Steelers' Harrison: Goodell lawsuit 'win-win' for players

[stillers4me]

It is more than four months before the start of the NFL season, but James Harrison appears to be in midseason form when it comes to tweaking his frequent foil.

The Steelers outside linebacker took a couple of subtle swipes at Roger Goodell on Wednesday, calling the defamation lawsuit that Saints linebacker Jonathan Vilma brought against the NFL commissioner last week a “win-win” for the players.

“If (Vilma) loses, it shows Goodell does have too much power,” Harrison said following an offseason practice, “and if he wins, it opens up the floodgates.”.............

Read more @ http://triblive.com/sports/1848370-8...ower-game-guys

[Chidi29]

Reporters, please stop bringing up Goodell to Harrison (never going to happen, sadly). Every time he speaks, Deebo's foot enters his mouth.

If Vilma loses, it does not show that Goodell has too much power. It would show that Goodell was accurate in his accusation that Vilma offered up 10K on a bounty.

A few seasons ago, you could argue Harrison had a point about Goodell. Or at least understand why he was upset with him. Now, he and the rest of the players/fans are just grasping at straws, looking to tie every bad thing in the world to Goodell.

[BnG_Hevn]

It depends on "how he wins".

If Goodell comes forward with enough evidence that supports his claims and wins, then it does him no harm.

BUT, if Goodell wins by acting a dictator (not revealing any evidence) THEN it shows he has too much power.

[steeldawg]

Reporters, please stop bringing up Goodell to Harrison (never going to happen, sadly). Every time he speaks, Deebo's foot enters his mouth.

If Vilma loses, it does not show that Goodell has too much power. It would show that Goodell was accurate in his accusation that Vilma offered up 10K on a bounty.

A few seasons ago, you could argue Harrison had a point about Goodell. Or at least understand why he was upset with him. Now, he and the rest of the players/fans are just grasping at straws, looking to tie every bad thing in the world to Goodell.

I agree harrison should not be answering any questions about goodell, and I agree that goodell winning the lawsuit will validate goodell and make vilma look like an idiot. I dont even understand what would be goodells motive to target vilma in the first place, it makes no sense.

[Chidi29]

I agree harrison should not be answering any questions about goodell, and I agree that goodell winning the lawsuit will validate goodell and make vilma look like an idiot. I dont even understand what would be goodells motive to target vilma in the first place, it makes no sense.

This is exactly how I feel when I hear players comment on situations they know NOTHING about.

James, shut your mouth. Football is back, focus on that.

[X-Terminator]

I agree that it's time for Harrison to move on. Even though his basic premise - that Goodell has too much power - is correct, at some point you have to just focus on your job. Let the legal stuff take care of itself. I still hope Vilma wins, even though he really has no chance, if for no other reason than to show that Goodell is the corrupt and power-hungry SOB that everyone (except Chidi) thinks he is.

[steeldawg]

I really dont think goodell is power hungry or corrupt. I think goodell is doing exactly what the owners want him to do. Im tired of hearing the players whining about him having to much power, they had their chance to address that issue and they did not. Goodell was not hired to be a fan of the game, he was hired to make sure the business of the NFL remains profitable. While I have not agreed as a fan with some of his punishments hes handed down, I understand the reasoning behind them.

[Chidi29]

Alright! It's not just me on the "Goodell is not Hitler" island anymore!

[X-Terminator]

Let's see...

- Swept Spygate under the rug
- Inconsistent and unfair punishments for similar offenses
- Hypocritically claims to care about player safety, while pushing for an 18-game season. To his credit, he dropped this one.
- Is swayed too much by media perception
- Wants to expand into Europe and host the Super Bowl in London. I mean seriously...what the fuck, dude?
- Has way too much power as judge, jury and jailer. Even Gary Bettman and Bud Selig don't have that much power, and they suck just as much as Goodell does.
- Pussifying the sport overall in the name of "player safety." It should really be "pussifying the sport to keep retired players and the Feds off his ass." I may give him a little more respect if he just came out and admitted that.

Other than that, he's a fine, upstanding Commissioner.

[zulater]

Alright! It's not just me on the "Goodell is not Hitler" island anymore!

Cool. Now there's two of you!



just kidding Chidi and Dawg.

[Chidi29]

Cool. Now there's two of you!



just kidding Chidi and Dawg.

How did you find my prom picture?

[tube517]

Cool. Now there's two of you!



just kidding Chidi and Dawg.

Watch out! That would mean Chidi drives a nice ass car!

[steeldawg]

Let's see...

- Swept Spygate under the rug
- Inconsistent and unfair punishments for similar offenses
- Hypocritically claims to care about player safety, while pushing for an 18-game season. To his credit, he dropped this one.
- Is swayed too much by media perception
- Wants to expand into Europe and host the Super Bowl in London. I mean seriously...what the fuck, dude?
- Has way too much power as judge, jury and jailer. Even Gary Bettman and Bud Selig don't have that much power, and they suck just as much as Goodell does.
- Pussifying the sport overall in the name of "player safety." It should really be "pussifying the sport to keep retired players and the Feds off his ass." I may give him a little more respect if he just came out and admitted that.

Other than that, he's a fine, upstanding Commissioner.

Spygate- we have no idea what the evidence was so we do not know what was swept under the rug, besides he issued punishments for that.
Inconsistent punishments- yes he has, he has done them based on how much public damage the incident does to the sheild.
He does care about player safety because of litigation, and the 18 game season is for profit, not uncommon for a ceo to care about these issues for there company.
Yes swayed by media preception, absoluetly the image of the NFL is a main priorty for any commish of any league.
Wants to expand the NFL internationally, Of course he is a ceo with a popular product, any smart business professional would entertain the idea of expanding their market.
Has too much power, again players could of addressed this issue during labor agreements and did not.
Goodell is not pussyifying the sport, he is simply taking action in response to players suing the nfl for the nature of the game.

[GBMelBlount]

LOL!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Cool. Now there's two of you!



just kidding Chidi and Dawg.

[X-Terminator]

Spygate- we have no idea what the evidence was so we do not know what was swept under the rug, besides he issued punishments for that.
Inconsistent punishments- yes he has, he has done them based on how much public damage the incident does to the sheild.
He does care about player safety because of litigation, and the 18 game season is for profit, not uncommon for a ceo to care about these issues for there company.
Yes swayed by media preception, absoluetly the image of the NFL is a main priorty for any commish of any league.
Wants to expand the NFL internationally, Of course he is a ceo with a popular product, any smart business professional would entertain the idea of expanding their market.
Has too much power, again players could of addressed this issue during labor agreements and did not.
Goodell is not pussyifying the sport, he is simply taking action in response to players suing the nfl for the nature of the game.

Spygate - Yeah, we don't know what evidence they had because Goodell had it all destroyed! And the punishments they got were an absolute joke compared to what the Saints got. What they did was the very definition of compromising the integrity of the game, and they basically got away with it, despite being told to stop. Sound familiar?

Inconsistent,unfair punishments - Either they all disrespect the shield, or they don't. No picking and choosing. You've had players not being punished for offenses that other players were punished for, and vice versa. For example, that player who actually was charged with sexual assault and as far as I know has not been punished by the league. Yet Ben was punished, despite not being charged with a crime. The only reason nobody really cares is because the other player isn't a star like Ben, and I'm sorry, that isn't right. It should be the same for everyone regardless of status.

Player safety - You pretty much agree with what I said. He only cares about player safety because of pending lawsuits. And like I said, he should just come right out and admit it instead of feeding us a bunch of bullshit. The 18 game season was about profit...at the expense of player safety. The weekly Thursday night games starting this season is about profit...at the expense of player safety. He does not give a damn about player safety. He only gives a damn about the almighty dollar. Yes, that is his job, so again, he should stop feeding us a bunch of bullshit and just tell us the truth.

Media perception - So you mean it's perfectly OK for him to try people in the court of public opinion before actually judging them in the board room based on real evidence? How does a player get a fair hearing and decision in that situation? He actually did it right as far as the Saints investigation is concerned - it was done all in private and not in public.

Expansion - There's nothing wrong with expanding your market. There is something wrong with putting teams in Europe that would create logistical nightmares, huge spikes in travel costs (particularly for teams outside of the Eastern time zone), lower U.S. ratings due to the time zone difference (again, particularly outside of the Eastern time zone) which would lead to lower advertising revenue. Any revenue gains they'd get from teams in Europe would be offset by losses in the U.S., so really...what possible good would it do? I seriously doubt the owners and especially the players will go for that. Europeans are able to get games via satellite or online, and they have one game a year in London (that nobody watches). Goodell should be happy with that. As far as the Super Bowl goes, the game has already been priced out of the range of the average Joe. How many people could afford to go to London to watch it? The only good thing about playing it there is that the game would be over by 6:30, instead of starting at 6:30.

Too much power - Here's one issue I agree with you 100% on, and why I have no sympathy for any non-Steeler who complains about it. The NFLPA had a chance to take a real stance on that issue, and they folded like a tent in a hurricane.

Pussification of the sport - Yes, he absolutely is pussifying the sport with his pussy rules, and is using the lawsuits as an excuse to do it. Pretty soon, you won't be able to hit the QB at all and will have to give the receiver a 10-yard space to catch the ball before you can even touch him. That's not in response to the players suing the league, that's in response to protecting sissies like Marsha Brady so that she won't have to get her hands dirty from being a real football player. The ex-players are suing the league primarily because the league kicks them to the curb after they retire, which is dead wrong and is not really all Goodell's fault. The NFLPA has to take a lot of the blame for that as well. Talk about a useless union. If they had half the balls of the MLBPA, I guarantee you this would not have gone on for as long as it has, and Goodell would not have the power that he does.

[LLT]

I really dont think goodell is power hungry or corrupt. I think goodell is doing exactly what the owners want him to do. Im tired of hearing the players whining about him having to much power, they had their chance to address that issue and they did not. Goodell was not hired to be a fan of the game, he was hired to make sure the business of the NFL remains profitable. While I have not agreed as a fan with some of his punishments hes handed down, I understand the reasoning behind them.

And you COMPLETELY ignore the fact that the comissioner's job is threefold.....Owners/Players/Fans. Goodell fails miserably on two of those counts. He is an owners puppet and the game IS losing something under his watch.

Hell....how many fans do you know who watch LESS football now then they did 10 years ago? In my circle of friends (and I would say most of us are die-hard fans)...and on this very site... the majority of the people will tell you that they used to watch virtually every game....and now cant stand to watch the flag-fest and arbitrary penalties week after week.

It would be bad enough if we just had to watch him enforce his silly penalties....but since he cant even abide by the rules HE put in place...it has just became mind-numbingly pathetic.

[LLT]

Pussification of the sport - Yes, he absolutely is pussifying the sport with his pussy rules, and is using the lawsuits as an excuse to do it. Pretty soon, you won't be able to hit the QB at all and will have to give the receiver a 10-yard space to catch the ball before you can even touch him. That's not in response to the players suing the league, that's in response to protecting sissies like Marsha Brady so that she won't have to get her hands dirty from being a real football player. The ex-players are suing the league primarily because the league kicks them to the curb after they retire, which is dead wrong and is not really all Goodell's fault. The NFLPA has to take a lot of the blame for that as well. Talk about a useless union. If they had half the balls of the MLBPA, I guarantee you this would not have gone on for as long as it has, and Goodell would not have the power that he does.

Exactly.

If you wonder how painful it will be to watch Goodell-ball.....tune into the pro-bowl.

[X-Terminator]

And you COMPLETELY ignore the fact that the comissioner's job is threefold.....Owners/Players/Fans. Goodell fails miserably on two of those counts. He is an owners puppet and the game IS losing something under his watch.

Hell....how many fans do you know who watch LESS football now then they did 10 years ago? In my circle of friends (and I would say most of us are die-hard fans)...and on this very site... the majority of the people will tell you that they used to watch virtually every game....and now cant stand to watch the flag-fest and arbitrary penalties week after week.

It would be bad enough if we just had to watch him enforce his silly penalties....but since he cant even abide by the rules HE put in place...it has just became mind-numbingly pathetic.

*raises hand*

If it wasn't for the Steelers, I'd have quit watching football altogether. I'm tired of the unending pussification of the league and it boggles my mind that some people justify it. Hell, between the NFL, the pussification of the NHL thanks to Goodell's kindred spirit Gary Bettman, and the Pirates sucking balls thanks to that cheap bastard Baghdad Bob Nutting and his merry band of idiots, my passion for sports altogether has waned considerably.

[steeldawg]

Spygate - Yeah, we don't know what evidence they had because Goodell had it all destroyed! And the punishments they got were an absolute joke compared to what the Saints got. What they did was the very definition of compromising the integrity of the game, and they basically got away with it, despite being told to stop. Sound familiar?

Inconsistent,unfair punishments - Either they all disrespect the shield, or they don't. No picking and choosing. You've had players not being punished for offenses that other players were punished for, and vice versa. For example, that player who actually was charged with sexual assault and as far as I know has not been punished by the league. Yet Ben was punished, despite not being charged with a crime. The only reason nobody really cares is because the other player isn't a star like Ben, and I'm sorry, that isn't right. It should be the same for everyone regardless of status.

Player safety - You pretty much agree with what I said. He only cares about player safety because of pending lawsuits. And like I said, he should just come right out and admit it instead of feeding us a bunch of bullshit. The 18 game season was about profit...at the expense of player safety. The weekly Thursday night games starting this season is about profit...at the expense of player safety. He does not give a damn about player safety. He only gives a damn about the almighty dollar. Yes, that is his job, so again, he should stop feeding us a bunch of bullshit and just tell us the truth.

Media perception - So you mean it's perfectly OK for him to try people in the court of public opinion before actually judging them in the board room based on real evidence? How does a player get a fair hearing and decision in that situation? He actually did it right as far as the Saints investigation is concerned - it was done all in private and not in public.

Expansion - There's nothing wrong with expanding your market. There is something wrong with putting teams in Europe that would create logistical nightmares, huge spikes in travel costs (particularly for teams outside of the Eastern time zone), lower U.S. ratings due to the time zone difference (again, particularly outside of the Eastern time zone) which would lead to lower advertising revenue. Any revenue gains they'd get from teams in Europe would be offset by losses in the U.S., so really...what possible good would it do? I seriously doubt the owners and especially the players will go for that. Europeans are able to get games via satellite or online, and they have one game a year in London (that nobody watches). Goodell should be happy with that. As far as the Super Bowl goes, the game has already been priced out of the range of the average Joe. How many people could afford to go to London to watch it? The only good thing about playing it there is that the game would be over by 6:30, instead of starting at 6:30.

Too much power - Here's one issue I agree with you 100% on, and why I have no sympathy for any non-Steeler who complains about it. The NFLPA had a chance to take a real stance on that issue, and they folded like a tent in a hurricane.

Pussification of the sport - Yes, he absolutely is pussifying the sport with his pussy rules, and is using the lawsuits as an excuse to do it. Pretty soon, you won't be able to hit the QB at all and will have to give the receiver a 10-yard space to catch the ball before you can even touch him. That's not in response to the players suing the league, that's in response to protecting sissies like Marsha Brady so that she won't have to get her hands dirty from being a real football player. The ex-players are suing the league primarily because the league kicks them to the curb after they retire, which is dead wrong and is not really all Goodell's fault. The NFLPA has to take a lot of the blame for that as well. Talk about a useless union. If they had half the balls of the MLBPA, I guarantee you this would not have gone on for as long as it has, and Goodell would not have the power that he does.

When you have a company in the public eye like the nfl, there will be different treatments for different players in different situations. If a players situation is causing a media stir and the public is getting worked into a frenzy, than yes its more likely that his punishment will be more severe to protect the image of the league. Once again the rules for player safety are in place because of the lawsuits, its not goodells personal agenda.

[fansince'76]

Inconsistent,unfair punishments - Either they all disrespect the shield, or they don't. No picking and choosing. You've had players not being punished for offenses that other players were punished for, and vice versa. For example, that player who actually was charged with sexual assault and as far as I know has not been punished by the league. Yet Ben was punished, despite not being charged with a crime. The only reason nobody really cares is because the other player isn't a star like Ben, and I'm sorry, that isn't right. It should be the same for everyone regardless of status.

I think Zu (very correctly) pointed out that Roethlisberger was a perfect example for Goodell to "prove" that he wasn't "racist" in his discipline of players ("See? I'm tough on white players too!"), which race-baiting idiots in the media (looking right at you, Jason Whitlock) accused him of being previously.

[steeldawg]

And you COMPLETELY ignore the fact that the comissioner's job is threefold.....Owners/Players/Fans. Goodell fails miserably on two of those counts. He is an owners puppet and the game IS losing something under his watch.

Hell....how many fans do you know who watch LESS football now then they did 10 years ago? In my circle of friends (and I would say most of us are die-hard fans)...and on this very site... the majority of the people will tell you that they used to watch virtually every game....and now cant stand to watch the flag-fest and arbitrary penalties week after week.

It would be bad enough if we just had to watch him enforce his silly penalties....but since he cant even abide by the rules HE put in place...it has just became mind-numbingly pathetic.

im not ignoring the fact that his job is threefold. He makes decisions that are in the best intrest of the league regardless if the players or fans agree. I do not have one single friend or family member who has stopped watching football, not one! everyone i know still bbq's on sunday while watching their nfl ticket, and judging by the tv ratings and revenues there has been no decrease in interest across the country. Im just not going to listen to the idea that roger goodell has some personal agenda to destroy the game of football, a 9 billion dollar a year business an he wants to destroy it? Player safety became the number one issue when the players made it the number one issue, when they decided to sue the league for what the violence of the game did to them, they forced the league into actions to change the rules.

[fansince'76]

*raises hand*

If it wasn't for the Steelers, I'd have quit watching football altogether. I'm tired of the unending pussification of the league and it boggles my mind that some people justify it. Hell, between the NFL, the pussification of the NHL thanks to Goodell's kindred spirit Gary Bettman, and the Pirates sucking balls thanks to that cheap bastard Baghdad Bob Nutting and his merry band of idiots, my passion for sports altogether has waned considerably.

Same here. I watch Steelers games now. That's it.

[LLT]

im not ignoring the fact that his job is threefold. He makes decisions that are in the best intrest of the league regardless if the players or fans agree. I do not have one single friend or family member who has stopped watching football, not one! everyone i know still bbq's on sunday while watching their nfl ticket, and judging by the tv ratings and revenues there has been no decrease in interest across the country. Im just not going to listen to the idea that roger goodell has some personal agenda to destroy the game of football, a 9 billion dollar a year business an he wants to destroy it? Player safety became the number one issue when the players made it the number one issue, when they decided to sue the league for what the violence of the game did to them, they forced the league into actions to change the rules.

You don't get it...Goodell is riding the wave of popularity that the game has built over the last couple of decades. I predicted last year that it was only a matter of time before you DO see the rating drop and I stand by that prediction. Noone said that Goodell WANTS to destroy footaball....so please dont spin other peoples words. What we are all saying is that Goodell IS destroying the game due to a twisted vision of whats best for the game. A vision based on monetary expectations only.

I dont believe for one second that you dont not have ONE friend who is dissilusioned by the brave new world that Goodell is trying to create. I'm throwing the BS flag on that one.

Best decisions for the game regardless of players and fans?????? WHAT????? Where exactly do you think the revenue comes from? The fans drive the market either directly through thier own purchases or indirectly through the network revenue bases on the fan viewership!!!

Goodell is BLIND to this fact....I have given several examples to point this out in the past.....Flex scheduling being the most obvious. He garners more money from the networks through flex scheduling but alienates fans who fly into the games and have to leave in the middle of the 3rd quarter to catch thier flight home because the game got moved out of the 3pm slot into the 7 pm slot.

[ALLD]

Goodell has turned the NFL into another Vietnam. He is trying to destroy it in order to save it. And we know how that strategy turns out.

[steeldawg]

You don't get it...Goodell is riding the wave of popularity that the game has built over the last couple of decades. I predicted last year that it was only a matter of time before you DO see the rating drop and I stand by that prediction. Noone said that Goodell WANTS to destroy footaball....so please dont spin other peoples words. What we are all saying is that Goodell IS destroying the game due to a twisted vision of whats best for the game. A vision based on monetary expectations only.

I dont believe for one second that you dont not have ONE friend who is dissilusioned by the brave new world that Goodell is trying to create. I'm throwing the BS flag on that one.

Best decisions for the game regardless of players and fans?????? WHAT????? Where exactly do you think the revenue comes from? The fans drive the market either directly through thier own purchases or indirectly through the network revenue bases on the fan viewership!!!

Goodell is BLIND to this fact....I have given several examples to point this out in the past.....Flex scheduling being the most obvious. He garners more money from the networks through flex scheduling but alienates fans who fly into the games and have to leave in the middle of the 3rd quarter to catch thier flight home because the game got moved out of the 3pm slot into the 7 pm slot.

Yes not one of my friends or family has stopped watching football at all, we all tune in religiously, so who really cares about your bs flag. Alsso who cares about the fact that you made a prediction last year about the nfl losing revenue, what does that tell me? The facts remain, revenues and viewership have continued to increase with no end in sight. So Yes decisions he has made have been the best for the fans players and league, Increased revenues means fans like the product, it means bigger pay checks for the players, and bigger pay checks for the owners. If you let players and fans run the league, they would run it right into the ground. Goodell has been in the nfl for the past 25 years he has seen football from every angle, so telling me hes blind to whats best for fans and the game is crazy. When you can show me the nfl losing revenue and fans then you can talk too me about goodell destroying the game.

[X-Terminator]

When you have a company in the public eye like the nfl, there will be different treatments for different players in different situations. If a players situation is causing a media stir and the public is getting worked into a frenzy, than yes its more likely that his punishment will be more severe to protect the image of the league. Once again the rules for player safety are in place because of the lawsuits, its not goodells personal agenda.

Whether or not it's his personal agenda, eventually his pussy rules are going to turn fans off in droves. People watch the NFL because they like the physicality. They do not tune in to watch them play glorified flag football, and that is where the game is headed. He apparently doesn't believe in a "happy medium," where he can still show he cares about player safety while keeping the essence of the sport intact. Since that isn't going to happen, the sport is headed down a black hole, and I don't mean the one in Oakland. But apparently you are just fine with that, because you and millions of others still keep tuning in each and every Sunday/Monday/Thursday and forking over your money for Sunday Ticket. Except for the Steelers, I will not do that. Goodell can kiss my ass.

[Count Steeler]

So glad to hear the Pro Bowl is going the way of the dinosaur. I only watched 3 or 4 plays this year and it was maddening.

The Super Bowl, yes the Super Bowl, is becoming more about the show and less about the game. It is becoming painful to watch.

The game in London is a complete bore.

The Bills games in Toronto, though they have been extended, are not the rip roaring success that everyone expected them to be. Many of the attendees in Toronto were there because of free tickets, not because they paid $500/seat. They had to try and fill the stadium so that the NFL and the Bills would not be embarrassed.

Jacksonville. 'nuff said.

This list is by no means complete. The NFL has problems and within the next 5 years, they are going to become more and more apparent.

[BlacknGoldBabe]

Same here. I watch Steelers games now. That's it.

Ditto for me. I can't even stand to watch MNF any more. Makes me wanna puke.

[BigNastyDefense]

I am not going to read through this whole thread. So here are my views and thoughts:

-James Harrison needs to stop answering questions about Roger Goodell. We all know exactly how he feels about the man. If he was on fire, Harrison wouldn't piss on him to put him out. He needs to learn the phrase "no comment." It's only going to make the focus on his play that much more intense as long as he draws the ire of (no)Goodell off the field.

-Roger Goodell is a power hungry goon who knows absolutely nothing about the sport of football. As far as I can find out, he's never played the sport in an organized form of tackle football. He's an economist, that's what his college degree is in, economics. He's doesn't give a damn about the actual sport, just making the owners more money.

-Jon Vilma doesn't have much of a case if Goodell has evidence that is more than here-say. Remember, for Goodell to make a decision he doesn't need definitive proof, just what he believes to be good enough. He doesn't have to believe anything beyond the shadow of a doubt. He also doesn't have to release any of the evidence that he has. However, if this case sees the light of day, Goodell will have no choice but to hand over his evidence. Then, it's going to go to a jury on if what he said was true and he had definitive proof of the claims he made were true.

[steeldawg]

I am not going to read through this whole thread. So here are my views and thoughts:

-James Harrison needs to stop answering questions about Roger Goodell. We all know exactly how he feels about the man. If he was on fire, Harrison wouldn't piss on him to put him out. He needs to learn the phrase "no comment." It's only going to make the focus on his play that much more intense as long as he draws the ire of (no)Goodell off the field.

-Roger Goodell is a power hungry goon who knows absolutely nothing about the sport of football. As far as I can find out, he's never played the sport in an organized form of tackle football. He's an economist, that's what his college degree is in, economics. He's doesn't give a damn about the actual sport, just making the owners more money.

-Jon Vilma doesn't have much of a case if Goodell has evidence that is more than here-say. Remember, for Goodell to make a decision he doesn't need definitive proof, just what he believes to be good enough. He doesn't have to believe anything beyond the shadow of a doubt. He also doesn't have to release any of the evidence that he has. However, if this case sees the light of day, Goodell will have no choice but to hand over his evidence. Then, it's going to go to a jury on if what he said was true and he had definitive proof of the claims he made were true.

Roger Goodell was a three sport high school star in baseball, football, and basketball he was captain of all 3 teams and named his schools athelete of the year. Also he has worked for the NFL for the past 25 years. The only reason he did not play at the college level was injuries.