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Roger Goodell apologized to Marcus Mariota for mispronouncing name at NFL Draft

By Charles Rahrig V

Apr 30, 2015; Chicago, IL, USA; NFL commissioner Roger Goodell addresses the crowd in the first round of the 2015 NFL Draft at the Auditorium Theatre of Roosevelt University. Mandatory Credit: Jerry Lai-USA TODAY Sports
Apr 30, 2015; Chicago, IL, USA; NFL commissioner Roger Goodell addresses the crowd in the first round of the 2015 NFL Draft at the Auditorium Theatre of Roosevelt University. Mandatory Credit: Jerry Lai-USA TODAY Sports /
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After Roger Goodell mispronouncing first-round pick Marcus Mariota’s name went viral, the commissioner of the NFL apologized to the young quarterback.

With the second pick of the 2015 NFL Draft, the Tennessee Titans selected Marcus “Marioto.” Well, at least according to Roger Goodell they did.

In reality the team drafted quarterback Marcus Mariota, whose name the commissioner had just butchered.

Goodell’s botching of the name became one of the more popular jokes of draft weekend, and all of a sudden everyone began calling Mariota, “Marioto.”

Feeling bad for his mistake, the commissioner called the young quarterback and apologized for mispronouncing his name.

Mariota, however, was too busy on the phone with the Titans organization to realize the commissioner had mispronounced his name in the first place, he said to the Associated Press.

"NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell struggled with the pronunciation Thursday when announcing Mariota as the No. 2 pick overall by the Tennessee Titans, going with ”Mario-toe.” It’s pronounced Mario-tah. Goodell also bobbled Oregon, going with Ora-gone.Not that Mariota noticed.”I didn’t even hear it because I was on the phone, but I’m sure my parents will talk to me about that later,” said Mariota, who watched the draft at a party in his native Hawaii."

While the biggest moment of his career thus far came with a brief mistake, Mariota seems even-headed like he usually is and realizes that isn’t that big of a deal.

The Titans franchise signal caller has bigger things to focus on, and if he can be successful in turning Tennessee back into a winner, then the commissioner, along with several others, will know the name if they haven’t already. The Heisman winner has been successful every step of the way through his career, and now he faces his biggest challenge yet.

As for Goodell, he did the right thing by apologizing for his simple mistake.

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