After the recent discovery of a tape showing former Baltimore Ravens player Ray Rice striking his now wife, Rice's contract was terminated and suspended indefinitely by the National Football League after an initial two game penalty. While the ban has generated some controversy,
the vast majority of it has been directed towards the office of Commissioner Roger Goodell.
Sorry Commissioner, $44 million simply will not dig you out of this hole.
When Rice was originally suspended for two games, the decision was based off of the original video of him dragging his girlfriend out of an elevator at a casino in Atlantic City. Entertainment news outlet TMZ leaked a new video, now showing an inside view of the elevator where the striking took place. After what some will call a knee-jerk reaction, Rice was thus banned from the NFL until further notice by Roger Goodell shortly after.
"We never saw the video until Monday morning" said Goodell in an interview with USA Today Sports. However, multiple reports suggest otherwise. As the Commissioner claims, the NFL asked multiple times for the video from law enforcement while investigating the Rice situation back in April. However, according to a law enforcement official, the tape was sent before the NFL handed out it's punishement on Rice.
Holding their identity as anonymous, the official played a voicemail to the Associated Press left by an NFL office employee, confirming the received video.
Even if law enforcement denied access to the video, surely the league could use it's power and simply ask the hotel for surveillance footage?
Something smells fishy around here.
This isn't the first time Goodell has had questions rise around his decisions. Notorious for his inconsistency on the degree of punishments (ask Josh Gordon) and ignorance regarding safety equipment in the NFL upon many issues, Goodell has taken on a Richard Nixon-esque persona, trying to cover his mistakes before it's too late.
The popular question being thrown around the league is, should Roger Goodell resign his position as Commissioner of the NFL?
The Commissioner's days sure do look to be numbered. The light has been shined on the dark, ugly, sketchy scene that has become a Roger Goodell-ran league. If the truth is revealed that the NFL knew of the video and tried to cover it up, many owners, coaches and players would be hesitant to back Mr. Goodell up.
The golden-era of the NFL is far behind modern day football. Paul Tagliabue continued right where Pete Rozelle left off, and to the chagrin of millions of fans across the nation, current Commissioner Roger Goodell is turning what was once a beautiful thing into a money hungry machine. Surely the league won't be as ideal as others suggest it should be. There will still be debatable decisions made by the league office.
However, removing Commissioner Goodell is a step in the right direction.
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