To say that the NFL is currently at war is an understatement. In fact, the organization can barely tread water, drowning in problems not only from the NFL Players’ Association, but also from angered fans. NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell is the man under the microscope, standing on multiple forefronts of battle with nothing but his battered NFL shield to cover him.
Roger Goodell is notorious for being a man of few apologies. Throughout his tumultuous career as head of the league, never once has Goodell issued a statement of remorse; through racism, homophobia, bullying, and poor officiating, Goodell remains firm on the stance he takes.
But Roger Goodell has used all of his free passes up, and now has had to do the unthinkable: apologize.
Ray Rice, running back for the Baltimore Ravens, was given a two-game suspension in July for assaulting his then-fiancé Janay Palmer-Rice in an elevator five months before. The sentence caused uproar, especially amongst female groups. Goodell stood firm, stating that he met with Ray Rice, and because it was his first offense, he should not be severely punished.
Goodell continued to defend his stance until the footage from Rice’s infamous elevator ride was released to the public early in September. The footage shows Rice punching his fiancé—who immediately falls unconscious—in the face. This disturbing footage turned the tide on Goodell’s position. He suspended Ray Rice indefinitely following the footage leak.
“My disciplinary decision led the public to question our sincerity, our commitment and whether we understood the toll that domestic violence inflicts on so many families,” Goodell wrote to team owners in a letter. “I didn’t get it right. Simply put, we have to do better. And we will.”
But the rollercoaster nightmare didn’t stop after that. Following the release of Rice’s knockout punch, law enforcement came forward to state that they had shown Goodell the same exact footage in April. April. That’s two months before Goodell senteced Rice to two games
This revelation has lead to more than just nationwide investigations; it has led to a societal pandemonium, especially among all women, football fans or not. This is not just an issue of Goodell’s poor judgment; it is a domestic violence issue that millions of women found both disturbing and poignant. Women’s groups, such as UltraViolet, are pressuring the commissioner to resign, and #GoodellMustGo has trended on social media.
Hannah Storm of ESPN’s SportsCenter summed up the situation by tearfully asking, “What exactly does zero tolerance mean to the NFL? What exactly does the NFL stand for?”
Roger Goodell took over as the NFL Commissioner in 2006. During his eight years as commissioner, he has seen scandals of every variety. Ray Rice was not the first instance in which he tried to let a player off the hook.
Michael Vick, the backup quarterback for the New York Jets, was imprisoned for 18 months due to his dogfighting ring, which raised the issue of animal cruelty in the NFL. Goodell initially suspended Vick for six games after his prison sentence, but later reduced it to two games, stating that he thought Vick was “making real progress.”
Ben Roethlisberger, quarterback for the Pittsburgh Steelers, was brought on more than one charge of sexual assault. Like Vick, Roethlisberger was suspended initially for six games, a sentence that was later reduced to four.
Society can only speculate what this means for the future of the NFL. Goodell’s positions on animal cruelty, sexual assault, bullying, racism, homophobia, and now domestic abuse have all been tested. But it appears now that domestic abuse may be the last straw.
Commissioner Goodell has described his job as “protecting the shield”—the NFL’s logo. However, his jurisdictions in the name of protecting the shield are weakening the NFL’s resistance. And as for Goodell, it seems as though he may need a shield of his own.
Cover image by Josh Hallett via Flickr. Some rights reserved.
