NFL Leadership – An Apology
I bet you’d never imagined those words would have come out of his mouth, not who he is, and what he represents.
Roger Goodell, the NFL Commissioner, under siege, admitted he erred in the mishandling of the minimal two game suspension of Baltimore Ravens star running back Ray Rice, implicated in knocking out his wife in a domestic abuse incident, in an elevator, caught on video.
A 2-game suspension has led to 2-months of enormous heat directed at Goodell and his league. The Rice incident was troubling, as has been the inconsistent level of discipline against players.
A four game suspension given to Colts defensive end Robert Mathis, for using a fertility drug to start to begin a family with his wife. Four games for helping her give birth, but two games to a knockout punch of a woman?
The swift near year-long suspension of Miami guard Richie Incognito for the hazing club slurs against a teammate, a suspension that last all of last season, and now carries into this season, since everyone views him as toxic. He got 9-games for his mouth, but Rice got two.
No discipline yet for Colts owner Jim Irsay, arrested DUI influence with 29,000-cash and a cache of illegal painkillers, a true drugstore right in his front seat, but we did get a fine against Broncos icon QB-Peyton Manning for mouthing off after a cheap shot hit hurt his WR-Wes Welker.
So this, a couple of months after it happened, Goodell admitting the league made a mistake in the Rice case, and promises instant judgment on any player arrested in a domestic abuse case going forward.
It’s not an easy job-disciplining players. San Francisco’s Aldon Smith just got 9-games for 3-off field arrests, rightfully so. Cleveland’s star receiver Josh Gibson just got an entire season, in his continued bouts with marijuana, alcohol, and just obeying the law. Jacksonville’s Justin Blackman is likely sitting the season too, because he cannot keep his name off the police blotter.
And now you can add to the list, the lst to volunteer in the new world of discipline, is 49ers defensive tackle Ray McDonald, arrested for hitting his pregnant wife on Sunday morning. He’s got a problem with the incident and with a commissioner now with the glare of the spotlight on him to drop the hammer. McDonald did this just days after the NFL handed out a new letter of the law memo on sanctions for domestic abuse of women, children, and those pregnant.
Roger Goodell has been a great leader; he now has to become a fearless leader, of those lawbreakers he finds on NFL rosters.
In a league where this commissioner now has to deal with fires daily, we have lawsuit upon lawsuit, the appearance of unmitigated greed amongst the owners, violence on the field, violent acts off the field.
The NFL season is about to start, and we will pay attention to the games, but we will also now pay attention to the leader of the games.
Amazing to hear those words “I erred” coming out of the mouth of the most powerful man of the most powerful sport in America, the NFL.
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