NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell during his annual State of the League address was at his "Teflon best," having "all the excitement of a quilting convention," according to Nancy Armour of USA TODAY. Goodell took questions on all the NFL's issues and "somehow managed to answer not a single one directly." This was a season that "careened from one controversy to another, yet anyone who didn’t know any better would have left Goodell’s half-hour session thinking it had been all rainbows and puppy dogs" (USA TODAY, 2/1). CBSSPORTS.com's Reid Forgrave wrote the press conference was "not a moment where Goodell wanted to discuss the near-existential problems that have affected the NFL in recent years, namely the sport's connection to traumatic brain injuries in its players and the sport's increased politicization in today's charged political climate" (CBSSPORTS.com, 1/31).
HAPPY, HAPPY, JOY, JOY: In Philadelphia, Bob Brookover writes Goodell during his annual address is "always able to put a happy spin on things," and yesterday "that tradition continued" (PHILADELPHIA INQUIRER, 2/1). In Miami, Greg Cote writes Goodell spent 40 minutes "accentuating the positive about the season ending Sunday -- itself a Herculean feat, especially when done with a straight face." Goodell also "dodged all of the questions that made him sweat" (MIAMI HERALD, 2/1).
NOTHING TO SEE HERE: In Boston, Ben Volin notes Goodell’s address was "devoid of drama." Last year’s version in Houston was a "game of verbal dodgeball, with Boston media taking turns pelting Goodell with questions about Tom Brady’s suspension, and the league’s obsession over ball inflation." But yesterday’s session "was a bore" (BOSTON GLOBE, 2/1). SI.com's Conor Orr wrote by now, the ebbs and flows of Goodell's annual address have become "stunningly easy to predict." Orr: "It has become more of a sport than anything, watching a relatively emotionless man juggle his position as the face of the NFL against his baser instincts which, I’m only guessing, have been screaming at him to rip off his tie, run off the podium, book a yearlong stay at Necker Island and learn to write postmodern fiction between shots of Absinthe" (SI.com, 1/31).
RIGHT MAN FOR THE JOB? SI.com's Michael Rosenberg wrote Goodell’s address was a "reminder of how ridiculously abnormal the last few years have been." There should "never be that much anger toward a commissioner," as he is "supposed to be a neutral person running a business that Americans happily frequent." Rosenberg: "Now that Goodell has survived what we assume is the worst, you wonder: will the rest of his tenure be smoother?" (SI.com, 1/31). In Minneapolis, Jim Souhan writes for $40M a year, the NFL needs a commissioner "who can smooth the league’s rough edges, who can forge a better relationship with the players and the Players Association (which in reality are often two different groups), who can push for a way to make the game safer for players, and who can dampen the unbridled greed of globalization" (Minneapolis STAR TRIBUNE, 2/1).
TWITTER REAX: Boston-based WBZ-CBS' Michael Hurley tweeted: "The NFL Play 60 kid told Goodell that a lot of people look up Goodell as a role model. And they say he dodges the tough questions." The Green Bay Press-Gazette's Aaron Nagler: "I do not miss the annual tradition of getting passed over at the Goodell presser in favor of a question from the Play 60 kid." NBC Sports Bay Area's Scott Bair: "Raiders are playing their fourth international game in five years, all of them home games taken from Oakland. Goodell: Raiders are a global brand, + 'there are sacrifices' to playing abroad. Coming at expense of a fan base with a finite numbers of games left in the market. Rough." Miami Herald's Armando Salguero: "So biggest take away from Roger Goodell presser today: NFL is going to study catch rule this offseason which means we may have to relearn what a catch is. Again." Dallas-based KRLD-FM's Mike Fisher: "Goodell continues to issue 'grand questions' about the catch/no catch issue that could be answered by 8-year-olds. Maddening."
