Roger Goodell doesn't feel awkward (or guilty) about Deflategate
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Kevin SeifertNFL Nation
The anticipation of an awkward moment between NFL commissioner Roger Goodell and key members of the New England Patriots, should they win Super Bowl LI, is one of the dumbest and most irrelevant NFL storylines in history. It takes two willing parties to create such a circumstance, one aggrieved and one guilt-ridden, and we simply don’t have that here and never will.
The Patriots and their fans might well be angry, perhaps incurably so, about the Deflategate investigation that took four games from quarterback Tom Brady while docking the franchise $1 million and a first-round draft pick. Goodell? He made clear Wednesday that he feels not an ounce of guilt for what many objective observers would agree was a conclusion that overshot the verified facts.
Goodell views himself as the winner in a fight for justice and league integrity. As ESPN’s Don Van Natta and Seth Wickersham have reported, he was supported by some NFL owners for standing up to the Patriots monolith during the nearly two-year affair. Goodell, in fact, is more likely to feel proud than awkward if he finds himself standing on a stage with Brady, owner Bob Kraft or coach Bill Belichick on Sunday night.
“We had a violation,” Goodell said. “We went through a process. We applied the discipline in accordance with our process. It was litigated, as you know, extensively and validated by the Second Circuit Court of Appeals. We’re moving on from that. It’s part of our history, but it’s something we’re comfortable with the process and the decision.”
The Patriots might take umbrage at that otherwise innocuous response, of course. The appeal court upheld Goodell’s authority to draw conclusions about Deflategate, but not the conclusions themselves.
But there is no shaking Roger Goodell on this issue. As frustrating as it might be, the Patriots won’t be sticking it to him or to the league or to anyone else if they win Super Bowl LI. Those arrows will bounce off the armor of a man convinced he did what was right.
“We do our job when there is a violation,” he said. “We apply the process and the discipline and we came to the conclusion that was supported by the facts and by the courts. So from our standpoint, we understand when fans who are loyal and passionate for a team object and don’t like the outcome. I totally understand that. That’s not an issue for me.”
Goodell hasn’t attended a game at Gillette Stadium since Deflategate, and maybe you’re hoping that his absence has revealed a fear of the Patriots and their fans. Perhaps you think he’s ashamed to show his face. That seems far-fetched.
What would be in it for him to show up? Certainly, Patriots fans would like the chance to address their grievances personally. But Goodell isn’t an elected official; he works for 32 owners. Goodell doesn’t owe his constituents a listening tour. This is a commissioner who is committed, above all else other than revenue sharing, to avoiding distraction from the product. (He declined, for instance, to comment on the United State travel ban, one that could actually impact the NFL given its extensive overseas ambitions.)
So hold on if you must Sunday night. Go ahead. Move to the edge of your seat if the Patriots win. Just don’t expect Roger Goodell to feel that sick burn — now or ever.
