HomeRunBaker said:
Pffft you're probably right. The nativity here sometimes is off the charts. I've known this forever yet still get baited in.
Could it just be that the commissioner's job in the past was to act as an agent for the owners and focus on hitting up politicians for favorable decisions and new ballparks?
This isn't his forte. And he made a giant blunder in trying to cover his ass (and the league's collective ass) by constructing a weak excuse for not acting more harshly on Rice. He never anticipated that second video appearing on television, and it's entirely possible he didn't see it because he knew what was on it anyway.
But as for today, I don't think it moved the chains. What is happening is that the NFL seems willing to take a leadership role in changing the culture. Last year, someone could make the statement "I don't care what he did, as long as he's the best player for the position." Today, not so much.
We have an entire culture built on the concept that athletes don't have to be good citizens, or even mildly decent students. It will take time to evolve, and I welcome what Goodell said today. And I agree with him that action, not words, will convince the sponsors that this change is real.
Even if this is just about money, and that's entirely possible, I still view today's rather clumsy presser as a positive.