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Related: About this forumDave Zirin: It’s Not Tom Brady We Should Be Worried About—It’s Roger Goodell
from The Nation:
by Dave Zirin
For most of this week Ive resisted delivering a steaming hot take about this deflategate story because I could not force myself to give even the slightest of fucks. Its been difficult to care about the bereaved and aggrieved Patriots nation of fans who are in full froth over their Super Bowlwinning team being branded as cheaters. I also wasnt overly concerned with the tarnishing of quarterback Tom Bradys legacy. If anything, this story only mattered to me insofar as I truly wonderedsince the NFL believes that the Patriots swindled their way through the playoffswhy they didnt have to just give up their precious Lombardi Trophy. After all, forfeiting the championship was the brutal judgment delivered unto the USA Little League Champions Jackie Robinson West. I wanted to challenge Roger Goodell to go to the South Side of Chicago and hold a public lecture on why a billion-dollar football entity and their jet-setting golden boy quarterback was not being held to the same standard as the first all African-American Little League team.
But then something about this story burrowed under my skin like an inch-sized tick: the financial penalty levied against the Patriots. While Boston wept over Bradys four-game suspension and howled over the teams loss of draft picks, that $1 million fine stuck in my craw. I know a million bucks seems like piffle for a franchise with a market price in excess of $2.5 billion. But like nothing else, this $1 million fine signifies the rebooted and refortified arrogance of Roger Goodell. After a year when the commissioners job was on the ropes as he stood humbled over his historic bungling of domestic violence issues in his league, Goodell is feeling his oats. This fine represents an audacious, Empire Strikes Back level of self-regard. He might as well find an aircraft carrier to land on, with a Mission Accomplished banner in the background.
So what makes this seemingly small fine such an act of hellacious hubris? According to the collective bargaining agreement, the NFL cannot issue any fine in excess of $500,000. How did this become 1 million bucks? Well, according to Goodell logic the Patriots are fined $500,000 for deflating the balls and another $500,000 for Tom Bradys refusal to cooperate with the investigation. Like Kuato from Total Recall, its a fine within a fine! In other words, Brady would not disclose his phone records and assorted affects that could tie him to the conspiracy of the flaccid balls and Goodell is sending a message that not coming clean is a punishable as well as unpardonable sin. ......................(more)
http://www.thenation.com/blog/207385/roger-goodell-where-hell-does-he-get-balls
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Dave Zirin: It’s Not Tom Brady We Should Be Worried About—It’s Roger Goodell (Original Post)
marmar
May 2015
OP
KamaAina
(78,249 posts)1. Careful!
The many Pats-haters here might jump down your throat!
but at least then he'd know whom to put on "ignore"
KamaAina
(78,249 posts)3. Nice post, Capt. Obvious!
No one gave a damn when Goodell gave Washington big time cap penalties for breaking unwritten rules. Honestly, I'm tired of Pats fans whining - they've still got their damn championships and other teams have had far worse penalties.
Goddell bothers me far more
Just check with the Field of Schemes blog for daily updates, his name will come up.
trumad
(41,692 posts)6. I have no doubt that Goodell needs to go...
Just like I have no doubt Brady cheated.
Iggo
(47,552 posts)7. Two things can be true? At the same time?
What is this?
Crazytown?