13 Ways Roger Goodell Has Turned The NFL Into A Dictatorship

[Zack_of_Steel+ 3,014]

http://www.businessinsider.com/roger-goodell-turned-nfl-into-dictatorship-2013-7?nr_email_referer=1&utm_source=Triggermail&utm_medium=email&utm_content=emailshare#

 

Indeed.

Edited July 12, 2013 by Zack_of_Steel

[Dutch 874]

Goodell is a power hungry douche.

[Crash 105]

Mm I may not agree with everything he does but love the punishment for off field issues and I think it should be even worse for repeat offenders. Love the new cba and love how he handled the lockout. Also if the rumors are true about how the nfl and the owners has secretly made a pact to not continue handing out massive FA contracts I love that. Also I do agree that player safety definitely needs to be addressed

Edited July 12, 2013 by Crash

[.AirMcNair. 1,232]

I don't like Goodell, but most of the stuff listed in this article really isn't that outrageous, lol, and parts of it even aren't his fault.

[Dutch 874]

Trying to add 18 games totally counters his so called concerns about NFL players safety. Then talking about trying to get rid of kick returns one of the most exciting plays in the game? Fuck him

Edited July 12, 2013 by dutchff7

[KempBolt 498]

1. A fair criticism.

 

2. Very fishy.

 

3. He got mad a Terry Bradshaw? Really? That's a reason why he's a dictator?

 

4. Bob Kraft, one of the owners who collectively hired and empowered Goodell, doesn't like him? Another reach.

 

5. The entire ownership side of the NFL wants to downplay the negative long term repercussions of playing football. That would have been the call regardless of commissioner. And really, what are they supposed to do, run their own bad press? It's not as though they aren't trying to make the game safer. Weak.

 

6. The players don't like the guy who works for the owners and hands down league discipline? Shocking. Some of these are really stupid.

 

7. This is a good critique of the NFL ownership group as a whole. What did they expect Goodell to do? Bring back the real refs on his own?

 

8. I actually think this is a valid critique. Though it is kind of shitty to give him heat for the whole concussion issue and then trash him for fining big hits.

 

9. He's handed out the harshest suspensions in league history because players have been caught doing the most egregious things in league history. Outside of the bountygate debacle (which the author covered in #1), I have no issues with his suspensions.

 

10. A team with lots of players who've been fined don't like Goodell? Again- how is this relevant?

 

11. The owners are hell-bent on an 18 game season. And that's because they like $. And it hasn't happened yet. So he's a dictator because he is pushing for what the owners want even though it doesn't exist yet? Right...

 

12. Collusion clearly took place there. But is that Goodell's fault? Also- I love how for this one they show a picture of RGIII's knee getting hurt... as if somehow Goodell did that to him.

 

13. I think that stuff is silly and inconsistent so I can see the author's point here.

 

 

Goodell is far from perfect but this article is mostly garbage. It should be called "6 (at most) Ways Roger Goodell has Turned the NFL into a Dictatorship." Because the other 7 are complete and total fluff and mostly based around people not liking him.

[East495 55]

 

YES YOU DO ROGER...YES YOU DO!

[OSUViking 505]

1. A fair criticism.

 

2. Very fishy.

 

3. He got mad a Terry Bradshaw? Really? That's a reason why he's a dictator?

 

4. Bob Kraft, one of the owners who collectively hired and empowered Goodell, doesn't like him? Another reach.

 

5. The entire ownership side of the NFL wants to downplay the negative long term repercussions of playing football. That would have been the call regardless of commissioner. And really, what are they supposed to do, run their own bad press? It's not as though they aren't trying to make the game safer. Weak.

 

6. The players don't like the guy who works for the owners and hands down league discipline? Shocking. Some of these are really stupid.

 

7. This is a good critique of the NFL ownership group as a whole. What did they expect Goodell to do? Bring back the real refs on his own?

 

8. I actually think this is a valid critique. Though it is kind of shitty to give him heat for the whole concussion issue and then trash him for fining big hits.

 

9. He's handed out the harshest suspensions in league history because players have been caught doing the most egregious things in league history. Outside of the bountygate debacle (which the author covered in #1), I have no issues with his suspensions.

 

10. A team with lots of players who've been fined don't like Goodell? Again- how is this relevant?

 

11. The owners are hell-bent on an 18 game season. And that's because they like $. And it hasn't happened yet. So he's a dictator because he is pushing for what the owners want even though it doesn't exist yet? Right...

 

12. Collusion clearly took place there. But is that Goodell's fault? Also- I love how for this one they show a picture of RGIII's knee getting hurt... as if somehow Goodell did that to him.

 

13. I think that stuff is silly and inconsistent so I can see the author's point here.

 

 

Goodell is far from perfect but this article is mostly garbage. It should be called "6 (at most) Ways Roger Goodell has Turned the NFL into a Dictatorship." Because the other 7 are complete and total fluff and mostly based around people not liking him.

 

How dare you use logic instead of blind hatred, sir.

[Crash 105]

 

YES YOU DO ROGER...YES YOU DO!

C'mon man. Has he made questionable decisions? Yes but he has fixed maybe the NFL's biggest problem with rookie contracts which would have eventually bankrupted the league. Player safety is a big a problem and I like that they are trying to take care of the players more, in fact I don't think they are doing enough for player safety

[Thanatos 2,847]

OH GOD.

 

ARE YOU FUCKING KIDDING ME?

 

On top of all your complete and total ignorance in posts, you are also pro-Goodell?

 

Just wow.

Edited July 15, 2013 by Thanatos19

[Crash 105]

OH GOD.

 

ARE YOU FUCKING KIDDING ME?

 

On top of all your complete and total ignorance in posts, you are also pro-Goodell?

 

Just wow.

I wish people would read cause it says right up top that I don't like everything hes done but I love the new CBA that he helped fix and the rookie contracts, I like that they are focusing on players safety and want a safer game cause I actually care about the players as humans and care about their health. I actually think they haven't done enough for player safety. I'm not a fan of expanding the league or expanding the schedule or how they dictate punishment but some things are good. He's been a middle of the road commissioner.

 

I'm ignorant for having a opinion and thinking outside the box and not falling into some of the bs the media pumps out? Hmm I think your statement is by far more ignorant then mine

Edited July 16, 2013 by Crash

[lordnate 6]

Rodger Goodell does a lot to protect the NFL brand, but its almost to a point where it hurts it. Destroying the evidence on the Spy Gate Tapes and not bringing forward the evidence on the Bounty Gate scandal was either due to a Goodell backed conspiracy or he just didn't want the public to know how bad these things really were. If its the 2nd theory, I think he's over doing the protect the brand thing. People aren't going to hate the NFL and ban it when people doing bad things get caught. I think he makes the situation worse, because without the evidence, we can dream up the worst possible ideas for what happened.

 

I also don't like how to hands out suspensions. He will suspend a player for getting into legal issues even when the player was not convicted. I know sometimes players get away with crimes they shouldn't, but a suspension should not occur based on speculation. Then he'll always put in a non-exact suspension to later be reviewed, just to create suspense. A perfect example of all of this is when he suspended Roethlisberger 4-6 weeks. 4 or 6 weeks, which is it? Was he even guilty of a crime? I'm one that actually believes Roethlisberger was at least somewhat to blame for his rape situation, but without proof its nothing more than speculation. I could make a long list of different suspensions and fines I disagreed with for various reasons. I'm not a fan of Goodell.

[butta54 371]

I have to agree that a good amount of this article doesn't make that good of an argument. The last two reasons alone are just silly....

 

-Cowboys and Redskins spent money like crazy during the uncapped year and I remember clearly being said that any team that went over a certain amount during the uncapped year would receive penalties after the new CBA. So making Goodell out to be the bad guy is goofy.

 

-Bringing penalties to coaches/players that committed violations in the NCAA is one of the main issues the competition board and each conference head in the NCAA is trying to address. IMO I love the idea of finally making these coaches pay for their actions instead of running off to the league to leave their school high and dry with sanctions which hurts the players, future players, and most importantly the fans.

 

Now I do believe Goodell is power hungry, money driven, and wants things done his way. While I hate some of the changes he has made (PRO BOWL!!) and some things he wants to change, I can't lie and say he hasn't done some decent things since being Commish of our beloved game.

[Vin+ 3,121]

I love #4.

 

4. Patriots owner Robert Kraft told ESPN that Goodell "runs the NFL as if he owns it."

 

 

 

 

Now, the quotes from the article that is sourced:

 

Robert Kraft, the Patriots owner, says Goodell runs the NFL as if he owns it -- the league literally belongs to him. Jerry Jones, the Cowboys owner, says Goodell cares so much about the game that he "totally emptied his bucket -- everything he's got -- and put his life into the NFL."

 

Doesn't seem like such a bad thing.

[Socal 524]

lol 'article'... that's rich

 

It's a fucking bleacher report slideshow with no substance. A picture and a caption used as the headline is all that is used to make a case that Goodell has turned the NFL into a dictatorship. I don't like Goodell and I disagree with a lot that he has done but this slideshow is a piece of shit.

[Dutch 874]

[Jules 98]

Rodger Goodell does a lot to protect the NFL brand, but its almost to a point where it hurts it. Destroying the evidence on the Spy Gate Tapes and not bringing forward the evidence on the Bounty Gate scandal was either due to a Goodell backed conspiracy or he just didn't want the public to know how bad these things really were. If its the 2nd theory, I think he's over doing the protect the brand thing. People aren't going to hate the NFL and ban it when people doing bad things get caught. I think he makes the situation worse, because without the evidence, we can dream up the worst possible ideas for what happened.

 

I also don't like how to hands out suspensions. He will suspend a player for getting into legal issues even when the player was not convicted. I know sometimes players get away with crimes they shouldn't, but a suspension should not occur based on speculation. Then he'll always put in a non-exact suspension to later be reviewed, just to create suspense. A perfect example of all of this is when he suspended Roethlisberger 4-6 weeks. 4 or 6 weeks, which is it? Was he even guilty of a crime? I'm one that actually believes Roethlisberger was at least somewhat to blame for his rape situation, but without proof its nothing more than speculation. I could make a long list of different suspensions and fines I disagreed with for various reasons. I'm not a fan of Goodell.

 

 

Yeah. This.

[Dutch 874]