It is an "exercise in futility to expect substantive answers" from NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell from his annual State of the Game address during Super Bowl week, and judging from his responses Friday, everything "is hunky dory," according to Nancy Armour of USA TODAY. The new personal-conduct policy "is working, never mind that slap-down by a federal judge over Deflategate," and the "quality of play has never been better." There has been "'great progress' on concussion prevention, even as an as-yet-untreatable disease continues to rob an alarming number of former NFL players of their personalities and quality of life." Goodell's "glib performance is hardly new," as every year, Goodell "gets a handful of softball questions that he’s more than happy to answer." Then he "spends the rest of the 45 minutes artfully glossing over the bad news and evading attempts to pin him down for real answers" (USATODAY.com, 2/6). ESPNW.com's Jane McManus wrote Goodell on Friday "remained placid and positive" about the league, as his address was, "as always, about protecting the status quo; about not making any news that might distract from the American sports-a-palooza called the Super Bowl." This year's lingering health and safety issues "were familiar turf." It is "a bit of theater," as the 45 minutes carved out for the media "included a question from a 12-year-old girl asking if she could play in the NFL." That is "charming, but it's hardly heavy lifting for the commissioner" (ESPNW.com, 2/5). NFL Network's Andrea Kremer said the first few minutes of the address "felt pretty scripted" (NFL Network, 2/5).
ALL STYLE, NO SUBSTANCE: In DC, Sally Jenkins wrote Goodell's address is a “performance with a backdrop of triumphal music and glittering gold shield and shining trophies.” Jenkins: “You end up feeling like you’re sitting in a Roman praetorium listening to an army imperator. There are planted questions, clearly stage-managed propaganda moments, all calculated to distract or sow confusion and doubt over brain science” (WASHINGTON POST, 2/6). In Ft. Worth, Gil LeBreton wrote, “To hear Goodell tell it, the league is grand. Move along, please. Pay no attention to that man behind the curtain, giving a player the concussion test.” A lot of the questions, “frankly, were lobbed to Goodell so invitingly that they had to have been scripted and planted.” Goodell, “in other words, was well-rehearsed and seldom strayed from the script” (FT. WORTH STAR-TELEGRAM, 2/6). In K.C., Sam Mellinger asked whether Goodell “really does believe the nonsense and obvious non-truths that come out of his mouth?” Mellinger: “We are well beyond the point of digesting his talking points as anything resembling an honest attempt at productive dialogue. He is a highly paid spinster, a middle-aged man who looks the part and fills his tailored suits well and protects the forever-exploding profits and financial reach of the NFL” (K.C. STAR, 2/6).
