Latest On Roger Goodell
Within this week’s installment of his Monday Morning Quarterback column, Peter King notes that he spoke to eight high-ranking team officials – either an owner or someone with knowledge of the owner’s thinking – about the current status of commissioner Roger Goodell. As King writes, a number of points were conveyed frequently in those discussions, so we’ll round up the highlights right here:
- While there is currently no movement to remove Goodell from his position, owners are curious to see the results of Robert Mueller‘s investigation into how the league handled the Ray Rice situation. If Goodell lied about the Rice video, he’ll be in “serious trouble,” and even if Mueller finds that the commissioner wasn’t as an top of the investigation as he should have been, he may be in hot water as well.
- Most owners are confident that Mueller’s report will be “far-reaching and legitimate,” though one owner acknowledged that it was probably a mistake to appoint an investigator whose firm has ties to the NFL.
- One owner can envision a scenario in which Goodell survives this season, but may be in trouble in the long-term if the NFL brand has taken a significant hit.
- Many owners that spoke to King want Goodell to give up some authority in discipline cases — they’d rather see him focusing more on league matters and growing and improving the game.
- Owners also expressed concern that Goodell occasionally plays favorites, and that he spends too much time “going down a rabbit hole of unending controversy on an issue the league should have had buttoned up years ago,” as King writes.
Latest On Domestic Violence
Commissioner Roger Goodell and the NFL sent a memo to all 32 franchises earlier today, regarding the recent advances the league has made in its reactions to domestic violence among NFL players. Earlier, we passed along the highlights via the Twitter posts of Bleacher Report’s Mike Freeman. For those interested in reading the full memo, they can access it here, courtesy of Michael David Smith of Pro Football Talk.
Here are some other updates about ongoing domestic violence issues:
- 49ers‘ defensive tackle Ray McDonald will not be charged with domestic violence this Monday, as the hearing has been cancelled by the prosecution, reports Tracey Kaplan of the Mercury News (via Twitter). She writes that no new court date will be set “unless or until charges are filed.”
- The district attorney reportedly had no case to evaluate on Monday, according to Lindsay H. Jones of USA Today Sports. She writes that the police has declined to release any reports on McDonald other than the brief synopsis that originally surfaced.
- Every NFL game this weekend will feature a public service announcement on domestic violence from the NO MORE anti-domestic violence and sexual assault campaign, reports Jones. The total value of the ads in terms of commercial time is approximately $3MM.
Latest On Ray Rice Situation
A law enforcement official says that he sent the Ray Rice video to the attention of NFL security chief Jeffrey Miller, according to Rob Maaddi of The Associated Press. The official says Miller was sent the tape in April, though he doesn’t know if Miller ever saw the DVD or opened the package.
The law enforcement official’s only communication with the league was a 12-second voicemail on April 9th from league offices confirming receipt of the package, in which a woman says, “You’re right. It’s terrible.”
“Since the NFLPA and NFL have launched separate investigations into the league and the Ravens’ handling of Ray Rice’s case, I want to make a few things clear. No one from the NFL ever asked me for the inside-elevator video,” the official told the AP. “I mailed it anonymously to Jeff Miller because he’s their head of security. I attached a note saying: `Ray Rice elevator video. You have to see it. It’s terrible.’ I provided a number for a disposable cellphone and asked for confirmation that it was received. I knew there was a possibility Mr. Miller may not get the video, but I hoped it would land in the right hands.”
For his part, Miller has denied ever getting a copy of the tape.
“I unequivocally deny that I received at any time a copy of the video, and I had not watched it until it was made public on September 8,” he said in a statement issued through an NFL spokesman.
It remains unclear what happened to the video once it arrived at league offices. Maaddi notes that are two NFL executives named Jeffrey Miller, but the law enforcement official insisted the video was addressed to the chief of security. Despite Miller’s denial this evening, this story may turn up the heat on the league office and commissioner Roger Goodell.
NFL Notes: Goodell, Tagliabue, London
NFL commissioner Roger Goodell held a press conference yesterday to discuss the league’s revised personal conduct policy. Of course, plenty of pundits offered their opinions on the commissioner’s statements, including former Patriots linebacker Tedy Bruschi. Speaking on ESPN, Bruschi wasn’t positive in his review of the league’s commish (via ProFootballTalk.com’s Mike Florio)…
“We needed someone to go up there and be a leader,” Bruschi said. “To be a leader and say something substantial. To give all of the public out there, all of the fans, all of the former players, all of the current players. To give them hope that things will be done right, and that wasn’t done because I don’t think Roger Goodell is the guy that can do that anymore.
“Fixing a mistake is one thing, but he can’t escape this. He can’t escape this. Because the NFL, a big thing about them also is image. How the NFL is portrayed. And as long as Roger Goodell is leading the NFL and he’s the face behind the shield, you will have the same emotions you had today, watching that press conference, listening to him speak in circles, wondering, ‘Man, what is this guy talking about?’ So as you continue and move forward and Roger Goodell is the Commissioner, you will continue to feel that way every time you see him.
“In my opinion, in my personal opinion, being a former player that spent 13 years in this league trying to do the right thing, I want a new Commissioner to lead my league. I want a new Commissioner to go out there and say the right things and be that leader, because right now, Roger Goodell is not that. And I don’t think he can ever be that. Roger Goodell needs to step down and move on, and we need new leadership. The big reset button needs to be pressed on the NFL right now, and it starts by Roger Goodell stepping down.”
Let’s check out some more notes pertaining to Goodell and the NFL…
- Bleacher Report’s Jason Cole spoke to a pair of league executives about the press conference, and neither was impressed with the way Goodell handled himself. One expressed his belief that Goodell didn’t “measure up” to NBA commissioner Adam Silver, who recently had to deal with the Donald Sterling controversy.
- Peter King dove into the SI Vault to uncover a 2006 article where he discusses the retirement of former NFL commissioner Paul Tagliabue. In addition to Goodell, King suggests Falcons president Rich McKay and Ravens president Richard Cass as possible replacements.
- The NFL “very much” wants a franchise in London and believes that fan support will not be a concern, tweets Adam Beasley of the Miami Herald.
NFL To Make Changes To Personal Conduct Policy
NFL commissioner Roger Goodell addressed reporters and fielded questions at an afternoon press conference in New York today, and vowed that the league will make changes to its personal conduct policy. According to Goodell, “nothing is off the table” when it comes to potential changes, which he expects to discuss with NFLPA executive director DeMaurice Smith. The league hopes to have the process completed by the Super Bowl.
Additionally, Goodell indicated that he’ll be establishing a “conduct committee” to review possible changes and implement the best possible practices. The experts hired by the NFL will also review the commissioner’s role in various processes — by suggesting that nothing’s off the table, Goodell hinted that perhaps he may cede some power when it comes to disciplinary decisions.
While Goodell pledged to be transparent as the NFL considers changes to its personal conduct guidelines and other policies, the commissioner didn’t get into many specifics regarding the Ray Rice, Adrian Peterson, and Greg Hardy situations after opening up the floor for questions. Goodell deferred to the appeal and legal process in those cases, declining to comment on issues such as what Rice initially told the league was on the elevator video that became public last Monday, or how TMZ got the footage with “one phone call” when the NFL couldn’t.
Goodell also said that he has not considered stepping down from his job as NFL commissioner. “I am focused on doing my job. We have work to do. That’s my focus,” Goodell said.
Latest On Roger Goodell
After more than a week of silence, commissioner Roger Goodell will speak at a New York press conference at 3:00pm eastern time today, according to a press release. Goodell will address the league’s recent domestic violence issues, as well as the NFL’s personal conduct policy, and will field questions from reporters at the presser.
The announcement of today’s press conference comes on the heels of a memo being sent to all 32 teams by the league office this morning regarding the NFL’s efforts to further educate teams and players on domestic violence and sexual assault. Adam Schefter of ESPN.com has the full statement, which reads, in part:
“We are proceeding to implement broad educational programs within our league. Starting within the next 30 days, all league and team personnel – including executives, coaches, players and staff – will participate in education sessions on domestic violence and sexual assault. These initial sessions will begin to provide the men and women of the NFL with information and tools to understand and recognize domestic violence and sexual assault.”
The memo goes on to note that the league intends to “dedicate significant resources to raise awareness on the
subjects of domestic violence and sexual assault, including support for victims.”
Despite the recent troubles surrounding the league, there continues to be no consideration given to the possibility of replacing Goodell as commissioner, according to Tim Graham of the Buffalo News. Graham has spoken off the record to several NFL team executives over the last few days, and has repeatedly been told that the league is “undivided” in its support of Goodell. Graham points to the recent sale of the Bills for $1.4 billion as proof that the league’s owners are still making plenty of money with Goodell at the helm, adding that “status quo is highly profitable.”
Extra Points: Peterson, Hardy, Vick, Arians
The Vikings and Panthers put Adrian Peterson and Greg Hardy on the exempt list, respectively, and some teams believe that it’s being misused, writes Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk. “It was really put in place for players coming off suspension to get reacclimated,” one league source said. Some teams believe that the clause essentially allows the Vikings and Panthers to carry 54 players on their rosters. In Florio’s view, this usage of the clause could be the wave of the future if players continue to find themselves in legal trouble. Here’s more from around the NFL..
- If commissioner Roger Goodell wanted to suspend the Hardy and Peterson now under the personal conduct policy, it would have likely backfired without their legal cases resolved, writes Jarrett Bell of USA Today. Players have a right to a hearing and an appeal and the policy would have dictated that both of the players would have played this weekend had the NFL initiated action. While the usage of the exempt list might not be in the spirit of the rule, it was far preferable to the NFL since it puts both players on the sidelines immediately.
- You won’t find many supporters of commissioner Roger Goodell this week but Jets quarterback Michael Vick is one of them, as Rich Cimini of ESPN.com writes. “You have to give the man a chance, you have to him a chance, you have to give everybody a chance to get it right,” said Vick, went on to say that Goodell is “doing a great job.”
- Cardinals coach Bruce Arians knows how ugly the past few weeks have been in the NFL, but he believes that, ultimately, some good can come of it, tweets Darren Urban of AZCardinals.com. “If this bad scar on the NFL right now makes the rest of the world aware of what’s going on, it’s damn good.”
Ray Rice Appeals Suspension
TUESDAY, 8:02pm: Rice has filed an appeal of his suspension, a source tells Albert Breer of the NFL Network (on Twitter).
Breer (link) passes along the NFLPA’s statement on the appeal:
“Today, the NFL Players Association formally filed an appeal of the indefinite suspension of Ray Rice by the NFL. This action taken by our union is to protect the due process rights of all NFL players. The NFLPA appeal is based on supporting facts that reveal a lack of a fair and impartial process, including the role of the office of the Commissioner of the NFL. We have asked that a neutral and jointly selected arbitrator hear this case as the Commissioner and his staff will be essential witnesses in the proceeding and thus cannot serve as impartial arbitrators.”
A hearing date has to be determined within the next ten days, according to Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com (on Twitter). Both sides concur that Ray Rice remains suspended indefinitely while his case is being appealed, sources tell ESPN’s Ed Werder (Twitter).
MONDAY, 9:36pm: Rice was expected to officially appeal his indefinite suspension today, but that appeal will be delayed until at least Tuesday, reports Pro Football Talk (via Twitter). Part of the reason for the delay is to give more time for Rice’s representatives to craft a request for Commissioner Goodell to recuse himself from the case.
SUNDAY, 9:42pm: The NFLPA will fight on behalf of Rice in part because of the precedent it will set for players going forward on the matter of due process, reports Aaron Wilson of the National Football Post (via Twitter).
For Rice, a major argument in his defense will be using the “one punishment” article of the collective bargaining agreement, according to Wilson (via Twitter).
6:42 P.M.: Former Ravens’ running back Ray Rice will appeal his indefinite suspension from the NFL, reports Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk.
Rice was suspended following the emergence of video evidence in the domestic violence incident in which he physically assaulted his now-wife in an elevator at an Atlantic City casino.
The Ravens had released the Pro Bowl running back prior to his suspension.
Rice is expected to officially appeal on Monday, according to league sources. Florio reports that the NFLPA will handle the case in conjunction with Rice’s lawyer.
Roger Goodell will play a key role in the appeal process. Rice was suspended under the NFL’s personal-conduct policy, which leaves the commissioner as the final authority over all appeals. Florio expects that Rice’s representatives will ask that Goodell remove himself from the proceedings. This move would not be unprecedented, as Goodell removed himself from the Saints case during the bounty investigation.
Even if this scenario plays out, Goodell and the NFL office would be likely to testify as witnesses, writes Florio. A key component of the case will be whether or not Rice lied about what happened inside the elevator before the video evidence was made public.
Roger Goodell Not Likely To Be Fired Or Resign
In the wake of the much-publicized Ray Rice incident, which has at least invited suspicion that NFL commissioner Roger Goodell tried to cover up the recently-released footage showing Rice striking his wife in an elevator, rumblings regarding Goodell’s job security have intensified. However, according to Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports, “Numerous league sources who have had direct conversations with Goodell continue to say he never viewed the video of Rice striking his wife until it hit the Internet.” Furthermore, La Canfora adds that the league owners continue to support Goodell and “few scenarios exist whereby that would significantly change.”
One such scenario, of course, would be a finding that Goodell did indeed take part in some sort of cover up. The mere fact that Goodell did not make more of an effort to see the footage, whose existence was widely known, would not seem to be enough to diminish his support.
However, considering the blow that this ordeal has dealt to Goodell’s already uncertain public reputation, some NFL owners fear that Goodell will resign from his post. Since those owners are still firmly in Goodell’s corner, his resignation, while still highly improbable, is more likely than his being fired.
La Canfora writes that, while the investigation that the Rice video has triggered might have “strong consequences for some in NFL Security and other corridors of the NFL office,” Goodell is not likely to be one of those impacted. Even though his public approval rating might have reached its nadir, he will almost certainly remain the league commissioner long after the Rice investigation has concluded.
Latest On Roger Goodell, Ray Rice Incident
Earlier today, Giants owner John Mara and Steelers owner Art Rooney III issued a joint statement on the upcoming independent investigation into the Ray Rice incident and how it was later dealt with. Adam Schefter of ESPN (via Facebook) has republished the statement in full. There has been some criticism towards the NFL for Mara and Rooney’s role in the investigation since they have been longtime Goodell supporters. In the statement, the duo asserts that their only mission is to do what’s right. “Our sole motive here is to get the truth and then share Mr. Mueller’s findings with the public,” the statement reads. Here’s more on the NFL’s biggest story..
- The investigation is already underway, tweets Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network.
- Goodell didn’t pursue the incident as vigorously as he might have out of respect for Rice’s now-wife, Janay, one owner tells Kevin Clark of the Wall Street Journal. According to the source, Goodell privately told other owners that Janay Rice told him she had struck Ray Rice and that she believed she was partly at fault for the incident. Goodell also said he left the meeting believing that Janay had become unconscious because she had fallen during the scuffle.
- Goodell has strong support among influential ownership groups and barring overwhelming evidence of wrongdoing, that’s unlikely to change, writes Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com. “They’re standing by him, across the board,” said one league source who has spoken to executives on several clubs about the ongoing matter. “You haven’t seen one owner come out questioning him. Their instinct is to defend him, and it’s going to take quite a bit to change that.”
- Mark Maske of the Washington Post hears that the owners are prepared to boot Goodell if the investigation shows egregious misconduct. Still, Maske heard a great deal of support for Goodell and his body of work aside from this recent controversy.
- At least one owner isn’t sure the NFL commish will survive the saga, writes Peter King of The MMQB. “I am starting to get a sick feeling about how out of control this is getting,” one owner said, “But, I am standing by Roger. He has been great for our league.”
- One owner tells Mike Freeman of Bleacher Report that while he trusts Goodell, he feels that no owner will support him if he is obfuscating in any way.
- Bears chairman George H. McCaskey issued a statement today that strongly backed Goodell, as Michael David Smith of Pro Football Talk writes. McCaskey called the commissioner “a man of integrity” even though many have been critical of him in the last week.
- Jason Cole (on Twitter) is skeptical and does not see this investigation as being truly independent.