Roger Goodell has not had the best year as the NFL commissioner and has had many calling for his resignation and he’ll face more heat during championship weekend with ‘Goodell must go’ banners flying at the weekend’s games.
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It has been a trying year for NFL commissioner Roger Goodell who found himself at the center of a domestic violence crisis and a firestorm of criticism stemming from the handling of former Baltimore Ravens running back Ray Rice and Minnesota Vikings running back Adrian Peterson.
Goodell botched the investigation into Rice and suspended him for two games after assaulting his fiancee and then changed course after seeing video of the assault and suspended him for six games. Rice appealed the decision and won after Goodell suspended him twice for the same offense.
His process for investigating Rice was amateurish at best and made the leader of the NFL look unqualified and inhuman in many respects that resulted in many calling for a change.
If head coaches are on the hot seat after losing seasons, Goodell is sitting on the surface of the sun and the temperature will rise this weekend during the NFC and AFC Championship Games on Sunday.
According to Jane McManus of ESPNNewYork.com, “Goodell Must Go” banners courtesy of the women’s advocacy group Ultraviolet which has been critical of Goodell’s handling of domestic violence and flew banners over games earlier this year.
"Goodell Must Go" banners to fly over NFC and AFC title games courtesy of Ultraviolet, which has been critical of domestic violence action.
— Jane McManus (@janesports) January 15, 2015
Banners flew over games in Cleveland, San Francisco, Indianapolis and East Rutherford, N.J. in September in the aftermath of the Rice debacle, but Goodell remained emotionless and robotic in his approach to his job.
A revamped domestic violence and sexual assault policy was later instituted that outlines the discipline for offenders, including a six-game suspension for first time offenders under the league’s “tougher” policy.
How much television coverage these banners get this weekend will likely be slim considering the television networks aren’t going to openly damage the commissioner of the league whose games they pay billions of dollars to broadcast, but it will generate discussion and garner attention elsewhere.
Will Goodell lose his job over his job performance over the last year and have the owners he works for send him packing like they did for a handful of head coaches after their lousy performance?
Again, not very likely considering how much money is coming into their pocket, but I commend Ultraviolet for doing what they can to keep the heat on Goodell who clearly has to do better.
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