NFL commissioner Roger Goodell spoke to reporters in New York on Thursday. (Elsa, Getty Images)
NFL commissioner Roger Goodell addressed the media Friday for the first time since his CBS News interview in which he tried to explain the league’s decision and process in suspending Ray Rice indefinitely.
Since then, a handful of other cases have come up — Adrian Peterson, Greg Hardy, Jonathan Dwyer, Ray MacDonald — and a number of fumbled news conference by owners and missteps by the league have followed.
The NFL has perhaps never faced a more embarrassing and alarming few weeks than it has now, leading to even its biggest sponsors, including Anheuser-Busch and Nike, to start raising red flags and even suspending their deals with the league.
On Friday, Goodell must have felt that he could no longer hide. He, again, said that he made a mistake. That he “got it wrong.” That he “is sorry.” That he is “trying to get it right.” That the league “needs outside help.”
But the general public has heard those lines many times throughout these past few months, from him and his owners.
(The commissioner also said he has not considered resigning — “We have a lot of work to do. That’s my focus.” — and that he believes he has the full support of the league’s owners — “That has been clear to me.”)
But while Goodell may have been very sincere in his words, that he was indeed very sorry for how the NFL has handled the Ray Rice incident and the other cases that have come up since, he didn’t offer a concrete plan for how the league would change its ways.
He said the league would strive to get a new personal conduct policy in place by the Super Bowl, but he didn’t say what changes he would like to see made to the policy.
He said the league has partnered with two outside organizations for domestic violence awareness, but he didn’t say how that would change things within the league.
He said he there have been inconsistencies in how the NFL has handled the varied cases over the last few weeks, but he didn’t explain why.
He said “everything is on the table” when asked if he would consider giving up some of his power to allow for more checks and balances in the league.
When asked about Robert Mueller conflict of interests in investigating a league his firm has represented in past contract negotiations, Goodell asked why anyone would question Mueller’s credibility.
When probed by reporters, Goodell failed to answer succinctly how things will change and why things have happened as they have. In short, he said he has been in numerous meetings, that there are many things that the league “needs to consider,” that they “need to get it right.” But offered no answers and no plans with real changes.
But it wasn’t just the media who appeared baffled by Goodell’s lack of reasoning Friday. Players, fans and countless others expressed their views on his address:
Sponsors pulling out and disassociating them selves from the nfl. Players need to do netter and so does the top down! Owners commissioner!
— Brendon Ayanbadejo (@brendon310)
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If the guy crashing the presser was doing so as a joke, maybe that’s what’s wrong with our society, we don’t take moments like this serious.
— Brady Quinn (@3rd_Goal)
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What is doing isn’t easy.. .
— Machine Marshall (@BMarshall)
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A lot of ” We got it wrong, We didn’t do this or that ” if your the judge and the juror it’s ” I” the best ability is Accountability
— Beanie Wells (@BeanieWells26)
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What Roger just said is the exact same thing that players say when they make a mistake and plead their case
— Torrey Smith (@TorreySmithWR)
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“I understand the challenges ahead of me. And I will be held accountable in meeting them.” – Roger Goodell
— Donte’ Stallworth (@DonteStallworth)
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He looks upset because he’s unprepared
— Beanie Wells (@BeanieWells26)
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Well that press conference was a big ol steaming pile of “Don’t blame me, we’re changing things.”
— Chris Kluwe (@ChrisWarcraft)
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This whole Goodell presser is a “wanna get away” commercial
— Fred J. Robledo (@SGVNSports)
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if the Hindenburg had crashed into the Titanic, it still would have been better received than Roger Goodell’s press conference
— Jay Jaffe (@jay_jaffe)
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Recap of Roger Goodell press conference:
— Baxter Holmes (@BaxterHolmes)
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Roger Goodell says, “I would have loved to seen that video.” , “We got that video with one phone call.” Boom.
— Melissa Hoppert (@MHoppertNYT)
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GREAT question by there about Goodell giving up some of his unilateral power. Goodell ducks the question.
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing)
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For a guy who said “Ignorance is not an excuse”, Roger Goodell is sure using ignorance as an excuse quite a bit.
— Chris Burke (@ChrisBurke_SI)
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Oh my…Goodell will not admit if Mueller interviewed him yet…that’s really weak..this thing is falling apart by the minute…
— Bill Plaschke (@BillPlaschke)
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Somebody get Roger Goodell off the stage. Please. Pull a file alarm if necessary.
— Keith Olbermann (@KeithOlbermann)
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Short version of Goodell presser: We’re going to have more transparency as soon as we’re done hiding behind an appeal and an investigation.
— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero)
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Goodell admits: “We do not have a clear and consistent policy.” Then what have you been doing the last 8 years exactly?
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing)
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