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Roger Goodell

Latest On Roger Goodell

September 19th, 2014 at 10:21am CST by Luke Adams

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

September 18th, 2014 at 5:01pm CST by Zachary Links

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

September 16th, 2014 at 8:02pm CST by Rob DiRe

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

September 14th, 2014 at 2:30pm CST by Rory Parks

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

September 11th, 2014 at 5:01pm CST by Zachary Links

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.

Latest On Ray Rice Incident

September 10th, 2014 at 9:59pm CST by Luke Adams

9:59pm: Goodell announced that former FBI Director Robert S. Mueller III will conduct an independent investigation on the Rice incident, tweets Adam Schefter of ESPN.com. Mueller’s investigation will be overseen by NFL owners John Mara of the Giants and Art Rooney of the Steelers, and the final report will be made public (link).

The league has hired independent investigators for conflicts in the past, including the Jonathan Martin/Richie Incognito case of last year and Chris Kluwe‘s situation with the Vikings.

7:06pm: Senate Commerce Committee chairman Jay Rockefeller is mobilizing members to hold hearings on the NFL domestic violence issue, according to Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald (on Twitter).

6:15pm: When asked how the NFL will look into the new report from the AP, a source told Norah O’Donnell of CBS (on Twitter) that the league’s “security department will be doing everything we can to determine if this is true.” An NFL exec told O’Donnell (link) that the AP report doesn’t contradict what Goodell said but “if there’s a delivery sitting under someone’s desk there will be consequences.”

6:13pm: A source tells Mark Maske of the Washington Post (on Twitter) that Goodell remains adamant that he won’t resign.

5:56pm: According to Josh Margolin, Darren Rovell, and Aaron Katersky of ABC News, the Revel casino told the Ravens to ask Rice’s lawyer for a copy of the video, but the team never followed through on that.

Meanwhile, Ravens owner Steve Bisciotti, team president Dick Cass, and GM Ozzie Newsome sat down with Jeff Zrebiec of The Baltimore Sun and discussed the situation. Cass detailed the organization’s efforts to obtain a copy of the video, which included calling the casino, the prosecutor’s office and the New Jersey state police. Rice’s lawyer, however, was not in that list of people contacted for the footage.

4:07pm: On the heels of commissioner Roger Goodell issuing a memo to team owners and execs reiterating that the league was unable to view or obtain the elevator footage of Ray Rice‘s attack on his then-fiancée, a law enforcement official now says that he sent an NFL executive a copy of the video in April, writes Rob Maaddi of The Associated Press.

According to the AP report, the law enforcement official played a 12-second voicemail from an NFL office number in which a female voice confirms the video arrived, expresses thanks, and says, “You’re right. It’s terrible.” Although the law enforcement official wasn’t legally authorized to released the video, he tells the AP that he shared it with the NFL because he wanted the league to see it before deciding on Rice’s punishment.

Goodell and league officials have repeatedly stated that they tried to view the elevator footage, requesting it from multiple police departments, but were unable to obtain it. In the wake of the AP’s report, an NFL spokesman tells Mike Garafalo of FOX Sports (Twitter link) that the league has “no knowledge” of anyone from its office viewing the video, and will “look into” the matter.

Needless to say, it would be a significant blow for the NFL and for Goodell if it turns out league executives had indeed viewed the recently-leaked video months ago. While a seemingly half-hearted and unsuccessful attempt to obtain the video reflects poorly on the NFL, it would be far more damaging for league officials if they viewed the footage, decided on merely a two-game suspension for Rice, and then tried to cover their tracks this week by lying about what they knew.

Goodell Issues Memo On Rice Investigation

September 10th, 2014 at 2:03pm CST by Luke Adams

Commissioner Roger Goodell has issued a memo to the presidents and chief executives of teams around the league, attempting to clarify confusion about how the league handled the investigation into Ray Rice‘s domestic violence incident. Via NFL.com, here’s the complete statement from Goodell:

Read more

Roger Goodell On Ray Rice Situation

September 9th, 2014 at 7:30pm CST by Zachary Links

In an interview with Norah O’Donnell of CBS, commissioner Roger Goodell gave his first interview since the new footage of the Ray Rice incident leaked to the public. Goodell, who has taken a great deal of criticism in the last couple of days over his handling of the situation, maintains that he never saw the second tape before it was released by TMZ.

“We had not seen any videotape of what occurred in the elevator. We assumed that there was a video, we asked for video, we asked for anything that was pertinent, but we were never granted that opportunity,” Goodell said.

Goodell went on to take accountability for how the situation has been handled and said that as commissioner, he is the one who is responsible for that. Meanwhile, when asked if Rice will be barred from the NFL for good, Goodell didn’t rule out an eventual return for the Rutgers product.

Ravens owner Steve Bisciotti has issued a letter to the team’s PSL holders and Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk has republished it. In the letter, the owner admits his own shortcomings.

“Seeing that video changed everything,” Bisciotti said. “We should have seen it earlier. We should have pursued our own investigation more vigorously. We didn’t and we were wrong.”

Latest On Drug Policy Talks

September 7th, 2014 at 10:20am CST by Ben Levine

SUNDAY, 10:20am: Citing a source with knowledge of the situation, Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk writes that the NFL and NFLPA moved farther apart in their drug policy talks on Saturday night. The earliest any deal could happen would be tomorrow or Tuesday, but this recent development could delay such an agreement. However, as Florio writes, “Look for the talks to continue and a deal to remain possible unless and until one side or the other completely shuts down the negotiation process.”

According to Tom Pelissero of USA Today, there would be a breakdown in the process if the the NFL insists on the right to discipline players for DUI arrests prior to due process in the legal system. If that happens, then the NFLPA will not agree to a comprehensive drug policy.

SATURDAY, 6:00pm: Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk provides a handful of updates on the drug policy talks, writing that the league is proposing a one-game deactivation for any player or other team employee (including owners) who is arrested for DUI. In other words, an arrest without a conviction wouldn’t result in a suspension or lost pay, though the NFL would like first-time offenders to face a minimum two-game suspension after the conclusion of the legal process.

Per Florio (Twitter links), the ball is currently in the NFL’s court to respond to the NFLPA’s latest proposal, but a new agreement won’t be in place until Monday or Tuesday at the earliest, so any current suspensions will stand for this weekend at least.

SATURDAY, 11:50am: Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets that the NFL and player’s union continue to work towards an agreement, and that Sunday is a soft deadline. Mark Maske of The Washington Post tweets that the two sides are trying to “complete something” today.

SATURDAY, 10:42am: We’ve heard whispers over the past couple of days that the NFL and the player’s union are diligently working on a new league drug policy. A league source tells Mike Florio of ProFootballTalk.com that an announcement could come at any time.

As Florio writes, the agreement would focus on the NFL using players’ blood test to check for the use of human growth hormone. Additionally, there would be changes in the league’s substance-abuse policy; a positive marijuana test will now be based on a higher grading-scale (which could affect Browns wideout Josh Gordon). The league will also consider offseason use of amphetamines a violation of the substance-abuse policy (which could affect Broncos receiver Wes Welker).

Florio also reports that the two sides agreed on a new deal regarding human grown hormone appeals. Any appeal for a positive PED or HGH test will now be heard through a third-party arbitrator, as opposed to commissioner Roger Goodell. Florio writes that the league is requesting the right to suspend players arrested for DUIs before their legal cases are cleared up in court.

There were reports yesterday suggesting that the player’s union refused an offer from the NFL to erase Gordon’s suspension in exchange for a resolution on the HGH testing, and Florio clarifies those rumors. NFLPA spokesperson George Atallah told PFT that the deal was never offered:

“The union would never negotiate an entire substance-abuse policy or PED policy based on one player.”

AFC Notes: Rice, Browns, Jaguars

May 24th, 2014 at 7:30pm CST by Ben Levine

Ray Rice tried to clear the air in a recent press conference, but that won’t stop the NFL from penalizing the Pro-Bowl running back under the league’s personal-conduct policy. The Ravens are prepared for a multiple-game suspension and Rice will meet soon with commissioner Roger Goodell, writes Aaron Wilson of The Baltimore Sun.

Team President Dick Cass spoke on the matter: “I’m assuming he will meet with the commissioner at some point in the near future and make a decision about what discipline, if any, is appropriate. I’m not going to speculate. The commissioner is going to decide that. I’m going to leave it to the commissioner.”

Teammate Torrey Smith added: “You do something that draws attention like this, it deserves punishment. Whatever it may be, whether it’s fines or suspensions, I can’t really say. Something happens like that and, obviously, it doesn’t look good on him on him or the league or the organization. Whatever punishments they dish out, he’ll handle it and we’ll handle it as a team and we’ll accept it.”

Let’s take a look at some more notes from the AFC…

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