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The Ravens and embattled owner Steve Bisciotti fired back at ESPN on Monday at a report last week claiming they tried to cover up the infamous Ray Rice elevator video and worked to get the disgraced running back lenient punishment from authorities and the NFL.

In a detailed written rebuttal released just before Bisciotti conducted a nearly hour-long press conference, the team denied several specific allegations by ESPN and claimed the report was “manufactured” by members of Rice’s camp.

“The majority of the sources [from the report] are people that work for Ray,” Bisciotti said. “Almost everything in there is anonymous, but it’s clear from the subject matter that it’s Ray’s attorney, it’s Ray’s agent, it’s Ray’s friends.”

Bisciotti also made it clear no Ravens’ employee would face recriminations from him over the details in the bombshell report.

“No one is losing their jobs here,” Bisciotti said.

ESPN immediately denied any favoritism toward Rice in its sourcing, saying Bisciotti’s claim was an “assumption” and stood firmly by the reporting in the 7,000-word story released Friday evening.

Ray RiceAPRay RiceAP

Bisciotti and the team denied ESPN’s claim it lobbied authorities in Atlantic City — where the infamous Feb. 15 incident happened — and NFL commissioner Roger Goodell to go easy on the now-unemployed and indefinitely suspended former Rutgers star.

The Ravens also denied coach John Harbaugh had demanded Rice be released after seeing the first video in February, in which Rice could be seen dragging his unconscious then-fiancée from the elevator.

Bisciotti’s decision to hold the news conference was a surprise coming after a similar event Friday by Goodell that was widely criticized as a substance-less debacle.

Goodell remains under heavy fire for his handling of the Rice case, specifically for his initially lenient, two-game suspension and then for claiming the league was unable to obtain the second elevator video before it was published Sept. 8 by TMZ.

Bisciotti said Monday the Ravens’ biggest mistake in the entire affair was not making more of an effort to obtain the videos.

“There’s no excuse for me to not have [demanded] that video except I wasn’t concerned or interested enough to get it,” Bisciotti said. “It never crossed my mind. I’m deeply sorry for that.”

Bisciotti’s comments and the rebuttal by the Ravens might not be the end of it, though.

Don Van Natta Jr., the Pulitzer-winning report who co-authored the series, wrote Sunday on Twitter “we have more work to do. Stay tuned.”

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