A few years ago, I wrote a story about the cheating and other illicit activity of the New England Patriots titled: “cheaters almost always win.” I talked about missing videotapes and other issues that were crucial in regards to the underhandedness of the team from the land of “Boston” baked beans.
The Patriots for all intents and purposes got away with it because to date none of their five Super Bowl victories have asterisk’s beside them as a result of their illegal activity. The commissioner of the NFL, Roger Goodell was used as a scapegoat then and his head is once again on the chopping block. He has once again become the sacrificial lamb for what could historically be one of the most corrupt sports franchises in the new millennium. Now everyone wants to blame the commissioner for taking action not because many fans believe Tom Brady is not guilty but because Roger Goodell lost the case, at least for now.
Now talks are swirling around the commissioner wielding too much power. He may have had too much power in the cases of Ray Rice and Adrian Peterson because their offenses should have been only adjudicated indirectly and directly in a court of law because the acts that they committed, did not affect the competitive nature of the game until they were suspended.
Mark Maske from the Washington Post wrote: “The collective bargaining agreement between the league and union gives Goodell the authority to hear and resolve appeals in player disciplinary cases involving the integrity of the sport, such as Brady’s, and in cases under the personal conduct policy. In recent months, the union has successfully challenged discipline imposed by the league under the personal conduct policy in cases involving Ray Rice, Adrian Peterson and Greg Hardy.
Eric Winston, the Cincinnati Bengals offensive lineman who is the president of the union, said in training camp that he cannot foresee players agreeing to another CBA without curbing Goodell’s authority to resolve appeals in disciplinary cases. The current labor deal runs through 2020.” How can anyone challenge the authority of the commissioner when it comes to offenses that affect the outcome of the game?
Personal conduct is not professional conduct. It has been alleged by former Indianapolis Colts now Denver Broncos QB Peyton Manning that the visitors’ locker room at Gillette Stadium may have even been bugged. So to circumvent any potential eavesdropping the Colts would always step outside of the locker room to discuss any offensive strategy that they were considering implementing for the second half of the contest. For over a decade, this bunch of scurrilous demagogues’ have elevated the dishonor of cheating to a different level. The commissioner of the NFL should not even be in this conversation.
The conversation should be centered around those that committed the penalties not anyone who is charged with the responsibility to judge and penalize the offenders.
(Aubrey Bruce can be reached at: abruce@newpittsburghcourier.com or 412-583-6741. He is also a contributing columnist for urbanmediatoday.com. Follow him on Twitter@ultrascribe.)