Fansided

Roger Goodell has contract extension tabled by anthem protests

By Adrian Gregory Glover

FOXBORO, MA - SEPTEMBER 07: NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell looks on before the game between the Kansas City Chiefs and the New England Patriots at Gillette Stadium on September 7, 2017 in Foxboro, Massachusetts. (Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)
FOXBORO, MA - SEPTEMBER 07: NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell looks on before the game between the Kansas City Chiefs and the New England Patriots at Gillette Stadium on September 7, 2017 in Foxboro, Massachusetts. (Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images) /
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NFL owners have reportedly been so busy talking about National Anthem protests, they haven’t had time to finish Roger Goodell’s contract extension.

A good chunk of the NFLPA’s constituency is having a good laugh at the expense of sitting commissioner Roger Goodell. The commissioner came into the league as the protector of the NFL’s brand. He quickly established himself as a heavy handed disciplinarian. History will show that he dismantled multiple seasons of key players and franchises.

The shoe is now apparently on the other foot, according to an ESPN report. Sources state that Goodell’s contract extension was not completed due to the National Anthem firestorm.

At the in-season edition of the 2017 NFL owners meeting, the completion of Goodell’s extension took a backseat to the protests which swallowed the bulk of the owner’s time. The article’s source told the Disney-owned sports brand that quite frankly nothing else mattered.

"“The anthem issue has overridden everything… and I do mean everything,” the source said."

The cold reality of it all is that this is not a situation that could lead to Goodell not getting paid. The key points of the deal are done and according to this report already on paper. Most likely, there are a few scenarios that have to be talked through and perhaps a phrase or two that requires a language change thanks to legal jargon. Typically, the in-season owner’s meeting comes and goes without much fanfare.

This event was in millennial speak ‘lit.’ It started with Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones conducting a stare-down contest with protesting fans. It ended with Goodell walking out empty-handed.

In between, the owners solidified the process that will banish paper tickets from existence. As of the 2018-19 season, fans will be required to have access to a digital device to purchase tickets and access the stadiums that hosts their seats.

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That switch, the NFL Draft becoming a stadium-sized event and Goodell’s extension normally would have headlined this gathering. The protest issue has multiple layers. Each one requires time, tolerance, and patience to be carefully peeled back.

Even if the end result is that Goodell has to wait a little while to pop that bottle of champagne.