Cowboys running back Ezekiel Elliott met with commissioner Roger Goodell today to discuss a May incident in Las Vegas during which Elliott was briefly detained by police after bumping a security guard. After the summit with Goodell, Elliott released the following statement on Twitter:
“Earlier today, I met with the Commissioner to share with him what occurred in Las Vegas and what I have learned from that incident. I’ve worked hard to make better decisions and to live up to the high standards that are expected of me. I failed to do that here and I made a poor decision. I apologized to [security guard] Kyle Johnson at the time and I meant it. I need to work harder to ensure that I do not put myself in compromised situations in the future. I am rededicating myself to use all of the resources that the league has made available. But in the end, it is up to me and I am determined not to be in this position again.”
Elliott certainly sounds like a man who has gotten a thorough talking-to, and his contrition may be enough to stave off a suspension. Given Elliott’s track record, though, Goodell may well have warned the two-time rushing champion that even minor incidents like this one could be more damaging to him than they would be to a player without a disciplinary history.
Veteran NFL reporter Ed Werder said he does not expect Zeke to be hit with a suspension (Twitter link), and Clarence E. Hill Jr. of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram says that no criminal charges are expected to be filed. Hill also reports that Johnson hugged Elliott and took a picture with him after the incident, though he later requested a sincere apology.
Mike Garafolo of the NFL Network also hears from league sources that Elliott is unlikely to be suspended, and that the meeting with Goodell was more of an opportunity for the commissioner to warn Elliott to keep himself out of potentially troublesome situations going forward (video link). Interestingly, Garafolo adds that Cowboys owner Jerry Jones sent team counsel to the meeting, even though such meetings are generally attended by an NFLPA rep and/or the player’s own lawyer. Jones and Goodell have apparently reconciled enough to work together on the new CBA, but matters involving Elliott still seem to be sensitive for Jones.
I wish someone would tell Goodell off. Won’t happen but would be refreshing. Something along the lines of:
“I realize I get paid millions, and how fortunate I am. I don’t take any of this for granted. With that being said, I help generate tremendous amount of revenue for the NFL, their sponsors, the owners, and untold number of other businesses out there. It’s impossible for me to quantify how many fans I have, but I imagine it’s a fairly large number. I get to play this game for a short time. But for the rest of my life I’ll be hard pressed to enjoy a dinner, or a night out, without being asked by fans for a picture or an autograph. I’ll always do my best to comply, but honestly it’s tiresome. At some point, probably sooner than later, I’ll suffer from CTE. Because I love this game and give everything I can to it.
With all that being said, Roger Goodell, can kiss my backend. Would love for him to suit up just once and see what it takes to play in this game. He wants all players to keep making billions for the game, but at the same time to not have a life. I get the discipline needed for when we break the law. But Goodell thinks he is better than the law. So he keeps hammering the people who make him the highest paid non-owner in all of the NFL. He has a power fetish and essentially wants us to not have a life. Keep in mind most of us are in our 20’s and give it our all. On occasion we want to be human and have fun. But this guy revels in keeping us chained up inside our homes.
Won’t ever happen, but I sure wish it would. And by no means am I condoning any player’s actions. I also remember making a few regrettable decisions in my 20’s, as most people I know did.
Just seems Goodell goes on a power trip any time he is offered a chance. All he cares about is not losing any sponsors. Overpaid as all get out.
And in response to such a stupid tirade I wish Goodell would offer the response Jim Carey gave his client in the movie, “Liar, Liar.”
“Stop breaking the law [expletive]!”
These stupid players who can’t seem to realize that yes…laws DO apply to you and that just because you can run around on a football field doesn’t exclude you from them and make millions upon millions doing so can go kick rocks if they don’t like the structure under which they have to maintain that employment.
Goodell realizes that the NFL needs to have a certain image. If that image erodes so too does the fanbase. No fans, no money, no games, no rich players.
Understand now?
When’s the last time you had to meet with your boss regarding a minor conduct incident that happened while you were not working. It’s none of the NFLs business. The NFLs image is less important than the player’s freedom and privacy in my book. Yes the law applies to them, and the law and only the law should deal with it if they break it. I despise personal conduct policies, and I’m sick and tired of hearing about what players do wrong when they’re not working.
There’s well over 1000 active players that don’t cringe when they hear they must see Roger. Somehow they do their job, get paid lots of money and provide for their loved ones drama free. And it’s not just the NFL, many people have conduct policies that even if they do something outside of their 40 hour work week they get jammed up at work. And for the frequent flyers like this? That leash is short for a reason, keep the nose clean and refer to the 2nd sentence above.
One example off the top of my head are teachers. Because of the job they do working with minors they have to be essentially saints when they are not on the clock. They have a hard job, a much more important job, and they get paid, way, way, way less than athletes do.
I’ve never had to meet with a boss regarding any conduct manner whether on the job or off of it. I make it a point not to do stupid things because I don’t enjoy the thought of dealing with the police, court, and lawyers.
It is the NFL’s business. It is all in the CBA. The NFL is not “America.” Laws do apply to them, and so do the terms of employment.
Again, if players have such a problem with this they can simply choose not to play in the NFL. They can play in other venues or choose a different line of work.
If you as a fan do not like the policies, you can choose another sport to support.
Exactly, well stated Ed!
If I did something even remotely like this I’d be in my bosses office the next day. There’s plenty of us out there who work at places that have a reputation to uphold and would be in a poor situation at work for something like this.
Bingo!
Nothing to see here. Star struck security guard trying to be a playa…..
Yeah, nothing to see here. Assault is perfectly excusable just because you have money. No biggie.
Reads to me more like a man who had a nice little conversation with his legal/PR staff and released what they wrote for him via Twitter.
Ever wonder why these “statements by the player” sound absolutely nothing like how they normally speak?
Apparently he hasn’t learned much from his previous incident. They are all just words until your actions prove otherwise…Zeke.
Cant blame the guard for wanting a “sincere apology” aka cash money
It’s clearly a prepared statement by his agent. The last sentence should have read:
But in the end, it is up to me and I am determined not to be in this position again….until after I get signed to a contract extension.