Roger Goodell has been given enough chances. It’s time for him to go.
In each passing day, it is becoming increasingly evident that National Football League commissioner Roger Goodell cannot do his job properly. I know it’s tough to quit a job as an incompetent, self-centered individual who pays $44 million a year, but if the NFL wishes to continue being the top dog on the sports food chain, Goodell must leave.
In his news conference about the Ray Rice domestic violence case, Goodell was stumped by pretty much every single question reporters asked, and he gave unbelievably generic and basic answers.
When TMZ asks a question you cannot answer, it’s time to do some soul searching.
I understand he will likely keep his place as NFL commissioner, as it has been proven time and time again, if you keep the 32 NFL owners happy, they’ll keep you around.
Unfortunately, this seems to be the pinnacle of Goodell’s continuous failures as NFL commissioner. In the Saints “bountygate scandal” in 2010, Goodell overstepped his authority and overpunished players. Find me a locker room in the NFL that doesn’t try to beat up the other team’s star players, and I’ll show you a losing football team. Players and coaches from the Saints begged and pleaded with anyone who would listen that he had his facts wrong, but Goodell would not listen. He was and is the judge, jury and executioner. Goodell stated in that exact case, “Ignorance is not an excuse.”
Well, Mr. Goodell, ignorance is not an excuse. Your time is up.
Goodell’s handling of the Rice case put the NFL in the national spotlight for all the wrong reasons. After suspending Rice for only two games, and Josh Gordon for 16 (albeit for repeated marijuana offenses), TMZ released the tape of Rice striking his then-fiancee in an elevator. The video was horrifying, and Rice was cut by the Ravens later that day. Goodell had stated he never saw the tape, nor did the NFL have a copy. He lied.
In a call that was recorded in April, an NFL executive stated that they received the tape from the New Jersey police station, and it was “awful.” So there are two options. Goodell saw the tape and lied to cover the Ravens, Ric and himself from public wrath, or he had the tape in his own building and never saw the tape.
Whether he did or didn’t see it, Goodell lacked institutional control, which to me is pretty solid reason as to why Goodell should be ousted as NFL commissioner.
Let’s not kid ourselves: The only reason Goodell is strengthening the NFL’s policy on domestic violence is because he got caught sweeping it under the rug. The only reason he changed the rules on helmet-to-helmet collisions is because players sued. We’re dealing with a commissioner who is a reactive, not active, person. When trying to make the league look right in the public eye, he appointed a so-called “independent” investigative team to investigate the league’s handling of the Rice scandal, led by a man who worked with Ravens president Richard Cass for 31 years.
The NFL sadly won’t take action until their precious money is being threatened.
Once sponsors start to back out of funding, it is only a matter of time to Goodell’s departure. For now, Goodell’s fate was sealed when he could not answer a question from TMZ. He repeatedly stated that the NFL had not seen the tape from New Jersey police. At his news conference, a TMZ reporter said, “Mr. Commissioner, we found out by one phone call. You guys have a whole legal department. We found out by just one phone call.
Andrew Gillis is a freshman studying journalism and is a sports writer for The Post. Do you think Roger Goodell needs to go? Let him know @AGill072 or ag079513@ohio.edu.
