Roger Goodell is the worst commissioner in professional sports right now. Given the immense public scrutiny the NFL is currently facing, it's clear that Goodell is too overmatched to right the ship. Here are five reasons he's got to go:
1. Shady or Incompetent?
The NFL's investigation into the Ray Rice situation was either so thorough that the league attempted to cover it up to "protect the shield," or so completely ineffective that they weren't able to obtain the correct information. Either way, that is bad.
As of now, Goodell is claiming that he never saw the video of Ray Rice striking his then-girlfriend in the elevator. In fact, Goodell is claiming that the NFL never even received that footage.
So, you're telling me that TMZ, a sensationalist tabloid organization, obtained the tape while the NFL, a multibillion dollar powerhouse, was unable to?
"I don't know how TMZ or any other website gets their information," Goodell said earlier this month. "We are particularly reliant on law enforcement. That's the most reliable. That's the most credible. We don't seek to get that information from sources that are not credible."
Well, law enforcement officials said that the NFL saw the incriminating video back in April. Conflicting reports? He said, she said? Possible dishonesty? Way to handle all of this properly, Roger. It's clear that the commissioner is either hiding something, or knows as much about quality investigating as Charles Foster Kane.
2. Lack of Transparency
Did Goodell's news conference last week reveal anything to us besides the fact that "The Howard Stern Show" is still hilarious? No, it didn't. All we got were more excuses and semi-answers. At a time when honesty is the best path to take amid public outcry and worried corporate sponsors, Goodell is choosing to keep things shrouded in mystery. I think people deserve to know just what is going on in one of the worst few weeks in NFL history.
3. Setting Terrible Precedents
Goodell initially took several months to decide on a measly two-game suspension for Ray Rice. A decision on something as awfully straight forward as a domestic violence incident should not require that much time. On top of that, a two-game suspension is the equivalent of Eric Cartman's mom trying to punish him in "South Park." Ultimately, it doesn't mean much.
After the release of the shocking second video of the Rice incident, the NFL backpedaled and suspended the running back indefinitely. Why wasn't this approach taken in the first place?
"When we met with Ray Rice and his representatives it was ambiguous about what actually happened," Goodell said.
I'm all for getting to the bottom of things. But there isn't much ambiguity when we saw Rice dragging an unconscious female out of an elevator like a rag doll.
This type of flip-flopping leniency is unacceptable.
4. Lack of Decisiveness
The common theme between Adrian Peterson, Greg Hardy and Ray McDonald is that all three are dealing with the bumbling decision-making of their individual franchises. Any time a player is involved in a violent crime, the commissioner has to step in. It's perfectly acceptable to allow teams to run themselves...up to a point. But each franchise has mishandled their players' cases with conflicting actions or no action at all. One of the primary roles of a commissioner should be to act in the absence of resolution. Once again, Goodell has stood on the sidelines like the last pick in gym class.
5. Poor Track Record
This isn't the first time Goodell has mismanaged something during his tenure. This is the same commissioner who allowed a lockout for the first time in nearly 25 years in the nation's most popular sport. This is the same commissioner who allowed replacement referees - No. 3 on the list of things you don't want a replacement for behind hair and hips - to preside over NFL games for almost a month. This is the same commissioner who prioritized player safety only after the NFL was hit with numerous lawsuits over concussion-related injuries. This is the same commissioner who prides himself on his faux player safety mission, yet has pushed for an 18-game schedule in the past.
Goodell has evoked the duplicity of Richard Nixon, the sneakiness of Bill Clinton and the ineffectiveness of Jimmy Carter all in the last month. It's time for him to go. But since he'll never resign willingly, and since the owners will never fire him due to the $9-plus billion the league generated in revenue last year, we'll all just have to suffer.
