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.”