The news cycle has been dominated by Roger Goodell today, as the embattled commissioner of the NFL held a press conference that quickly turned into a roast and was then the subject of a massive investigative piece by ESPN. But while no one is on Goodell’s side in this matter, the Outside the Lines report shed some light on how Goodell might not be the demon he’s being made out to be.
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According to the ESPN report, Goodell may have wanted a heavier suspension for Ray Rice the first time around but may or may not have been talked out of it by someone else.
"But within days of his announcement, Goodell confided to someone in his inner circle that he wasn’t sure he had done the right thing on the Rice suspension, according to two people familiar with the exchange. The person, who speaks with the commissioner regularly, said he came away from the conversation with the strong impression Goodell regretted that someone had talked him out of leveling a tougher penalty against Ray Rice."
It’s unclear just what went on int he decision making process to suspend Rice only two games for beating his wife, but perhaps Goodell’s harsher sentence the second time around was what he wanted the first time. No matter what, he’s the commissioner of the NFL and he caved on the steeper penalty for Rice. That’s inexcusable but this report helps shed light on just how Goodell arrived at the two-game suspension and how he may have not been solely responsible.
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