Tag: Roger Goodell (Page 9 of 11)

      Roger Goodell given contract extension

      February 13, 2010 /

      With his contract due to expire in September, NFL commissioner Roger Goodell has been given a new five-year deal that would extend his term through 2015.

      From ESPN.com:

      The NFL said a year ago that Goodell voluntarily took a cut of 20 to 25 percent, and that he and other league executives were freezing their salaries for 2009. That announcement was made at the same time the league announced it cut 169 jobs through buyouts, layoffs and other staff reductions, a drop of just over 15 percent of a work force that had been 1,100.

      The tax return for the year ending last March 31 showed Goodell made $9,759,000, of which $2.9 million was salary and $6.55 million bonus and incentive compensation.

      Next season, the last in the current agreement, is on track to be played without a salary cap. NFL Players Association executive director DeMaurice Smith said last week the union views the chance of a lockout as a “14” on a scale of 1-to-10. That would end a streak of labor peace since the 1987 strike led to the cancellation of 14 games and three weeks of play with replacement players.

      I couldn’t imagine going through an entire year without professional football. Hopefully the greedy owners and greedy player’s union can come together on a deal that will pay both greedy parties what their greedy little minds think is fair.

      Oh, and good for Goodell. He’s done some great things for the league (especially in terms of instituting stricter punishment for off-field misconduct) and here’s hoping he does everything in his power to get the owners and player’s union to agree on a new CBA deal.


      Photo from fOTOGLIF

      NFL

      Vick eligible to play in Eagles’ third game

      September 3, 2009 /

      NFL commissioner Roger Goodell has announced that Michael Vick will be eligible to play in the Eagles’ third regular season game in 2009.

      From ESPN.com:

      Goodell and Vick had met Thursday morning for 45 to 50 minutes in New Jersey to discuss when Vick might be reinstated. After that, Goodell said, he consulted with Vick’s mentor, former Indianapolis Colts coach Tony Dungy, for another 45 minutes.

      “Hopefully we can have a success story here, which would be good for society in general,” Goodell said. “He’s realistic about the challenges ahead. And anxious to play football.”

      During their meeting Thursday, the topic of Vick’s past experiences and why he got involved in dogfighting came up. One of Vick’s representatives was explaining it, when Vick stepped in and took responsibility. “He was genuinely remorseful,” Goodell said.

      Goodell said he did discuss with Vick the report that he was seen drinking an alcoholic beverage in a restaurant at the hotel where he was staying. Goodell said it was not a violation of his probation.

      Just because he’ll be allowed to play in Week 3 doesn’t mean that Goodell won’t watch Vick like a hawk. He’ll be on an extremely short leash and he better be on his absolute best behavior.

      It’ll be interesting to see how Vick does tonight in the Eagles’ final preseason game. He’s supposed to see extended snaps while Donovan McNabb sits in preparation for the regular season opener.

      NFL

      Union to discuss Goodell’s authority to punish players

      July 28, 2009 /

      When talks being about a new collective bargaining agreement begin soon, NFL players union chief executive DeMauirce Smith said he wants to talk about commissioner Roger Goodell’s power to discipline players.

      Goodell has presided over a number of high-profile suspensions as commissioner in enforcing the league’s player conduct policy. The latest of those came Monday, when he conditionally reinstated ex-Atlanta Falcons quarterback Michael Vick, making him eligible to sign with a team and play by Week 6 if Vick’s return goes according to plan.

      But the amount of authority Goodell wields under the conduct policy — which was written with the assistance of NFL players and late union executive director Gene Upshaw — has raised concerns among players.

      “That’s something that’s very important to the players that we intend to raise,” Smith said, according to the report. “You will increase the understanding of fairness if people are involved in a way that they understand why.

      “If you imagined a world where our court systems were not public and people meted out justice and all you heard was what the result was, well, they might even get the decision right — but there would be a sense that it wasn’t fair because you couldn’t see why things were,” Smith said, the newspaper reported. “I think that same underlying philosophy is true here.”

      Hey Smith, imagine a world where companies actually discipline employees for their actions by firing them and telling them they’re never welcomed back. Imagine a world were the NFL could fire their “employees” and end their careers for acting up off the field.

      In the real world, Pacman Jones, Chris Henry, Marshawn Lynch, Tank Johnson and Brandon Marshall would never be able to “work” for the NFL again. Think about it. Think about what your boss would say if you did even a quarter of the things that these players have done over the course of their careers.

      And yet Smith thinks it’s unfair that Goodell is able to rule with an iron fist. These players can go out and tarnish the league’s image, yet heaven forbid they actually face any discipline for their actions.

      I have no problem with Goodell wielding the power to suspend players for screwing up. And if the union truly has a problem with it, then maybe it should educate the players more on the consequences they’ll face if they get into trouble off the field.

      NFL

      Goodell to come down hard on Vick and Burress

      June 29, 2009 /

      According to a report by Yahoo Sports, NFL commissioner Roger Goodell is contemplating suspending free agent wide receiver Plaxico Burress indefinitely. The article also states that Michael Vick’s indefinite suspension could continue.

      NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell is leaning toward indefinitely suspending former New York Giants wide receiver Plaxico Burress(notes) and continuing to sideline quarterback Michael Vick(notes), three sources with knowledge of the situations have indicated. Such moves would be the latest examples of Goodell’s tough stance on players embroiled in off-field issues as evidenced with the suspension of Cleveland Browns wide receiver Donte’ Stallworth(notes) earlier this month.

      Stallworth has been ruled out indefinitely by the league after pleading guilty to DUI manslaughter in the death of a Miami man in March. Stallworth was sentenced to 30 days in jail, two years of house arrest and reached a financial settlement with the family of the late Mario Reyes.

      According to a source with the Giants, the league and another that’s close to Vick, Goodell figures to take a similar stance with the quarterback and Burress. Vick, a former starter for the Atlanta Falcons, is scheduled to be released from federal confinement on July 20 after serving 20 months for his part in a dog-fighting ring. A source indicated there was a reasonable likelihood that Vick, suspended indefinitely by the league in August 2007, will not be allowed to play this season and certainly not be with a team in training camp.

      Goodell has said multiple times that he wants to see Vick show remorse for his actions. That means Vick may have to follow a strict path of behavior before he’s allowed to return.

      “[Vick] is not just walking out one day and playing again,” the source close to Vick said. “I don’t know if he understands that yet, but that’s what it looks like right now if you really pay attention. … Yeah, he served his time, but he has to prove himself. When the commissioner talks about wanting to see remorse, he’s not kidding.”

      In regards to Vick, what some people seem to forget is that he lied to Goodell about his involvement in what happened on Moonlight Road. It’s not only that Vick fought dogs and went to jail for two years, embarrassing the league, the Falcons and everyone else involved, but he also lied to Goodell’s face during a meeting roughly around the time of the 2006 draft and said he had nothing to do with what was going on at that house. So Vick has a couple things working against him as he tries to get back onto the field.

      Regardless, whether you agree with the harsh penalties or not, if you’re a fan of the NFL you have to appreciate how Goodell doesn’t hand out any slaps on the wrist. If a player messes up, Goodell will see that he pays for it.

      NFL

      Goodell to wait on Vick decision

      June 26, 2009 /

      According to the Associated Press, Roger Goodell has started to focus on Michael Vick’s future, although that doesn’t necessarily mean that the NFL commissioner will make a decision by the start of the season.

      Goodell hasn’t given a timeline yet on when he’ll come to the decision on how long he’ll suspend Vick and when he’ll reinstate the quarterback into the league. Considering the media exposure that is sure to follow a story this big, it’s probably a good idea that Goodell doesn’t put himself in a spot to have to make a decision by a certain date and time.

      If Goodell waits until right before the season starts, that obvious hurts Vick’s chances on playing this season. Chances are, no team is going to sign him without knowing how long he’ll be suspended for.

      On a side note, who wouldn’t want to be a fly on the wall when Goodell finally does meet with Vick (which should be after Vick is released July 20 from home confinement and federal custody)? Don’t forget that the two met at the draft a couple years ago before the whole dog-fighting situation went down and Vick assured Goodell that he wasn’t a part of it. Oh boy…

      NFL

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