President Obama Blasts NFL for Ray Rice Situation in ESPN Radio Interview: League is "Behind The Curve" When it Comes to Domestic Violence [DETAILS]

The NFL was "behind the curve" in its handling of former Baltimore Ravens running back Ray Rice, President Barack Obama said on an ESPN radio show this week.

During an interview with ESPN's Colin Cowherd, Obama said the league's missteps constituted "blind spots" when handling the case, which involved a video of Rice punching his then-fiancée in an elevator, according to Sports Illustrated. The league experienced widespread backlash when it suspended Rice for only two games after speculation that it had seen the video before the general public. The incident put a very public face on the issue of domestic violence.

Here's an excerpt of what Obama said:

"The way it was handled, also indicates that the NFL was behind the curve .. in sending a clear message. You don't wan to be winging it when something like this takes place."

Obama also said leagues like the NFL and NCAA have "a little bit of an old boys network in terms of how it operates."

Obama spent the rest of the interview gushing over ESPN, admitting that he sometimes watches games with the sound off when tasked with reading a "really fat briefing book," according to Business Insider.

"Sportscenter' when I work out in the morning gives me a pretty good sense about what's going on," Obama said. "I can't sit down and watch an entire game except maybe the Super Bowl, or the NBA Finals, or the World Series."

Rice was suspended indefinitely after the video of him punching his then-fiancée in the elevator went viral, forcing the NFL to put on a brave face in order to weather a firestorm of backlash and embarrassment. He was reinstated to the league last month, according to Sports Illustrated, and is currently a free agent.