Goodbye and Good Riddance, Roger Goodell. N.F.L. Commissioner Roger Goodell has come under fire for his bungling of the Ray Rice domestic violence case. Numerous sports journalists and former NFL players have called for Goodell to resign. I have repeatedly heard Goodell pontificate on the subject of equity during his tenure as commissioner. Let’s examine Roger Goodell’s interpretation of fairness. Saints head coach Sean Payton received a one year ban without pay from the N.F.L. for his alleged involvement in “Boutygate.” This affair revolved around professional football players in peak physical condition, dressed from head to toe in thousands of dollars of high tech protective gear, making wagers, and engaging in roughhousing with similarly adorned; conditioned; and evenly matched opponents who share the same competitive philosophy. By contrast, Roger Goodell placed a two game ban on Ray Rice, also a professional athlete in peak physical condition, for engaging in some roughhousing of his own. Rice knocked out his fiancée in an elevator with a brutal left hook that could have easily dealt her great bodily harm or even death. Goodell didn’t increase the brief suspension to an indefinite ban on Rice until public pressure, propelled by TMZ’s posting a video of the incident from a hotel surveillance camera, forced him to take more drastic action. There’s much more compelling evidence of wrongdoing against Ray Rice and Roger Goodell than was ever presented against Sean Payton. Professional football players displaying competitiveness and aggression in the locker room and on the gridiron are far removed from viciously rendering a woman unconscious with a closed fist. The N.F.L.’s endorsing Goodell’s decision to ultimately hold Sean Payton responsible for transgressions, alleged or otherwise, in the Saints organization as a whole should be applied to Goodell’s gross mismanagement of the Ray Rice situation. As President Truman famously quipped, “The buck stops here.” Should Goodell require clarification on this aspect of leadership, he neednt look further than his high profile underlings, the N.F.L.’s 32 starting quarterbacks. To demonstrate the enormous clout Roger Goodell possess, consider what former United States National Security Adviser and Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice once said of the commissioner’s position, “It has always been my dream job.” As N.F.L. fans are we supposed to believe that Goodell, the leader of a 9 billion dollar a year industry, with far reaching means and resources, whose position as commissioner is the envy of an international stateswoman as Condi Rice, wasnt privy to the Ray Rice video and was unaware of the details surrounding the incident? I’m critical over Roger Goodell’s handling of the Ray Rice controversy for two reasons: 1.) Admittedly Im a Saints fan and I’m calling Goodell out over his lack of fairness and consistency in doling out punishments and consequences, his gross hypocrisy, and quite possibly a cover up regarding his knowledge of the Ray Rice elevator footage. 2.) What an awful message Goodell’s actions convey regarding women and domestic violence, all of this coming from a league that prominently targets females with its massive merchandising campaign. Many times I have seen commercials with actress Alyssa Milano hawking women’s attire on the N.F.L. Network. In addition, doesn’t the Roger Goodell lead N.F.L. swaddle its players and adorn its stadiums in pink every October to raise awareness of breast cancer? The N.F.L.’s posture toward women via Roger Goodell reminds me of an old adage, “If you want the bacon you cant ignore the slaughterhouse.” Here’s the league’s golden opportunity to put its might behind its fluffed up, female centric hype. Ban Ray Rice for life, impose highly punitive sanctions on players convicted of domestic violence, fire Roger Goodell for his inconsistency and hypocrisy, and hire Condi Rice as the league’s first African-American, female commissioner. These measures would be most appropriate coming from the institution that shamelessly touts its product as “America’s Game.” Sign the petition to urge the N.F.L. to relieve Roger Goodell of his duties as commissioner: https://change.org/p/nfl-fire-roger-goodell-6?recruiter=5838372&utm_campaign=mailto_link&utm_medium=email&utm_source=share_petition
Posted on: Sat, 13 Sep 2014 23:57:23 +0000
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