The Roger Goodell thread

[huskylawyer]

As soon as he destroyed the spygate tapes, everyone pretty much knew that Goodell had about as much ethics as an warlord in Africa or a benevolent dictator. This is just "Goodell being Goodell." He already sounds like this guy:

 

[Seahawk Sailor]

Roger has never done anything towards bringing an investigation into the corrupt officiating of SB XL and for THAT Goodell needs to go.

BOOM!

Goodell didn't become commissioner until after Super Bowl XL. Just sayin'.

Well, he took over immediately before the following season, and he's had many a year to do so. If he came in to "clean up the league" as many argue, a huge black eye on the league's credibility would have been a very good place to start. But no, officiating has been terrible and worse under his tenure.

 

[RolandDeschain]

http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap300000 ... tl_sessler

We had not seen any videotape of what occurred in the elevator," Goodell told Norah O'Donnell on CBS Evening News. "We assumed that there was a video. We asked for anything that's pertinent. But we were never granted that opportunity.

Paul Loriquet, a spokesperson for the New Jersey Attorney General's Office, confirmed to NFL Media on Tuesday, "It's grand jury material. It would have been improper -- in fact, illegal -- for the Atlantic County Prosecutor's Office to provide (the video) to an outside/private/non law-enforcement entity."

 

[Scottemojo]

http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap3000000392274/article/roger-goodell-we-never-were-granted-chance-to-see-video?campaign=Twitter_atl_sessler

We had not seen any videotape of what occurred in the elevator," Goodell told Norah O'Donnell on CBS Evening News. "We assumed that there was a video. We asked for anything that's pertinent. But we were never granted that opportunity.

Paul Loriquet, a spokesperson for the New Jersey Attorney General's Office, confirmed to NFL Media on Tuesday, "It's grand jury material. It would have been improper -- in fact, illegal -- for the Atlantic County Prosecutor's Office to provide (the video) to an outside/private/non law-enforcement entity."

And he still could have requested it from Ray Rice himself.

Also does not explain how NFL leaks to reporters contained information only those with knowledge of the video would know.

This is only getting started.

 

[Seahawk Sailor]

http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap3000000392274/article/roger-goodell-we-never-were-granted-chance-to-see-video?campaign=Twitter_atl_sessler

We had not seen any videotape of what occurred in the elevator," Goodell told Norah O'Donnell on CBS Evening News. "We assumed that there was a video. We asked for anything that's pertinent. But we were never granted that opportunity.

Paul Loriquet, a spokesperson for the New Jersey Attorney General's Office, confirmed to NFL Media on Tuesday, "It's grand jury material. It would have been improper -- in fact, illegal -- for the Atlantic County Prosecutor's Office to provide (the video) to an outside/private/non law-enforcement entity."

So was the plea bargain reached before or after Goodell decided not to give a crap about punishing him?

 

[Sports Hernia]

Roger has never done anything towards bringing an investigation into the corrupt officiating of SB XL and for THAT Goodell needs to go.

BOOM!

Goodell didn't become commissioner until after Super Bowl XL. Just sayin'.

This is fact, but he could have still looked into it IF he wanted to. ....but he wasn't going to bite the hand (Taglibooboo) that hand picked him, and not that I would have expected him to.

 

[RolandDeschain]

And he still could have requested it from Ray Rice himself.

Did you miss the part where they said it'd be illegal for them to provide it to anybody that wasn't a law enforcement entity? Is Ray Rice a cop in his spare time? He doesn't moonlight in Ferguson, does he?

Also does not explain how NFL leaks to reporters contained information only those with knowledge of the video would know.

This is only getting started.

I agree, it's just getting started, but hearsay about what a video may show is really a basis for nothing. I'm not defending Goodell, understand - if it comes out that he did see this before the two-game suspension, I want him GONE. At the moment, however, I think he's just a rather easy witch hunt target for a lot of people that aren't particularly interested in truly getting to the bottom of how all of this unfolded...Despite the fact that they'd claim that's exactly what they're interested in.

 

[Scottemojo]

And he still could have requested it from Ray Rice himself.

Did you miss the part where they said it'd be illegal for them to provide it to anybody that wasn't a law enforcement entity? Is Ray Rice a cop in his spare time? He doesn't moonlight in Ferguson, does he?

Also does not explain how NFL leaks to reporters contained information only those with knowledge of the video would know.

This is only getting started.

I agree, it's just getting started, but hearsay about what a video may show is really a basis for nothing. I'm not defending Goodell, understand - if it comes out that he did see this before the two-game suspension, I want him GONE. At the moment, however, I think he's just a rather easy witch hunt target for a lot of people that aren't particularly interested in truly getting to the bottom of how all of this unfolded...Despite the fact that they'd claim that's exactly what they're interested in.

Ray and his lawyer have access to state evidence.

Also, the police report that Roger had did include a graphic word account of the entire incident including the one punch knockout. While Roger may not have seen the video, he absolutely knew the account of what happened.

I am left with two conclusions. Roger is either a liar, or incompetent and out of touch. Neither is good.

 

[RolandDeschain]

Ray and his lawyer have access to state evidence.

Well, per TMZ's word they did, or was this confirmed officially elsewhere? Again, though, why would Rice give it to the league when he knows full well what's on it?

Also, the police report that Roger had did include a graphic word account of the entire incident including the one punch knockout. While Roger may not have seen the video, he absolutely knew the account of what happened.

I am left with two conclusions. Roger is either a liar, or incompetent and out of touch. Neither is good.

Guess we'll have to see how this shakes out. As with player incidents, I like to wait until more or less everything that will ever be known publicly, is.

 

[Scottemojo]

Ray and his lawyer have access to state evidence.

Well, per TMZ's word they did, or was this confirmed officially elsewhere? Again, though, why would Rice give it to the league when he knows full well what's on it?

Also, the police report that Roger had did include a graphic word account of the entire incident including the one punch knockout. While Roger may not have seen the video, he absolutely knew the account of what happened.

I am left with two conclusions. Roger is either a liar, or incompetent and out of touch. Neither is good.

Guess we'll have to see how this shakes out. As with player incidents, I like to wait until more or less everything that will ever be known publicly, is.

Every defendant has access to prosecution evidence. Law 101.

 

[RolandDeschain]

Every defendant has access to prosecution evidence. Law 101.

I'm no attorney, but...

http://criminal.lawyers.com/criminal-la ... osure.html

A defendant who's charged with committing a crime must plan a defense for trial. In order to plan the best defense, he may need to know certain information that's in the hands of the government. The defendant has the legal right to have access to many types of evidence before trial.

Ray Rice was never charged. Correct? I haven't actually followed this whole thing that closely, so I'm not certain.

 

[HawkGA]

One comment on the double bye thing . . . . the league did that shortly after introducing byes. And they stopped doing it shortly after too. Only lasted a season or two, if I recall.

 

[DavidSeven]

If this was a grand jury proceeding, as I've read elsewhere, then it would indeed be criminal for the prosecution or any other participant to publicly disclose or turn over any evidence used at the proceeding. One of the main purposes of a grand jury proceeding is to protect the reputation of a potential defendant before probable cause is established.

Often, the potential defendant does not even participate in the grand jury proceeding. It is a procedure used by prosecutors to determine if they have grounds to bring formal charges.

 

[Hawks46]

I'm okay with Goodell making an exception for Rice. Special situation, special treatment.

What I am not okay with are all the other mistakes he's made, now compounded with him lying about the tape.

In all the years we've had Paul Tagliabue (1989-2006), I can't remember a single time he outraged me with his competency or lack of honesty. Sure, Goodell has had a more challenging tenure, but I pine for the days when the NFL could be drama free and safe from idiotic policies.

It's funny, but people are getting all frenzied screaming "off with his head" about Goodell. I heard a statement on the radio today, saying the NFL went to the State police, thinking it was their jurisdiction, but it was really the Atlantic City Police's jurisdiction. Now, that sounds like a bit of a cop out to me (like they wouldn't follow up once they found out they were looking in the wrong place?) until the second piece of info came out: the Atlantic City DA came out and said they wouldn't have given the tape to the NFL if they had asked, which they didn't.

Whether or not Goodell handled this badly, he's not going to get fired and he story was verified.

 

[Seahawk Sailor]

I'm okay with Goodell making an exception for Rice. Special situation, special treatment.

What I am not okay with are all the other mistakes he's made, now compounded with him lying about the tape.

In all the years we've had Paul Tagliabue (1989-2006), I can't remember a single time he outraged me with his competency or lack of honesty. Sure, Goodell has had a more challenging tenure, but I pine for the days when the NFL could be drama free and safe from idiotic policies.

It's funny, but people are getting all frenzied screaming "off with his head" about Goodell. I heard a statement on the radio today, saying the NFL went to the State police, thinking it was their jurisdiction, but it was really the Atlantic City Police's jurisdiction. Now, that sounds like a bit of a cop out to me (like they wouldn't follow up once they found out they were looking in the wrong place?) until the second piece of info came out: the Atlantic City DA came out and said they wouldn't have given the tape to the NFL if they had asked, which they didn't.

Whether or not Goodell handled this badly, he's not going to get fired and he story was verified.

"Welp, we tried."

 

[kearly]

Whether or not Goodell handled this badly, he's not going to get fired and he story was verified.

That doesn't explain King or Mortensen reporting that Goodell and/or NFL sources had seen the tape in July. Or the specific details of the tape which proved it had been watched by someone who relayed an account of it.

Either they lied then or they lied now. A lie happened.

 

[TXHawk]

Of course Goodell and the league saw the video months ago. The NFL is a multibillion dollar juggernaut with a security force filled with lots of former members of major law enforcement agencies and they can't get their hands on a casino videotape? Nobody should buy that story for a second.

I believe Goodell and the NFL are engaging in a major cover up over the Ray Rice debacle. The Ravens and their owner clearly wanted Goodell to go lightly on Rice and he obliged them and now it's blowing up in all their faces. The NFL media was also complicit in it. Sure they criticized Goodell for the light two game suspension but none of them was interested in digging too deeply into what really happened in the elevator and there was an assumption that Janay Rice was at least partly responsible for it.

Everyone knew that there was a video from inside the elevator yet none of the major sports media organizations showed any interest in obtaining it. Their financial ties with the NFL are too strong and their reporters prize their access and NFL insider status too much to make any real effort to pull back the curtain on the NFL and report what's really going on. The fact that it took an outside media organization like TMZ to obtain and make public the video speaks volumes about the incestuous relationship between major sports media and the NFL.

What's changed now is that this is no longer a sports story, it's a national story and there are reporters getting involved in it who aren't beholden to the NFL for access and benefits. I also think there are NFL reporters who know damn well that the league is lying about when they saw the video and are angry enough at Goodell to actually go after him.

This story is a long way from being over. It's the cover up rather than the original crime that usually brings down powerful people so I think Goodell is at real risk of losing his job. We'll see how it plays out.

 

[uncle fester]

Goodell won't have a job by the end of this week. No one in any sort of high office can demonstrate this amount of incompetence, hang themselves with it, and retain their position. Even if they're clearly fudging the issue to make it go away, as he is right now.

The owners are just stalling for time, pushing him back into the spotlight while they find someone to take his place.

 

[Scottemojo]

Roger is spinning like Marvin now.

A month and a half. That is the length of time between when Rice entered a diversionary program and Roger handed down his 2 game sentence. Yet Roger continues to make reference to an ongoing criminal investigation. The investigation was over.

The NFL was given a graphic written account of what happened inside the elevator as per the police report. Yet Roger says the account was "ambiguous".

Rice's Lawyer most definitely did have the video evidence. As per Florio (who I don't like, but is a lawyer too)

Rice’s lawyer had the tape. The NFL, as best anyone can tell, inexplicably didn’t ask Rice or his lawyer for the tape.

At one point in the interview, Goodell cited an “ongoing criminal investigation” as one of the reasons for law enforcement to not produce the tape. But Rice was accepted into a diversionary program in the middle of May. At that point, the “ongoing criminal investigation” had ended. His suspension wasn’t imposed until late July.

The league, with Janay Palmer's complicity, as well as the Ravens, was active in making it seem that she played a far larger role in what happened. The league was very surprised when the two game suspension was mocked, with it's legal spokesmen making the rounds on ESPN radio shows defending the decision in the following week. The most interesting aspect of the NFL's defense of the two game suspension is the repeated focus on the monetary fine. IMO, money is the defining thread to most things Roger does.

Then, a new policy is unveiled. 6 games, max, for a first domestic abuse violation. Possible permanant ban for a 2nd. Goodell soaks up the praise on this new tougher stance.

Then the video that a logical person would suspect will eventually come out does just that. TMZ does offer the NFL a chance to get out in front of it, but they don't have anything to say to TMZ.

The video causes outrage. Roger reacts by indefinitely suspending a player who by the definition of the new policy should be suspended 6 games. I guess at least he learned from the first suspension, but still, Roger violates his shiny new policy in it's very first test ride.

Interestingly, one thing Roger has not accused Rice of is lying to the NFL about what happened. It seems to me that Rice will have some basis for a lawsuit of his own vs the NFL. Essentially, they are trying to make him carry all the burden for their own incompetence (like we saw with the Browner suspension last year).

Lying or incompetence. Which do you prefer? the 31 owners in the NFL are going to have to choose between those two options. The cynical side of me thinks they will choose profitable incompetence.

 

[TXHawk]

Goodell won't have a job by the end of this week. No one in any sort of high office can demonstrate this amount of incompetence, hang themselves with it, and retain their position. Even if they're clearly fudging the issue to make it go away, as he is right now.

The owners are just stalling for time, pushing him back into the spotlight while they find someone to take his place.

The owners are publically supporting Goodell now but I'm sure they are saying something very different when they talk among themselves. We just finished the first week of the regular season and all anyone is talking about is an issue that would have been handled months ago and forgotten by now if the league had a competent commissioner. I think they'll wait and see if this dies down after another weekend of football. If it doesn't I suspect they'll have him fall on his sword.