Former Bears GM Jerry Angelo on Friday said that his comments about the NFL covering up a host of domestic violence cases in the past "were taken out of context," according to David Just of the CHICAGO SUN-TIMES. Angelo, appearing on WGWG-FM's "Kap & Haugh" show, said that he "spoke to USA Today for a story about the NFL and commissioner Roger Goodell, and the conversation shifted to domestic violence." Angelo: "This ‘hundreds and hundreds,’ that was totally taken out of context. When I was making a point to this person, I was making the point that over my 31 years in the NFL I’ve seen a lot of changes. And there were hundreds of things over those years that I’ve seen that have gotten better. Domestic violence is obviously one of those." Angelo "went on to say he’s not surprised the story got the level of attention it did." Angelo: "No, I’m not stunned. Based on how it reads. It read like we covered up hundreds and hundreds of domestic violence [cases]. That’s not what I said" (SUNTIMES.com, 10/10). In Chicago, Dan Wiederer wrote Angelo "did his best to clarify and walk back those comments, asserting his quotes didn't capture the meaning of what he had tried to say." Angelo on Friday said that in the original comments, he "was taking a broad view of his experiences from more than three decades in the league." He added, "I was embellishing a point" (CHICAGO TRIBUNE, 10/11).
TWISTED AROUND? In Chicago, David Haugh noted Angelo "never denied using the number," but claimed USA Today reporter Josh Peter introduced it, and "he said the words attributed to him didn't make the point he intended." Both sides agreed that Peter originally called Angelo about Goodell when the conversation "veered toward the league's handling of the Ray Rice case." Angelo: "I wouldn't have said the number myself. When he brought it up, I didn't stop him. ... It got twisted." Angelo said he felt "blindsided" and "called Peter after the story went viral." Peter maintained that Angelo "volunteered the information during an interview the reporter taped." Peter: "It would be inaccurate to attribute any misunderstanding to his inelegant phrasing." Nonetheless, Haugh wrote if he were a Bears fan, he "would be bothered that an NFL franchise whose matriarch is Virginia McCaskey was linked with years of turning a blind eye to abused women" (CHICAGO TRIBUNE, 10/11). Also in Chicago, Rick Morrissey wrote if what Angelo said "is true, then we have been supporting a league that has deliberately suppressed domestic-violence incidents simply because teams wanted to keep their best players on the field." Morrissey: "Do we care? Yes, but not enough to stop watching" (CHICAGO SUN-TIMES, 10/12).
TO THE SURPRISE OF NO ONE: ESPN's Michael Wilbon said, "If Angelo had said this, I wouldn't have doubted it at all, not at all. Even if we doubted the numbers -- hundreds of hundreds -- you want to go to scores and scores or dozens and dozens? Whatever packaging you put on that, I would have believed that. There's too much anecdotal evidence." The net's Tony Kornheiser added, "We were part of the greater cover-up too, because all sportswriters were to a degree (because) they knew about it" ("PTI," ESPN, 10/10). L.A. Times columnist Bill Plaschke said of Angelo's comments, "It's very, very important to hear these because this shows the depth of the ignorance an insensitivity that people are dealing with when talking about the NFL and off the field issues" ("Around The Horn," ESPN, 10/10). CBS Sports Network's Jim Rome said of Angelo's remarks, "Really that just tells us what we already know, that teams are all about keeping their guys on the field no matter what the cost" ("Rome," CBSSN, 10/10).
