As expected, Roger Goodell didn’t step down. His press conference in regards to the complete and utter ineptitude of the NFL under his leadership over the last few weeks and way before that was about sidestepping questions, delivering his own message and solidifying his power as the dictator of the league, while promising to get it right.
Goodell has preached in the past about accountability. However, that doesn’t matter when it’s him getting grilled. Players and coaches need to be punished. They can’t just say that they’re sorry and move on. But for Goodell? The incredible mistakes he has made in the Ray Rice business are all erased in his eyes (and probably the owners).
It’s been more than 20 domestic abuse charges against NFL players during Goodell’s tenure as the commissioner. Apparently, a body as strong and rich as the NFL didn’t know how to handle those investigations before. Now, after making so many mistakes and being called out by the media and the public, Goodell vows to make things better.
No accountability. Just saying he’s sorry. Just saying he’ll ‘get it right’, the special headline of the night, and do better next time.
It’s not surprising considering how he actually works for the owners of the NFL. The same owners who are overseeing the alleged “independent” investigation conducted by Robert S. Mueller III, working for a firm that has way too many ties to the NFL to be considered neutral or objective. Goodell makes them money, and so far, except for one sponsor leaving the Minnesota Vikings and another major sponsor speaking out but not actually leaving, the owners haven’t felt their pockets being hurt.
Goodell doesn’t answer to fans. He answers to the owners. That’s why he’s making so much money (around $40 million a year, maybe more). He has 32 bosses, who only care about one thing: The bottom line, which is the amount of money Goodell earns them. Public perception? That doesn’t matter, and all this talk of tainting or denting the shield turns out to be just words without any substance.
According to ESPN’s Outside the Lines, this has been one massive cover up. The Baltimore Ravens knew about the inside-the-elevator tape from day 1. The NFL knew and either covered it up or did very little to try and find out due to pressure from the Ravens’ owner. It’s bad and ugly either way. The NFL is denying these charges. Roger Goodell isn’t answering a single question because he knows the answer he’s going to give will show an even uglier truth behind it all.
The NFL’s credibility is at an all-time low. The commissioner seems to be lying, or hiding the truth, about too many things. He isn’t alone in that. The owners? They want to protect the man who brings them the gold. The fans? Their only way of actually influencing this ordeal is by not going to games. Stop the money train and the funding to the league. That is when things will start moving. Until that day comes, it’s just going to be blunder after blunder while Goodell promises to ‘Get it Right’.
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