Roger Goodell has to protect the integrity of the NFL, and everyone else needs to just get out of the way.
“Integrity” was an oft-used phrase during the commissioner’s “State of the NFL” press conference Friday, ahead of Super Bowl XLIX. Then CNN’s Rachel Nichols asked a reasonable question about whether paying outside investigators to look into issues like the New England Patriots’ possible involvement in DeflateGate is a conflict of interest, and Goodell flipped the switch into bully mode.
First of all, it’s apparent why Goodell didn’t like Nichols’ question, because she has a point. Goodell hires and compensates people like Ted Wells to conduct investigations, while NFL owners like Robert Kraft still are compensating him. Hence, the potential for a credibility gap. Second, Goodell seems to still be smarting from Nichols’ dogged questioning of him during a September press conference.
Rather than address Nichols’Â question head-on, the commissioner accused her of making false assumptions and decided to go with the old “mansplaining” approach to explain his hiring of independent investigators.
“Somebody has to pay them, Rachel,” Goodell said. “Unless you’re volunteering, which I don’t think you are, we’ll do that.”
Good to know, Roger.
Thumbnail photo via Matthew Emmons/USA TODAY Sports Images
