Tag: Roger Goodell

Roger Goodell: NFL won’t investigate Saints’ role in clergy abuse scandal

Roger Goodell shared his reaction to new details on the Saints’ role in the New Orleans clergy abuse scandal during his first Super Bowl media appearance:

The New Orleans Saints clergy abuse scandal has once again taken a large place in headlines, this time right before the Super Bowl is hosted in their own city. This scandal has been one of the dark blemishes on the Saints over the past few seasons, and now it has come back to light as the Associated Press published further details regarding the full extent of how deep this issue truly went.

With Super Bowl LIX coming up soon, media had the chance to speak with Roger Goodell regarding a wide variety of topics across the NFL landscape, and this scandal came up as a question (can be found at 14:00 in this linked video). Here is what Goodell had to say in response:

“Well, a couple things, one is… Mrs. Benson and the Saints are very involved in this community, and they are great corporate citizens. So Mrs. Benson takes all these matters seriously, particularly for someone with the catholic church connections that she does.

“But I would say this, this is a matter of the FBI, I think local law enforcement, nationally and otherwise, are involved with this. Mrs. Benson first mentioned this back in 2018 in the context of… she’s made multiple comments about this… which you all have seen her transparency of the emails that are out there. So I leave it to them, but I am confident that they are playing nothing more than a supportive role to help be more transparent in circumstances like this.”

From these comments we can infer that an NFL investigation of this will not take place at this time, but will rather be handled by law enforcement agencies. We will see how things turn out in the coming days or weeks, but it is not a good look for the organization regardless.

Commissioner Roger Goodell addresses rumors about Chiefs, favoritism from officials

Commissioner Roger Goodell addresses the Kansas City #Chiefs rumors of favoritism from officials | @EdEastonJr

NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell held his annual Super Bowl press conference on Monday ahead of the Kansas City Chiefs’ championship matchup against the Philadelphia Eagles this weekend.

While Goodell covered many topics during his comments to the media, perhaps the most surprising subject he touched on was the baseless conspiracy brewing online that involves the Chiefs and the NFL’s officials.

Goodell was asked by the pool of reporters about the constant bellyaching about the league’s referees and calls for or against Kansas City this season.

Jokingly, Goodell compared it to an infamous rumor spread by former Houston Texans running back Arian Foster, which became the premise of a comedic commercial titled “The Table Read”, which posited that the league operates with a script.

“This reminds me of the script for the entire season. I think a lot of those theories are things that happen in social media, and they get a new life,” Goodell explained. “As you say, it’s not your theory, but out there. Nobody wants it to be their theory, and so I understand that. I think it reflects a lot of the fans’ fashion.” said Goodell. “I think it also is a reminder for us how important officiating is. And I think the men and women that officiate the NFL are outstanding. They have the highest possible standards.”

Former players and fans have often expressed their displeasure with game officials coincidentally during Chiefs games this season. Andy Reid, Patrick Mahomes, and many team personnel have been forced to address the criticism, and now the commissioner is discussing it before Super Bowl LIX.

“It’s a ridiculous theory for anyone who might take it seriously, but at the end of the day, it’s something we always have to continue to work on,” said Goodell. “How do we make our officiating better at all times? And if you look at the Chief’s record, which I think is an amazing thing, people talk about the competitors in our league, the Chiefs, with their 15 wins, 15 and two this year, 11 of those 15 games were within one score. And I think that talks about the competitiveness of our game and the importance of how we officiate it, but also both the competitiveness of how we played it.”

Goodell played down the criticism, but it is alarming that the topic is being carried into the biggest game of the year, focusing too much on the officials rather than the actual game.

Roger Goodell responded to the claim that the NFL and its refs have favored the Chiefs

Case closed!

When the Chiefs take the field at the Superdome for Super Bowl 59, they’ll be looking to become the first team in NFL history to win three straight Super Bowl titles. And it’s safe to assume that much of the country will be rooting against that result.

Whether it’s been accurate or pure perception, fans have grown used to accusing the NFL of favoring Kansas City throughout the season and into this run to the Super Bowl. Despite failing to score 30-plus points in any game until the AFC Championship, the Chiefs finished the season with the AFC’s best record. And at times, it seemed like the Chiefs were beneficiaries of questionable calls.

On Monday, NFL commissioner Roger Goodell met with the media for his annual press conference ahead of the Super Bowl, and he was indeed asked if the NFL really favors Kansas City amid this dynasty.

It’s safe to say that Goodell was having none of that, calling the theory “ridiculous.”

And while the theory is indeed exaggerated, the NFL has to be aware of the perception. At the very least, officiating will be a huge topic on Sunday — especially if a crucial call goes against the Eagles.

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Roger Goodell tells Bloomberg 18th game is ‘logical step’

NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell tells Bloomberg that 18th game is “logical step”

Could we see a longer NFL season soon? NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell told financial mogul David Rubenstein that adding an 18th game is a “logical step”. Goodell sat down for Bloomberg’s The David Rubenstein Show: Peer to Peer Conversations to discuss the NFL’s future. 

Goodell confirmed the speculation around the NFL wanting to add another week of regular season games. The commissioner is dedicated to the league’s 20-game framework, including regular season and preseason games. The league wants to replace the third preseason game with an 18th regular season game.

Cleveland Browns general manager Andrew Berry previously hinted at the inclusion of the extra game, when he proposed delaying the trade deadline by two weeks instead of one week. 

The NFL Players Association would have to agree to play an 18th game. The current collective bargaining agreement that allowed for a 17th game runs until 2031. The two sides have plenty of time to negotiate an 18th game. The NFLPA has been vocal against expanding the season over the last few years. The owners will need to give them many concessions to agree to an extra game. 

Goodell has been a great steward for the league and the sport. He’s helped grow the league’s global brand while dominating the American TV ratings. Goodell is a shrewd businessman, but he may have his head in the clouds over an 18th game.

Roger Goodell continues teasing 18-game regular season

NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell continues teasing an 18-game regular season schedule

2024 was only the fourth season with a 17-game regular season. If the NFL seemingly has their way, 17 will soon become 18.

The latest tease came Friday when commissioner Roger Goodell was asked about expanding the regular season. Goodell said the league has been happy thus far with the results in terms of not seeing an increase in injuries after changing from 16 regular-season and four preseason games to 17 and three. He then said the next “logical step” would be 18 and two.

“We would keep within that 20-game framework,” Goodell said on Bloomberg TV (via Pro Football Talk). “We went to 16 and four, and now 17 and three. So 18 and two is a logical step.”

The current CBA runs through the 2030 season, but there is a non-zero chance the schedule could expand before then. The current schedule formula calls for 17 games with six divisional games, six additional games within a team’s conference and five games from the opposite conference. While it remains to be seen what an 18-game schedule would look like, it would increase the possibility of more international games.

Currently, the league can schedule up to eight international games. An 18-game season could bring as many as 16 international games. The Lions have not played outside the United States since playing in London in 2015, a 45-10 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs. Their last win outside the States came in 2014, a 22-21 win in London over the Atlanta Falcons.

Roger Goodell pushing for another expansion of the NFL regular season

The NFL moved to a 17-game regular season in 2021, but Roger Goodell already has his eyes on expanding to a 18 games in the near future:

If NFL commissioner Roger Goodell gets his wish, New Orleans Saints fans and fans around the league will get a chance to see their favorite team one more week each season.

Goodell told Bloomberg he sees an expansion to 18 games in the league’s future. In doing so, they would decrease the amount of preseason games in order to stay “within that 20-game framework.” Goodell added, “We went to 16 and four, and now 17 and three. So 18 and two is a logical step.”

Considering it a logical step may depend on who you’re talking to. In some ways, it feels like 18 regular season games was always the long-term goal, and the 17-game format was being used as a feeler to see if it was feasible.

Clearly, Goodell believes it is and is ready to push to add another game to the schedule. We know what the plan is for the preseason, but there are other things to figure out, mainly will teams get an additional bye week.

The league bumped up to 17 games when the last collective bargaining agreement was signed in 2020. That agreement doesn’t expire until 2030. Heading into a new CBA seems like the point where this decision would be made and these questions will be answered.

If the NFL does decide to change the length of the regular season at the end of the CBA, it’ll be the quickest the NFL decided to change the schedule since going from 11 games to 12 games after just a year in 1947.

So how could they schedule that 18th regular season game? We’ve got some ideas like adding another bye week and setting up out-of-conference geographic rivalries, but any discussions will need to include the NFL Players Association, who will have their own demands.

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Gayle Benson and the NFL pledge $1 million towards terror attack relief

Gayle Benson, the Saints organization and the NFL pledged $1 million towards relief efforts for the New Year’s Day terror attack victims:

The New Orleans Saints announced Saturday that team owner Gayle Benson partnered with the NFL Foundation to donate $1 million towards relief efforts for victims of the New Year’s Day terror attack. The Saints shared statements from Benson and NFL commissioner Roger Goodell in a press release.

From Benson:

“Our community has experienced an unimaginable tragedy and our collective hearts are broken as we mourn for the victims and survivors on the New Year’s Day terror attack in New Orleans. As a league, our cities and teams compete at the highest levels of competition and share spirited rivalries. Our staffs and players work tirelessly towards achieving our goals and we share in victories and defeats. However, through football we are also united and we stand arm-in-arm against all forms of hatred. We will vanquish terror and fear with an unwavering resolve and purpose rooted in love, compassion and kindness. Our focus has always been on providing aid quickly and effectively, and we are grateful for the collaboration with both the Greater New Orleans Foundation (GNOF) and United Way to ensure that these funds reach those who need them most.”

And from Goodell:

“Our hearts go out to all those affected by the tragic events in New Orleans. The NFL is committed to standing with the resilient community of New Orleans during this difficult time.”

Additionally, the NFL will honor victims of the Bourbon Street attack with a moment of silence before kickoff at each game in Week 18.

You can contribute to the Greater New Orleans Foundation here. Benson has made a number of high-profile donations to good causes in the New Orleans community over the years, and it’s good to see her stepping up here as well.

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Commanders possible stadium site and F-16 fighter jets are involved?

Politics getting in the way of Commanders’ potential new stadium.

Sam Fortier of The Washington Post broke in his Tuesday story that Maryland is asking for the city of Washington to give Maryland one of its Air National Guard Squadrons.

If the city met their request, Maryland would not oppose the upcoming vote of a bill that the city needs to pass regarding federally owned land.

Are F-16 fighter Jets being negotiated to prevent an NFL team from leaving Maryland and returning to the District of Columbia?

Is this a prime example of what is wrong with American elected officials today?

The District of Columbia wants a bill to pass, making it more possible for the Commanders to return to the city.

If passed, the plans could go forward, the site could be redeveloped and a new stadium could be built on the very hallowed grounds of RFK Stadium where the Redskins won five NFC championships and three Super Bowls.

Enter the state of Maryland, saying this would be an unfair advantage for the District in regaining the team from Maryland. The Commanders presently play in Landover at Northwest Stadium.

Are there some powerful politicians in Maryland considering lowering protections designed to prevent attacks on our nation’s capital? And all for the sake of attempting to keep an NFL team in your state?

Would city officials actually consider the Commanders worth losing some of their protection?

How in the world did we get to where elected officials today would propose such in negotiations?

Fortier reports that Senate Majority Leader, Democrat Chuck Schumer (NY), is involved in the deal. Also reported by Fortier was that Schumer had already met with Commanders owner Josh Harris and NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell.

Whenever I am surprised by the actions of those we elect to be wise leaders for us, I am reminded of wise words of wisdom from Thomas Sowell.

“No one will really understand politics until they understand that politicians are not trying to solve our problems. They are trying to solve their own problems—of which getting elected and re-elected are number one and number two. Whatever is number three is far behind.”  Thomas Sowell

Commanders suspend VP for disparaging comments on players, fans and Roger Goodell

Commanders suspend VP of content over disparaging comments made about players, fans and Roger Goodell.

The Washington Commanders suspended vice president of content Rael Enteen on Wednesday after a video emerged of Enteen making disparaging comments about NFL fans, commissioner Roger Goodell, Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones and Washington players.

The comments from Enteen were made to an undercover reporter from the O’Keefe Media Group.

The Commanders released the following statement:

“The language used in the video runs counter to our values at the Commanders organization,” a spokesperson said in the statement. “We have suspended the employee pending an investigation and will reserve further comment at this time.”

In the video, Enteen said the following, as transcribed by ESPN.

He told the undercover reporter that, “over 50% of our roster is white religious, and God says, ‘F— the gays.’ Their interpretation. I don’t buy any of that. Another big chunk is low-income African Americans that comes from a community that is inherently very homophobic.”

Enteen said players are “dumb as hell” and referenced them getting hit in the head too many times.

He said the following about Goodell and Jones:

Enteen also said, “I don’t think the commissioner of the NFL hates gay people, hates black people. Jerry Jones, who really runs the NFL, I think he hates gay people, black people.”

Enteen then said it was his job to sell hope and mentioned the incident at the former FedExField in 2021 when some pipes burst. The Commanders, at the time, denied it was sewage pipes, even though fans said they smelled sewage. Enteen said he tweeted out that it was just water and commented: “That……..is state-run media.”

Enteen was hired in September 2020 and was one of former team president Jason Wright’s hires.

Watch: Raiders QB Gardner Minshew makes hilarious cameo in ‘ManningCast: The Musical’ promo

The all-star ‘ManningCast: The Musical’ promo features an appearance by Gardner Minshew

Peyton Manning and Eli Manning are back with another season of Manningcast. The show goes along with Monday Night Football and features the Peyton and Eli talking ball along with weekly special guests.

And to kick things off, they put out a promo which features plenty of star power as the the two brothers cobble together ‘Manningcast: The Musical. From Kevin Hart to Roger Goodell with plenty of other celebrity and NFL appearances as well.

It even features Raiders QB Gardner Minshew as part of one of the numbers. Minshew is actually one of the few active NFL players to appear in the promo. His ‘number’ is alongside Bucs QB Baker Mayfield.

Here it is; Manningcast: The Musical (Minshew appears around the 4;30 mark)

Others to appear in the promo include the likes of Jimmy Kimmel, Snoop Dogg, Jim and John Harbaugh, Sean McVay, Mike McDaniel, Jason Kelce, Chad Johnson, Bill Burr, Paris Hilton, The Backstreet Boys, Michael Buble, Bill Belichick, and Robert Downey Jr.