Bell: NFL owners unwavering in Roger Goodell support – USA TODAY
NEW YORK – Despite intense criticism in recent weeks that flowed from the biggest blunder of his tenure as NFL commissioner, Roger Goodell’s bosses are not ready to bail.
That sentiment was expressed publicly and privately by several of the NFL owners who gathered Wednesday for their fall meetings. The NFL is in an undeniable crisis mode, with Goodell’s role crucial in its weak handling of domestic violence issues that escalated last month after video surfaced of Ray Rice knocking out his then-fiancée, Janay Palmer.
The league continues to reshape its personal conduct policy, and Goodell has said “nothing is off the table.”
Would he be willing to give up disciplinary power?
“I think that Roger will do whatever is right for the league,” Atlanta Falcons owner Arthur Blank told USA TODAY Sports. “He is obviously looking at all of this from every viewpoint that we can.
“At the end of the day, the ownership is going to make that decision.”
In other words, Goodell’s bosses always have the final authority. They also seem to have his back — for now.
“You don’t can somebody for making one bad decision,” Houston Texans owner Bob McNair told USA TODAY Sports, alluding to the two-game suspension Goodell originally imposed on Rice. “He recognized that he made the wrong decision, and he corrected it. That’s what you want an executive to do. I think he’s being honest with us, he’s working hard and providing good leadership. That’s why he has the support.”
That support could change if the independent investigation being conducted by former FBI director Robert Mueller reveals Goodell dropped the ball on the Rice investigation.
Goodell has forcefully maintained that neither he nor any other NFL official reviewed the Rice video.
Criticism directed at Goodell has come from players questioning whether he has been held accountable in a fashion similar to his demand on players.
No, Goodell isn’t facing suspension. Yet it’s still possible Goodell, paid more than $44 million in 2013 in salary, bonuses and pension payouts, could face a financial penalty of sorts — as in a reduction in the annual bonus that makes up a large portion of his compensation.
“Those decisions will be made at the appropriate time,” Blank said. “I’m certainly not concerned about that right now.”
Blank is one of three owners — along with Jerry Richardson from the Carolina Panthers and Robert Kraft of the New England Patriots — who formulate the compensation committee that reviews Goodell’s performance on an annual basis.
The committee makes recommendations to the full ownership body, typically during the spring meetings, regarding Goodell’s package. Factors include how Goodell compares to similar industry executives.
Asked how the crisis might affect Goodell’s next package, Blank said, “You look at his performance in total. There are a variety of factors.”
At this point, Goodell is getting the benefit of the doubt from owners and has professional collateral built throughout his nine years as commissioner and 30 years with the league.
“You can look at it this way: He’s made thousands of decisions, and by and large they’ve all been good decisions,” McNair said. “He’s always acted with integrity, and he’s been honest, so we have no reason not to believe him. He’s told us what’s transpired, and we believe him.”
The support also reflects the sentiment that Goodell is essentially the representative of owners. While crafting the new domestic violence policy that was revealed in late August – before the Rice elevator video surfaced – Goodell consulted with some owners for input.
There’s a sentiment among some owners that Goodell is often in a no-win situation as the front man, the person positioned to take the hit when the heat is turned on – which in another situation was evident during negotiations with players on the labor deal.
“The issues and cases of the last couple of months,” Blank added, “I think Roger, to his credit, has recognized that his decision-making has not been correct, and probably the league’s position on some of these matters has not been consistently applied and held to the highest standards.”
Rather than contemplating Goodell’s status, the focus now is in fixing the issues.
The players union has maintained for years that Goodell has too much power in disciplining players under the conduct policy, as he not only decides on punishment but hears the appeals. Goodell, though, has said recently that he is willing to discuss a fundamental change.
That could result in an independent panel that determines – with the union represented – on player discipline. In that scenario, Goodell might retain the authority to rule on appeals.
But that’s an issue, like so much else, that is unresolved.
Follow Jarrett Bell on Twitter @JarrettBell.
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