Goodell's legacy may be how the NFL reshapes its approach to social justiceGETTY IMAGES
NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell has "made a stronger push recently to elevate the league to higher moral ground," and "as if on cue, multiple owners have been exposed behaving badly in ways that undermine hope of even minimal ethical cleansing," according to Jerry Brewer of the WASHINGTON POST. Goodell "can’t keep his bosses from standing as unaccountable menaces to societal change, not unless he’s willing to play the game with more force and coldblooded conviction." Brewer writes the league's recent behavior presents a "fascinating question: How far is Goodell willing to go?" The "most optimistic expectation is that Goodell will stand down, shrug and attempt to convince you subtly that he tried his best." Near the end of what is "likely his final deal" as commissioner, Goodell "must choose between self-preservation and shaking up things for the better." He "must choose, once and for all, between running the entire league and serving the owners." Brewer: "If Goodell truly aspires to reshape his legacy, he must push his bosses in an uncomfortable and unprecedented way. Otherwise, he will be remembered as just another commissioner who preferred half measures and public pacification over lasting impact" (WASHINGTON POST, 7/30).
COMING AROUND: Broncos President & CEO Joe Ellis, asked about players kneeling during the national anthem, said, "Everyone's got a right to do as they please, express themselves as they feel. I'm going to respect that. We're going to respect that as an organization." In Denver, Sean Keeler writes in response, "Welcome, Joe, to the right side of history. ... What took you so long?" Keeler continues, "If you’re Ellis, to condemn kneeling risks being hopelessly out of step with your locker room." Ellis "also knows, barring a medical miracle, that the Broncos probably won’t have to deal with a full, or even a half-full, Mile High this fall because of the coronavirus." Keeler: "Nothing thins out a chorus of pregame boos quite like masks and social distancing" (DENVER POST, 7/30).
