SPORTS POLITICS-Roger Goodell needs to be fired. It’s that simple. There’s such a litany of reasons why he should kick rocks that I'm not sure where to start. His alleged involvement in the cover-up of concussion-induced CTE, his draconian punishments for recreational (and sometimes state-legal) drug use, and his support of the racist Washington team name—the one journalists aren't even allowed to type—all spring to mind.
But of course, most recently there's been his tragically incompetent mishandling of the NFL’s domestic-violence epidemic. Not to mention his ongoing disregard for the health and well-being of retired veteran players, the f**king lockout, or his Mr. Burns–esque war on referees.
F**k Roger Goodell.
As a lifelong football fan (for the Green Bay Packers, so double-f**k Goodell for the Fail Mary), I'm finding it increasingly difficult to watch the sport I love. There’s been plenty of ink spilled on that subject. Dozens of stories, in print or onscreen, point out the moral quandaries one confronts when supporting a game that is mired in arch hypocrisy, victim blaming, and stubborn ignorance— all stemming from the commissioner’s office.
{module [862]}
{module [662]}
You might think it's just a game, but context matters: Every NFL player’s dream is to win a Super Bowl. Most won’t even make the playoffs. However, those who do receive post-season bonuses in the tens and even hundreds of thousands of dollars. The athletes who suit up are often the best of the best the NFL has to offer, and they are handsomely rewarded for their abilities by the League. Given all this, a question arose in my head.
Just how many players who have received these bonuses have also been charged, arrested or cited in violence against women? How many Super Bowl winners have struck their wife or girlfriend with the same hand that now bears a Super Bowl ring—the ultimate achievement in America’s most popular sport? And how many did it under the ham-fisted rule of Roger Goodell? (Read the rest … including the NFL arrest list … here)
-cw
CityWatch
Vol 12 Issue 74
Pub: Sep 12, 2014