Menu
Leagues and Governing Bodies

Goodell To Meet With Media Friday As Critics Continue To Hit On Lack Of Leadership

NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell will meet with the media Friday afternoon at 3:00pm ET, marking his first public words in nine days to address the state of the NFL after several players have been arrested and/or disciplined for spousal and child abuse. This comes after Goodell sent the owners a memo Thursday night detailing new league alliances with The National Domestic Violence Hotline (The Hotline) and the National Sexual Violence Resource Center (NSVRC). “It was brought to our attention that recent events caused The National Domestic Violence Hotline to receive 84 percent more calls during the week of September 8-15,” he wrote. “According to the organization, more than 50 percent of those calls went unanswered due to lack of staff. That must not continue. To help address this and other critical and immediate needs, we are entering into long-term partnerships to provide financial, operational and promotional support to two of the leading domestic violence and sexual assault resources.” Goodell did not say how much the NFL was contributing, but that the Hotline would be able to hire 25 more people to staff the call center. The memo also dictated that in the next month league and team personnel -- including execs, coaches, players and staff -- are required to attend domestic violence and sexual assault sessions. The NFLPA will help structure the sessions (Daniel Kaplan, Staff Writer).

WHAT SHOULD WE EXPECT? ESPN’s Adam Schefter noted the "credibility of the league has taken many shots over the course of the past few weeks," and Goodell at the press conference likely is "going to try to answer some of the many complaints and criticisms that have been lobbed at him in proceeding weeks." Schefter: "Goodell needs to be a voice of calm and reason at a time like this and show the leadership that many have said the NFL has lacked here in the past few weeks. That's what he is going to be trying to do basically, to stop some of the skepticism, criticisms, all the questions that have come in the direction of the league. The league will have a lot of explaining to do here” (“SportsCenter,” ESPN, 9/19). The Boston Globe's Ben Volin wrote on his Twitter account, "If you're expecting fireworks, you'll probably be let down. Goodell will apologize, say the NFL needs to 'get it right,' and that's about it. ... Should probably just assume some big NFL news is going to be announced each Friday. That's how it works now." Business of Sports President Maury Brown wrote Goodell is "following the PR playbook of doing potentially bad news on Friday." "The Dan Patrick Show" producer Paul Pabst: "I assumed the Goodell/NFL presser would have happened around 5:15pm on Friday" (TWITTER.com, 9/19).

TRYING TO RIGHT THE SITUATION: ESPN's Adam Schefter reports Goodell in recent days has been "in the office working on hiring new advisors, working on the things that need to be addressed," according to ESPN's Adam Schefter. Goodell missed both the regular-season opening of Levi's Stadium and Panthers Owner Jerry Richardson being awarded the Echo Award Against Indifference, two events he previously had been slated to attend. Goodell has come under increasing heat to "speak publicly and try to defend his position and talk about where the league is headed and how it will tackle this issue." However, he is "figuring out where this league ... needs to go in the future" ("SportsCenter,” ESPN, 9/19). CBS Sports’ Jason La Canfora noted Goodell has "kept a decidedly low profile as the league has worked behind closed doors to get through this with its players." La Canfora: "I'm told he will be back in the public eye very shortly, and obviously there will be questions asked of him when he is” (“Thursday Night Kickoff,” CBS, 9/18). ABC News' David Muir asked, "Where is the NFL commissioner? It's been nine days without comment." ABC's Ryan Smith said there has not been one word from Goodell during that time, but NFL "tells us that he is hard at work on domestic violence programs" ("World News," ABC, 9/18).

VOID IN LEADERSHIP: L.A. Times columnist Bill Plaschke said by "staying hiding, by staying quiet," Goodell is "actually contributing to the problem of perception in the league right now." Goodell needs to "let everyone know where the league is now and where it's going. It's so chaotic, it looks like a leaderless league right now. That shield is empty right now." The N.Y. Daily News' Frank Isola said the "situation is crying for leadership, and he's showing no leadership." Isola: "He has to get in front of a podium and answer the tough questions that are going to be awaiting him. That is the sign of leadership. Hiding is not leadership" ("Around The Horn," ESPN, 9/18). SNY's Chris Carlin: "Leaders lead. Roger Goodell is not leading right now. This is as big of a crisis as the NFL has had in a long, long time, and he's hiding" ("Loud Mouths," SNY, 9/18). In Minneapolis, Jim Souhan writes Goodell was "hired to be a front man for a stunningly successful enterprise," but he "has chosen to hide" in the wake of the recent incidents. Crises "give leaders a chance to lead." Goodell should be "allowed to stay in his bunker while the owners find a competent replacement" (Minneapolis STAR TRIBUNE, 9/19). ESPN's Keith Olbermann said, "A leader in society and government and business stands up when things are wrong, stands up in the middle of the nightmare and owns the moment, assumes the responsibility. If not for what's wrong, then at least for trying to fix it. In the Adrian Peterson case, Roger Goodell stood aside and let four bumbling team executives repeat 31 different times that they were 'doing the right thing' by not letting Peterson play" ("Olbermann," ESPN2, 9/18).

COMING TO HIS DEFENSE
: Jets QB Michael Vick on Thursday said that Goodell "doesn't deserve to lose his job" amid the turmoil around the NFL. Noting Goodell is "doing a great job," Vick said, "You have to give the man a chance ... you have to give everybody a chance to get it right." He added, "Some situations are more complicated than others. You're not going to get it right all the time or the first time. These situations that are arising are situations that we've never dealt with before in the NFL -- from a PR standpoint, just from a situation standpoint. It's kind of new to everybody. That's why we're talking about it right now. It has to be dealt with. Nobody is perfect. Nobody is going to make the correct decisions right there and then on the spot when faced with all forms of adversity" (ESPNNY.com, 9/18). New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie said that Goodell "should get to keep his job despite mishandling" the Rice case. Christie: "I absolutely believe Roger Goodell is a good, honest, decent man, that has great integrity. He's admitted he made a mistake in the Rice case, in his initial (handling) of the thing. We have to be a society that considers the totality of somebody's work, and their life. I know Roger to be a great husband and wonderful father to his two daughters. In my mind, if I were an NFL owner, I'd be voting to keep Roger Goodell" (NJ.com, 9/18).

SBJ Morning Buzzcast: March 18, 2024

Sports Business Awards nominees unveiled; NWSL's historic opening weekend and takeaways from CFP deal

ESPN’s Jay Bilas, BTN’s Meghan McKeown, and a deep dive into AppleTV+’s The Dynasty

On this week’s Sports Media Podcast from the New York Post and Sports Business Journal, ESPN’s Jay Bilas talks all things NCAA. Big Ten Network’s Meghan McKeown shares her insight into the Caitlin Clark craze. The Boston Globe’s Chad Finn chats all things Bean Town. And SBJ’s Xavier Hunter drops in to share his findings on how the NWSL is making a social media push.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

SBJ I Factor: Nana-Yaw Asamoah

SBJ I Factor features an interview with AMB Sports and Entertainment Chief Commercial Office Nana-Yaw Asamoah. Asamoah, who moved over to AMBSE last year after 14 years at the NFL, talks with SBJ’s Ben Fischer about how his role model parents and older sisters pushed him to shrive, how the power of lifelong learning fuels successful people, and why AMBSE was an opportunity he could not pass up. Asamoah is 2021 SBJ Forty Under 40 honoree. SBJ I Factor is a monthly podcast offering interviews with sports executives who have been recipients of one of the magazine’s awards.

Shareable URL copied to clipboard!

https://www.sportsbusinessjournal.com/Daily/Issues/2014/09/19/Leagues-and-Governing-Bodies/Goodell.aspx

Sorry, something went wrong with the copy but here is the link for you.

https://www.sportsbusinessjournal.com/Daily/Issues/2014/09/19/Leagues-and-Governing-Bodies/Goodell.aspx

CLOSE