Goodell stressed the league had no role in personnel decisions of individual teams regarding KaepernickGETTY IMAGES
NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell’s 40-minute State of the League address yesterday was dominated by the missed call in the NFC Championship, but Goodell also was "asked about a number of other hot-button topics," including Colin Kaepernick, the Rooney Rule, President Trump, the Broncos ownership dispute and league investigations of Kareem Hunt and Reuben Foster, according to Draper & Belson of the N.Y. TIMES. The "most pointed question invoked Atlanta’s past as a hub of the civil rights movement, and how history will judge Kaepernick’s continued absence from the league." Goodell said that the league office had "no role in the personnel decisions of individual teams." He also was asked if the league’s Rooney Rule was "still effective" with the number of minority coaches dropping "precipitously after four black head coaches were fired after the season." Goodell said that the league "did not view the success or failure" of the Rooney Rule in "one-year increments." He said that the league was "talking with coaches about how to provide greater opportunities to minority coaches, and announced that a quarterback summit would be held" in June at Morehouse College to "train new coaches." Goodell "refused to take the bait" when asked about Trump, who two years ago said that the NFL "should allow more and harder hits" (N.Y. TIMES, 1/31). In Miami, Adam Beasley notes Goodell suggested that "tweaks might be needed" to the Rooney Rule, particularly "given the new coaching landscape." Just four of the league’s 56 offensive coordinators and QB coaches were minorities in '18. Until that number "increases, the racial makeup at the head coaching level probably will not change much" (MIAMI HERALD, 1/31).
YEAR-END REVIEW: In N.Y., Kevin Draper notes following the NFL’s best season in years, yesterday represented Goodell's "chance to crow" ahead of the Super Bowl. The league under Goodell has "tried to be everywhere all the time," and that strategy "was under stress" a year ago. However, the "emergence of a new crop of young stars and a largely controversy-free season combined to drive up television ratings and produce a spectacular weekend of conference championships." Incidents of violence against women "continued to plague the league" by way of the Foster and Hunt cases. However, Goodell and the NFL "limited their unforced errors," as there was "nothing like the drawn-out legal battle over deflated footballs" in '15 and '16. Young players like Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes, Browns QB Baker Mayfield, Bears QB Mitchell Trubisky and Giants RB Saquon Barkley "became stars" and will help bridge the gap when Tom Brady eventually retires. The question now is "whether this fundamentally violent sport can be made safer." Meanwhile, the league this offseason is "likely to receive a ruling in the Kaepernick collusion case" (N.Y. TIMES, 1/31).
THAT WASN'T SO BAD: In Pittsburgh, Ron Cook writes Goodell "had it easy" yesterday during his press conference compared to the last two years. Cook: "I can’t believe the NFL’s ability to not just bounce back from major controversy, but thrive. ... Think about where the NFL was two years ago." Television ratings were up 5% this season from '17, while concussions were down nearly 24% from the year before. Goodell "made the anthem issue go away," as there "no longer was a controversy." All but a "handful of players stood for the anthem," and "even Trump was appeased." Cook: "You almost could hear NFL owners exhale" (PITTSBURGH POST-GAZETTE, 1/31). FS1's Jason Whitlock called it a "great day" for Goodell because he had to address an "on-the-field controversy rather than" an off-the-field incident ("Speak For Yourself, FS1, 1/30).
