or bad is entirely up to him - and entirely dependent on whether he percieves himself to be the victim or the perpetrator of his own actions at that bar.
I have never tried to rationalize Rudulph's culpability - but I do think there are too many too eager to hang him on too little information.
I think Riley was absolutely correct to suspend all four players for the Civil War. I think he is also correct (and wiser than most here and in the local news) in waiting to see the results of the university and the police investigations before deciding what Joe's future with OSU football will be.
My whole point is that this is not simply a story of 4 football players confronting a guy and his wife having a romantic dinner, hurling racial slurs and knocking the guy out. BTW - Rudulph is not being charged with a hate-crime because he wasn't making racial slurs...the kid who was making racial comments didn't throw any punches, so he can't be charged with anything either. Part of the ongoing saga of the stupidity of "hate crimes" legislation.
FYI - the "sloppy-drunk white chick(s)" (there were more than one) were friends of the wife. The soldier was there with his wife and about 6 of their friends.