He could have said something about Brady as a person or as a representative of the league but he carefully did not. But I don't really care.
The Super Bowl Thread
- Thread starter tims4wins
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Here is a link of the Ginger Ham on the Herd. Essentially, it was like he was interviewed by the president of his fan club.
Roger has a punch-card in his wallet and he's almost all the way to a free Funnel Cake!
Their D is kinda weird. Elite (prob top 3) secondary, elite (prob top 3) rush defense, good linebacker play, and below average pass rush. Elite coaching, too, obviously.
I don't know what that adds up to, but I'd say over the past 10 games or so it's hard to argue with them being a top 7-8 unit, if not better.
Cowherd says he's a fan of Brady only to further his persona. He has zero insight on Brady or any scrap of understanding of DF.
Before I get to the point of this post, I want to state three things clearly:
1) Roger Goodell is a coward. That's been on full display the last couple of weeks, if not all the way back to the Ray Rice incident.
2) Roger Goodell is awful with words and tends to make statements that put him in precarious situations weeks or months after he's made them.
3) Roger Goodell is the very definition of selling your soul for a giant paycheck. Roger Goodell IS that smug, douchey executive that mostly lucked into his role and money.
But here's what I think we all keep forgetting: Roger Goodell is a puppet. He's a figurehead in possibly the most literal sense of the word. He's truly just a mouthpiece and executioner for the 32 team owners in the National Football League.
I have ZERO doubt that, personally, he probably wanted to deal with Deflategate as much as Brady did. If you could drown him in half a dozen drinks, he'd probably admit that he thinks Brady is innocent. Honestly, I'm willing to bet that - personally - he genuinely couldn't give a shit less if Brady deflated footballs.
The problem is, as a coward that pockets personal ethicals in favor of making tens of millions of dollars a year, we only see the "professional" side of Roger Goodell. The side that isn't necessarily Roger Goodell himself (who I'm sure is still a dickbag, but likely a much more harmless one than "Roger Goodell, Commissioner"), but the side that represents the collective interests of 32 NFL owners.
His job is to take bullets for those guys. That's why they pay him all of the money that they do. His job is to make money for the owners and take PR bullets in the process. Because, let's not forget: as big of a coward as Goodell is, 31 of 32 owners are even bigger cowards for letting him take all the blame, all of the criticism around Brady's Deflategate punishment, while they hide and try to act like they had nothing to do with what happened to Brady.
But let's get real for a second...we all know they were the ones pushing Roger to not so much hurt Brady, but hurt the PATRIOTS. Again, I know we all know this, but the Brady punishment was merely just a way to try and level the playing field as much as possible (per heat being applied to Roger and then subsequently Brady and then subsequently the Patriots), which is really indicative of 31 of 32 owners being nothing more than horrible, sore losers, full of sour grapes, that would rather destroy a legacy than try to figure out how to create one of their own.
Why am I bringing this all up? Yes, Roger's been hiding the last couple of weeks. Yes, he's scared of getting booed on national TV. But while Patriots fans anxiously await their moment to vent their frustration at him, BRADY knows who that anger should really be directed towards: the owners.
Which is why this has been such a great season for him. He knows the owners punished him for outworking and outsmarting the guys they drafted before and after him, for being a "good soldier" to his team and doing things like taking pay cuts to free cap space, for being the key player on a team that's been dominating all of their teams for a decade-and-a-half. Brady knows the role of commissioner is truly faceless; anyone wanting to make $20, $30 million per year would act similarly to Roger if the owners offered them the job as well.
That's why Brady's destroying the league. As in, the other teams. Yes, he wants Goodell to have to hand him the trophy, but I don't think that's because of a personal vandetta against Roger; he wants Roger to have to have him the trophy to smite the 31 owners that pushed Roger to punish him in the first place.
Brady understands that Roger is a pawn. The real checkmate would be standing atop the 31 other teams - again - months after he was forced to do it with one hand tied behind his back.
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I would argue that Brady is destroying the league because he's a hell of a football player and would be doing it regardless, but I agree with the overall sentiment.
I wince a little every time I hear someone say Goodell is terrible at his job - because you're exactly right here. The problem isn't that he's bad at his job, the problem is that his job is to be the ownership group's personal whipping boy, and hes fantastic at that. Ire for deflategate shouldn't be pointed at Goodell, but at the Rooneys, Maras, and McNairs of the world.
I have a close friend who worked at the NFL for years. Out of respect for him I've always refrained from posting any specifics he's told me. But, in general terms, the league office is loaded with petty, vindictive, ass-covering toadies. Goodell is a bully of the highest order. No one should let him off the hook.
This cant be repeated enough. And it surprises me that in a league where management holds most of the cards, that few have said to the Kirk Cousins of the world, "we're not paying you more than Brady."
I recall reading some story about him running ripshit through the office disparaging the underlings like a real prick.
My point wasn't that he's not an asshole. He's definitely an asshole.
He's just not an asshole who is terrible at his job - because his job is to be a very visible asshole so the owners can blame him for things - and he's very good at that.
He's just not an asshole who is terrible at his job - because his job is to be a very visible asshole so the owners can blame him for things - and he's very good at that.
Except Brady is deliberately taking less because of Giselle. Brady's at the lower end actually of cap numbers for QBs.
He's also far and away making the most money for his league, dealing with arguably the biggest egos as it pertains to ownership, operating under the brightest spotlight, and the one taking all of the blame when anything goes awry.
Don't get me wrong: I don't love the guy, either. But as Hoodie said above, he's better at his job than we all think he is. He's biting bullets left and right and prior to the ratings drop this season, has done everything necessary to make the league billions of dollars.
Just ask Robert Kraft. He knows how much his team was worth in the Tagliabue era versus what it's worth now, in the Goodell era. There are reasons he took his fight only so far: just far enough to show the fans he tried, not so far to actually try and remove Goodell.
Now, that's not to say all of the league's success is BECAUSE of Goodell, but I'm sure every single owner would be reluctant to get rid of him when as far as they know he's been a central part of the "equation" as it pertains to the financial boom the league's experienced the last decade.
I, personally, would argue that was more because of the decade-plus intrigue around the Tom Brady and Peyton Manning rivalry, but they're not going to mess with Goodell at this point.
That may be what the job turned into as everyone slowly realized what a buffoon he is.
I was younger then and may have missed plenty happening between the lines, but I don't recall Tagliabue ever playing this particular role.
Well, yeah. But that doesn't mean it pisses other owners off any less when they're watching Joe Flaccos of the world shit the bed at a significantly higher cap number.
Also, don't undermine that Brady doesn't play the "respect" card as it pertains to being the highest paid at his position. A lot of times, guys making top dollar at their position want it more for ego and "respect" related reasons than actually sweating out the difference between $16 million and $18 million per year.
*You* say it's because of his wife's income. I don't recall seeing that anywhere, except as post-hoc rationalization. Given that even his meager, paltry, below-market salary would set up 1000 future generations of Bradys even if his wife stayed home and smoked crack all day, its just as likely he's doing it because he's come to realize that one guy sucking up a large percentage of the cap is the road to a team's mediocrity (or worse) every couple of years, rather than the road to making it to the AFCCG most years.
Like I said, I'm just surprised other cheap-ass billionaire owners haven't tried to use it as leverage. (Not that we've heard about anyway).
No, but the ratings under Goodell are better than those under Tagliabue (even this down year is better than those under Tags), and the league is in significantly better financial shape. The franchises have grown in value at a drastically higher pace than previously (and than inflation), as has revenue.
I happen to think a lot of those things are due to external factors, but the owners don't seem to completely agree.
When I read your first post, I didn't give it much credence, being in the boat of "Goodell is the asshole leading this ship, not the poor schlump playing the role of asshole." But your note here about RK made me remember his recent comment (and I can't remember the exact words, so this is a paraphrase) "it's too bad that some people [plural] want to pull down TB and the Pats a peg because of their ongoing success." I'll try to find the exact quote.
I think some of you are diminishing Goodell's role in deflategate. He may not have started it but I've seen nothing to indicate he wasn't fully onboard pushing it forward.
It was his league office, those right below him that started it and pushed it forward. As was said the league office is full of vindictive assholes and Goodell is right there with them. Witness bringing up Spygate unprompted many years after the fact. Still bitter because he doesn't think Belichick apologized enough to him.
I'm sure there were a couple owners pushing on deflategate but I doubt the vast majority paid much attention. That was league office directed and supported.
How the media doesn't call out Goodell's lies is beyond me. Judge basically called him a liar. He was proven to lie about Brady's testimony. Those just become very small footnotes.
It was his league office, those right below him that started it and pushed it forward. As was said the league office is full of vindictive assholes and Goodell is right there with them. Witness bringing up Spygate unprompted many years after the fact. Still bitter because he doesn't think Belichick apologized enough to him.
I'm sure there were a couple owners pushing on deflategate but I doubt the vast majority paid much attention. That was league office directed and supported.
How the media doesn't call out Goodell's lies is beyond me. Judge basically called him a liar. He was proven to lie about Brady's testimony. Those just become very small footnotes.
I just can't agree. Kraft made it perfectly clear in his concession speech that he was worried about his position as an owner, and that the league supported the commissioner in this.
I'm sure the owners were a little shocked at how it spun out of control, but it's really instructive that when the Steelers/Giants thing happened, Rooney and Mara both came right out and said "This is much ado about nothing" before Goodell made a statement- and no investigation actually happened, where they had pushed for the investigation in Deflategate. Even Mara, whose team might have been a victim in DG2 said it was nothing. This was about taking Kraft, BB, Brady, and the Patriots down a rung, and it had widespread support in the ownership.
James Harrison was on TV last week bitching about how the Patriots stole his superbowl rings with deflated balls and spy cameras. This wasn't about Goodell, it was about the whole NFL having a hate-boner for the Patriots because they win too much. Many, if not most, fans still think the Patriots are great big cheaterymccheats and the owners feed on that.
No it wasn't just about Goodell but imo it had note to do with league other than the owners.
Yes Kraft was worried about losing his spots on committees. That's also because he told other owners like Jones to suck it up when the league went after them. So Jones and others threw it back at him.
A couple owners, Irsay of course, probably pushed for it but I don't think most owners cared either way. They certainly weren't going to bat for the a Patriots and push back and may have been happy to see them punished but judging by quotes many paid little attention.
Anyways I can't believe I got pulled into rehashing this. I'm letting it go as I want to enjoy these two weeks not go over the past.
Yes Kraft was worried about losing his spots on committees. That's also because he told other owners like Jones to suck it up when the league went after them. So Jones and others threw it back at him.
A couple owners, Irsay of course, probably pushed for it but I don't think most owners cared either way. They certainly weren't going to bat for the a Patriots and push back and may have been happy to see them punished but judging by quotes many paid little attention.
Anyways I can't believe I got pulled into rehashing this. I'm letting it go as I want to enjoy these two weeks not go over the past.
I really can't wait for CNN Fox News etc to ask Belichick about certain things. It's going to be great.
CNN Reporter: Can you please explain your relationship to Donald Trump?
Belichick: We're on to Atlanta
Fox: Have you called the president?
Belichick: We're on to Atlanta
Another news reporter: Do you know if Tom Brady called Donald Trump after he was inaugurated?
Belichick: We're on to Atlanta
ESPN: How do you feel about Roger Goodell
Belichick: We're on to Atlanta
I would love it if Belichick would shut everyone down for 5 minutes like Beast Mode did a couple years ago with the only answer he gives to questions is we're on to Atlanta.
CNN Reporter: Can you please explain your relationship to Donald Trump?
Belichick: We're on to Atlanta
Fox: Have you called the president?
Belichick: We're on to Atlanta
Another news reporter: Do you know if Tom Brady called Donald Trump after he was inaugurated?
Belichick: We're on to Atlanta
ESPN: How do you feel about Roger Goodell
Belichick: We're on to Atlanta
I would love it if Belichick would shut everyone down for 5 minutes like Beast Mode did a couple years ago with the only answer he gives to questions is we're on to Atlanta.
Followed by Reiss asking something like "How does what Atlanta is doing now fit in with some of the historically great offenses?" and then watch BB go off for 15 minutes about Mike Martz, Don Coryell, Bill Walsh, and Paul Brown.
Motherfucker went to court over the right to arbitrarily declare Tom Brady a liar and a cheater. How can he be proud to hand him a trophy? Honestly. If Brady did everything Goodell and the other owners collectively concluded he did, how can they not be disgusted by Tom's success? This is nuts. And who's at fault for spinning the wheels on the witch hunt is immaterial. Goodell had ultimate power, Goodell could have even used Judge Berman's ruling as an opportunity to lay his cards down if he truly believed nothing nefarious had happened, but the speed with which an investigation was launched, the amount of "alternative facts" leaked to the press, the way NFL Network covered the episode, it all points to the league playing a huge part in making this a story and specifically targetting Brady. I don't see literally any signs of reluctance in the way they handled that ordeal.
Giselle makes more and has a far higher earning capacity than Brady ever could.
By the time it went to court, it wasn't about Brady anymore.
It was just about ownership v. Players, and the collective bargaining agreement.
I always take exception that "Goodell has made the NFL alot of money"
I could have been commissioner and made them alot of money. Maybe 10% less but still a metric shit ton.
Someone competent (and lets put Goodell in that category) would make as much or within 1% of Goodell.
Someone exceptional, and lets face it Goodell has NEVER shown one shred of evidence that he is an exceptional businessman (see his faux pas, his dumb ass quotes, his lack of integrity and every other thing said in this thread). There HAS to be and most certainly is better business men out there waiting to be an NFL commissioner. Those guys would have made 5% more money for the league.
So why Goodell? Well he might have 1 exceptional talent. He does seem ready willing and able to "take bullets" and be "controlled". Bullets that some guys wouldn't take ( like Rozelle or Taglibue for instance) "for the good of the owners" (as opposed to the good of the game). I can only assume that the owners value that (and they should) above every last dime.
But I will never believe that Goodell is some wunderkind who has made the NFL owners an amazing amount of money in a tough environment. I think my dog could have done it.
Lets see how he copes moving forward with the NFL Hangover that seems to be happening. (Ratings, Concussions, Lack of equal competition, Lack of Superstars). I bet he fails fantastically.
I could have been commissioner and made them alot of money. Maybe 10% less but still a metric shit ton.
Someone competent (and lets put Goodell in that category) would make as much or within 1% of Goodell.
Someone exceptional, and lets face it Goodell has NEVER shown one shred of evidence that he is an exceptional businessman (see his faux pas, his dumb ass quotes, his lack of integrity and every other thing said in this thread). There HAS to be and most certainly is better business men out there waiting to be an NFL commissioner. Those guys would have made 5% more money for the league.
So why Goodell? Well he might have 1 exceptional talent. He does seem ready willing and able to "take bullets" and be "controlled". Bullets that some guys wouldn't take ( like Rozelle or Taglibue for instance) "for the good of the owners" (as opposed to the good of the game). I can only assume that the owners value that (and they should) above every last dime.
But I will never believe that Goodell is some wunderkind who has made the NFL owners an amazing amount of money in a tough environment. I think my dog could have done it.
Lets see how he copes moving forward with the NFL Hangover that seems to be happening. (Ratings, Concussions, Lack of equal competition, Lack of Superstars). I bet he fails fantastically.
I know that and didn't think that was an issue.
I just dont think her income has anything to do with Brady being willing to take "only" 15M/yr instead of 25 (or whatever the numbers are). As I said, she could never ever work a day in her life, or have never worked one, and the Brady progeny will have been loaded for generations, even at his "reduced" salary.
He's good with Reiss for the most part, because he knows not to ask stupid questions. The funny thing to watch will be these national reporters wanting to make a story out of nothing and think BB will give them audio clips. They've never met a bigger prick giving interviews than Belichick.
I think the Commish might actually prefer Brady getting another ring. No one can deny that the Commish lowered the boom in handing out the punishment to best player in the league. He'll just keep noting he stood tall and did his duty. If the Pats win, the Commish has an instant rejoinder for all the critics who said the punishment was unfair, unjust, or too tough. "Hey, the Pats still won the Super Bowl, so I couldn't have messed up much." At that point almost no one outside the crazies in New England will still spend much energy thinking about the lost draft picks and the reputations damaged.
Agreed, have heard similar from people who have encountered him professionally. I think the narrative that he's an innocent toady here is ridiculous and completely without basis. Might it be true? Sure, but it is inconsisent with his public actions and with what apparently a number of us have heard from those who actually deal with him. The fact he is heavily influenced by owners, while true, is not an excuse for a bunch of what he's done (most certainly including Deflategate). I don't buy it, and haven't seen a shred of a reason to believe otherwise here, either.
I do agree with Hoodie that Goodell is better at some of the more 'current impact' aspects of his job than he gets credit for around here; he has done a good job with labor harmony, and has increased broadcast revenues (though, he is not actually the guy driving those negotiations). But he is also overall worse at his job than any recent NFL commissioner, and than Silver or Manfred and that's because in a macro sense he's doing great harm to the league. The commissioner's biggest job is keeping the league alive and viable and Goodell has (via mis and non-handling of the concussion issue) done more to harm the league's long-term prospects than anyone who has ever held his role, and with arguable exception of steroid-era MLB commissioners and Black Sox era MLB commissioners more than any major sport commissioner ever. The way he has handled NFL reputation issues (around player violence and discipline) has undermined the league with the public in ways that are hard to get back quickly. Those are major problems that he exacerbated and should he held accountable for.
Oh, and Fuck You Roger. We're coming for you.
Dan Wetzel on The Rich Eisen Show discussing the Goodell stuff. You can hear the migraine growing behind Eisen's voice
http://www.richeisenshow.com/2017/0...alcons-patriots-super-bowl-51-match-up-12317/
http://www.richeisenshow.com/2017/0...alcons-patriots-super-bowl-51-match-up-12317/
I think Bettman is a clown; I personally think the NHL is enough smaller an enterprise than even NBA that it really isn't the same context. But respect others see that as more comparable.
More of a lamb than a goat.
They weren't blaming him for anything (by which I mean, they weren't using him as a scapegoat for some larger issue).
They were sacrificing him.
That's easy money. What site is that?
Great value. Not because Bill, Tom, or Robert would refuse, but because Goodell is a coward.