NFL Commissioner Calls Out Bill Belichick
Thursday, February 03, 2011
Somebody please stop this egomaniacal nitwit! I speak, of course, of NFL Dictator Roger Goodell. My criticism of Goodell is nothing new. It’s been written here in the past that this knucklehead has let power go to his head and this week we have seen more examples of it.
The latest example came yesterday when it was revealed that Goodell said he felt “deceived” by Patriots coach Bill Belichick following the Spygate scandal in 2007.
Goodell told Sports Illusrated that, “I was give assurances that (Belichick) would tell his side of the story. He went out and stonewalled the press. I feel like I was deceived.”
Like it or not Roger “Kim Jong-II” Goodell, Belichick did tell his side of the story when he said that he “misinterpreted” the rule for videotaping opponents’ sidelines.
Let’s not forget that the NFL rule prohibiting videotaping an opponent’s sideline once stipulated that it was illegal to do so for “use in that game.” This is where Belichick, in my opinion, found a loophole. Belichick claims that the Patriots did not use their videotapes for the game being played on that day, but rather for subsequent meetings. Technically speaking, in a court of law, he probably would have won his argument.
Still, not only did Belichick say that he “misinterpreted” the rule, he also said at the NFL’s owners’ meetings in the spring of 2008 that he did make a “mistake.” “The way the rule is written, I interpreted it as you couldn’t use it during the game, that current game, which was never done,” he said. “I’ve never done that. I paid the price for that mistake. It was my mistake.”
What else did Goodell want? Did he want Belichick to say, “I am truly, deeply, unbelievably sorry! I hope and pray for forgiveness from the father almighty Roger Goodell. I worship the ground that he walks on and will never make such a silly mistake again so as to get on his bad side. I hope that his highness can somehow forgive me.”?
Goodell’s decision to bring up Spygate and, to him, Belichick’s inadequate apology hasn’t been his only blunder of late. He also apparently told SI’s Peter King in his investigation of the Ben Roethlisberger alleged rape case that of the two dozen players he spoke to, “not one, not a single player, went to his defense.”
Why would he say such a thing? Is Goodell that insecure that he has to reinforce publicly why he handed down the punishments that he did to the Patriots for Spygate and to Roethlisberger for his wrong doing?
What’s worse is that Peter King, a very reputable reporter, initially published Goodell’s comments saying that “not one” of his Steeler teammates came to his defense.
Obviously, seeing what a PR disaster this would be for Roethlisberger, the Steelers and the league during its showcase week, Goodell made King retract his comments insisting that he said, “not one NFL player” came to his defense.
You can choose to believe Goodell or you can go with your gut and assume that King got it right the first time and retracted his quote only after being pressured by Goodell and the league.
Kudos to Pittsburgh linebacker James Harrison for being one of the few people in the league to stand up to this jerk! Harrison, who has been fined by Goodell more times than Goodell has kissed a mirror (which is to say a lot), took a shot at the commissioner who has handed him $100,000 in fines this season.
“I don’t want to hurt nobody. I don’t want to step on nobody’s foot or hurt their toe,” Harrison said. “I don’t want to have no dirt or none of this rubber on this field fly into their eye and make their eye hurt. I just want to tackle them softly on the ground, and if you all can, we’ll lay a pillow down where I’m going to tackle them, so they don’t hit the ground too hard…..Mr. Goodell.”
Good for you James Harrison! Roger Goodell may act tough, but he’s not. Harrison plays the sport of football the way it’s supposed to be played, tough and on instinct. Goodell rules the sport the way it’s not supposed to be, like an idiot that’s never strapped on a helmet before with an ego the size of Cowboys Stadium.
This guy can’t pass the reigns to his successor soon enough for me. I know your predecessor Paul Tagliabue, Mr. Goodell, and you, sir, are no Paul Tagliabue! And if you’re looking for an apology from me on this column like you apparently still are from Bill Belichick, don’t hold your breath. You’ll suffocate.
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