If Michael Vick Killed Dogs, Has Roger Goodell Screwed The Pooch?

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Okay, so if any of my readers follow my articles on a regular basis then you would know that I have been quite acerbic. The reality is though, that while I can have an acerbic tongue, I do not have acerbic intent.

I have gone through this once or twice before, because I know that I am chronically caustic. 

That results mostly from impassioned opinions on various matters, but at the end of the day, I am always the type who seeks compromise.

The way I see it though is why, should I self-compromise? When I can just layout what I think, let the other person(s) state what they believe and then find the middle. I rarely apologize for what I say or think, and this is not one of those times. I merely seek to play hardball in debate, rather than self-compromise.

 

On the NFL: You Win Again

Frankly, I would not care about the fact that the NFL wants to enhance the NFL Network by moving the draft and games to that network. 

Will it enhance the NFL experience? I doubt it. But if the NFL opwners truly believe that they need it, I am not in position to deny that reasonably.

I also would not care that Roger Goodell has wanted to expand the game internationally. However, it seems rather soon to give the Super Bowl to the citizens of a country—England. They barely qualify as fair-weather fans of the NFL.

I also would not care about the fact that Goodell, in my opinion, covered-up the truth about Spygate by destroying the tapes. 

In my belief, those tapes included the Tuck Rule Game, and thus Goodell feared the ramifications of that.  Moreover, either the sports media a.) never thought to ask tough questions, or b.) was complicit in the cover-up, because they could not bare the idea of vindicating Al Davis, or impugning the integrity of the game, because that would detriment the security of their job.

The problem I have with Goodell is that the NFL holds the keys of opportunity to play football, yet has been willing to lockout players that either have been convicted of a crime, or were mostly perceived as a nuisance.

Why? 

They were all black, with the only exception being a paltry two-game suspension against DE Jared Allen, (I will explain more but only further along). Yet, various white players have had “buzz sheets” (not rap sheets) that are in fact similar to black players that have been suspended.

I accept that to play in the NFL is a privilege not a right. However, the NFL does not have the right to lockout someone from a chance to earn that privilege, because they aren’t white.

Frankly, I think the reason that buzz sheets for some players keep adding-up exponentially is that they cannot escape people that would be willing to “micro-manage” them, because they are black and had a situation with the law.

There are also of course the personal demons that they cannot escape and cannot be fixed by a heavy-handed commissioner.

Many people in society get put into, “boxes.” 

Sometimes, I wonder if the reason that some people are unable to live outside their box is only that the people around them will perpetuate the perceptions (for whatever reason).

Actors and actresses often are put into a box because of a character they played.  Lawyers are put into a box of being slimy shysters. Police are put into a box of being corrupt, violent, and donut dunkers. Sci-Fi geeks (they prefer “geeks” not “nerds”) are put into a box of being socially awkward freaks that need a life.

If a black person makes one bad decision and commit a crime, the stigma will follow that person for life, regardless of anything else.

That though, does not give the commissioner a right to excessively punish black players because the NFL is a “privilege,” yet will go leniently on white players.

 

Michael Vick

First, Michael Vick does not belong in the same category as Pacman Jones, Tank Johnson, Odell Thurman, or even Chris Henry.

The reason why is that Vick’s crimes made him a man on an island. Yet, people have lumped him together with the other aforementioned players. The only common thread is the color of their skin.

I personally think that what Vick did is sick, yet he was charged with crimes related to interstate gambling, more than animal cruelty. I doubt that I would hangout with Vick, if given the chance. 

That though, does not mean that Vick should not have the chance to “live it down” by proving his worth in a career that his conducive to his skills.

That reminds me of the perennial debate about the veracity of the Wonderlic test.  The Wonderlic test is basically an IQ test for football players (cat is to kitten, what dog is to…?).  Some players, like Dan Marino, have scored low on the Wonderlic, yet still achieved great success in the NFL.

Why? 

Because football is the only thing that they know, and they know it well. Thus, Vick should be allowed a fair chance to rectify his career without the scepter of Goodell over his shoulder at all times. 

Vick is the one whom must carry the burden for his crimes for life, and Vick has served his time to society.

 

Pacman Jones: “A Little Less Talk and A Lot More Action”

Buzz Sheet: Four accusations of assault and one charge of vandalism at Tennessee nightclubs; One instance of “making it rain” that has been blamed for starting a melee in a Vegas nightclub; three instances of disorderly conduct, one of which while under the influence; one instance of marijuana possession; one instance of violating probation.

Suspension: 23 games, remains unsigned.

Conclusion: Pacman has substance abuse problems, an affinity for strippers and for scuffles in bars.

Sounds like every redneck (Glenn Campbell or George Jones) in the city that Pacman once called home, Nashville—the country music capital of the world. Keep in mind that Nashville is also the city that gave football Hank Williams Jr., a.k.a. the guy who yells, “Are you read for some football?”

We are supposed to believe that the NFL feels undermined by rowdy drunks. I thought it was a Family Tradition!

The face of the NFL was a friggin’ rowdy drunk! It does not appear that Pacman would be one of Hank’s rowdy friends, though.

Maybe, Pacman should consider changing his name to Bocephus, Luke the Drifter, or the Red-Headed Stranger.

Maybe then, people would not clamor for bad news about Pacman, or realize that being in the presence of Pacman is an opportunity to get attention, or even praise from those who like to irrationalize the problems of a black person.

Like Merle Haggard once sang, “No one could steer me right but mama tried, mama tried. Mama tried to raise me better, but her pleading, I denied. That leaves only me to blame ‘cos mama tried.”

Nevertheless, suspensions are not the type of action that someone like Pacman needed to go straight.  He needed Alcoholics Anonymous or another substance abuse treatment program, rather than to be smeared in the news and to fight tooth and nail for the, “privilege” to pursue the career that is conducive with his skills.

 

Tank Johnson: “Should’ve been a Cowboy”

Buzz Sheet: Two charges of illegal possession of guns; one conviction of misdemeanor gun possession; one charge of aggravated assault; one charge of resisting arrest; one conviction of violating probation; one instance of suspicion of driving under the influence.

Conclusion: Tank is a gun-hole from the gun-hole state of Arizona. Johnson though, served time in prison for violating probation and a concurrent sentence on the misdemeanor gun charge.

Suspension: eight games.

 

Odell Thurman: “I Love This Bar”

Buzz Sheet: one conviction of DUI; one charge of assault, one suspicion of assault; various issues with substance abuse.

Conclusion: Like Pacman, Odell is a rowdy drunk.  Yet, Thurman choose to pursue Alcoholics Anonymous.  Yet, Goodell has continued to lockout Thurman from the chance to pursue the “privileged” career that is conducive with his skills

Suspension: Indefinite since 2006

 

Chris Henry: “(I Ain’t) As Good As I Once Was”

Buzz Sheet: one conviction of providing alcohol to minors; one charge of aggravated assault; illegal gun possession; driving without a valid driver’s license and insurance; various substance abuse problems that resulted in failed tests; various accusations of assault and other charges that were dropped.

Conclusion: As you should know, I have compared the buzz sheets of suspended players to that of generic rednecks. After all, that’s who these suspensions appeal too. This might sound convoluted but here I go: Clearly, Henry is a very troubled person who needs to get his life together. However, if I dissect his buzz sheet and ask, “What has Henry done that a redneck would not do?”

The answer is…nothing. 

There are plenty of rednecks that own unregistered weapons, have been in bar-fights, and have engaged in beer-fueled mayhem.

Suspension: 10 games

 

In Conclusion

You know, I’ve reported various issues of assault by white people, and the police did nothing. Assault between white guys is often just viewed as an act of paling around and if that assault is against a woman and sexually driven that it is just a sign of affection.

Yet, white players like Matt Leinart gave alcohol to minors and potentially engaged in sexual acts that would legally be rape; Ben Roethlisberger has been accused of rape; and Tom Brady dumped the mother of his son for the model-of-the-week, and engaged in practices that undermined the integrity of the game; while Jared Allen has had a triple-DUI yet only had a two-game suspension.

I just look at the punishment against Jared Allen and the rest flows from there. 

Meaning that, if Goodell was willing to suspend a white defensive-end for only two games after three convictions of driving under the influence (twice in the same year) and in totality sounds no different than Odell Thurman or Chris Henry;  then it only follows that Goodell would not suspend the franchise investment and player of the position viewed as most important…the quarterback.

If you ask me, allowing players like to go without suspension or criticism is deplorable.

The stated purpose of Goodell’s disciplinary actions was to punish even non-criminal acts that undermine the image of the NFL. I fail to see how Leinart, Roethlisberger, Allen, and Brady do not undermine the NFL.

Except for the fact that…they are white.

Thus, the average NFL consumer does not care, but will care when the player is black, and that attention will create a chain reaction of exponential trouble and series of unfortunate events…

…quicksand.

Remember the Titans: The Cases of Pacman Jones and Ben Roethlisberger

Call me campy or sentimental or whatever you need to say in order to denigrate what I have to say, with generalizations about why you think you’re strong-minded and I’m weak minded.

Because if you do, I don’t care what you think. 

Obviously, I’m referring to an abstract stereotype of potential criticism of my views.  So, you shouldn’t take it personally, unless you consciously and actively act that way.

The bottom line is however that racism still permeates our society, and if you think the election of Barack Obama has made it better—in the case of some people, it has made it worse.

In the past, I had been tolerant of hack jokes because I believed that the joke did not reflect who that person truly is, and that hack jokes were tantamount to smelling your own farts. 

Nowadays though, it seems like those same people have all left the reservation, and are willing to spin the most ridiculous crap I’ve ever heard.

There are people now, who see themselves as the “victim” of a black president who they think lacks legitimacy.  People like Glenn Beck and Lou Dobbs will sell that garbage all day for ratings.

On one hand, some of those people do so in order to sell news, and aren’t necessarily believers in the news that they sell.  However, they do that because they know that their buyers will truly believe it.

Either way, it reflects badly on the person—but there is a difference of intent.

Personally, I don’t agree with every opinion and stance of President Obama.  However, I thought that his election was a very important event to many people, and something that needed to eventually happen—regardless of whether I agreed with every opinion.

Sometimes there are more important things than opinions on how much money to allocate to a government program, and whether that program should even exist.

Sometimes, you should ask yourself, “Why do I have (blank) opinion” and whether that opinion is just sublimated hatred.  Meaning that, you only took the opinion that you did because it was the opposite opinion of someone you hate.

Suddenly then, you can claim, “I don’t hate you, I just disagree.”  Perhaps though the only reason you wanted to disagree is that you hated that person.

Thus, I do wonder if people must be willing to set-aside political differences and accept the importance of events such as the election of Barack Obama—in order to prove that they aren’t just a veiled racist.

Obiously, I’m not asserting that you should throw caution to the wind, but at the same time, I wonder if the media-amplified voracity against President Obama is really just a desire to sell news to veiled bigots — kinda like war profiteering.

You know, Bill O’Reilly always talks about a, “culture war” and being a Culture Warrior—perhaps though, O’Reilly is really just, “culture war-profiteering.”

There is such thing as civil disagreement.

 

Pacman and Big Ben

By now you must be wondering what this has to do with Pacman Jones, Ben Roethlisberger and Remember the Titans. Thus, I shall explain.

In the past three years of Roger Goodell’s tenure as commissioner of the NFL, I have been very disappointed by Goodell’s decisions, because of his clear willingness to disregard the rights of players, consumers, and even the integrity of the very game they play or enjoy.

Why?  Whatever pads the pocket book, that’s why.  To me, that is just the life of a nihilistic sociopath.

Everyone knows that the commissioner is supposed to act on behalf of the owners.  Yet, who will act on behalf of everyone else?

Why should I believe that my interests simply “trickle down” from the better interests of someone else?  To me, that is just insanity.  No one will protect your interests, ever—you must do that for yourself.

Yet, the player’s union will get demonized when they demand a pay raise, because the owners continue to rake in money from media contracts and ticket sales.

The fans will get demonized every time some isolated dope does something dumb.

All the while, the mass media says nothing critical of the problem but will cook-up storms around the trivial, because they know that since the NFL has a Congress-given antitrust exemption for media—that the NFL has the power and leverage to pull strings in order to get that journalist fired, if that journalist steps out of line.

(Some people would truly prefer to live by the idea of, “How can I please the person with all the power in the man made system?”  Frankly, I think that is a very vile and miserable life to live).

I think then that Roger Goodell has done the same thing that Bill O’Reilly, Glenn Beck, and Lou Dobbs have done—shamelessly sell news that is conducive to racist, “thought.”

Pacman Jones was a serial tabloid headline, nothing else, and yet Roger Goodell suspended Pacman for allegations.

Yet, if Roger Goodell is to remain consistent—he’d also suspend Ben Roethlisberger for allegations as well.

In fact, the stated purpose of Goodell’s suspension is to punish those who undermine the integrity of the game, regardless of whether that act is criminal.

Thus, why don’t accusations of being raped by Roethlisberger undermine the game?  Whether Ben committed the act is irrelevant, because the stated policy of Roger Goodell is to punish even non-criminal behavior. 

In essence, the purpose was to punish those who bring negative buzz to the NFL.

Thus, the mass media has avoided the story of Ben Roethlisberger at all costs, and since white people will stand and say that they believe Big Ben, and that his detractors are just overreacting—there is no one to sell the news too.  Thus, no negative buzz—thus, no reason to suspend Ben Roethlisberger.

That in essence is the heart of Goodell’s irresponsible “discipline” in which he acts like he is the judge, jury, and executioner.  Since, Goodell suspended Pacman for allegations—he must then suspend Roethlisberger for allegations in order to prove the veracity of his suspensions.

Goodell will bring down the hammer on a black guy in a cloud of controversy, such as Pacman or Tank Johnson. Yet, the white guys like Roethlisberger, Tom Brady, Jared Allen, and Matt Leinart go on their merry way with little or no punishment, because there is no hysteria surrounding the player.

The reality however is that the hysteria is fueled by sublimated racism.

In that, those who claim to be “tough on crime” really mean, they’re tough on non-white people or those that they think aren’t acting white.

To compound it, the mass media will jump to report the issue—thinking that they can dispel the falsehoods and examine the issue (and sell the news).  When really all they do is exacerbate the racist lust for negative news about non-white people.

 

Remember the Titans

Fittingly enough, Pacman Jones played for the Tennessee Titans and his case has reminded me of the movie Remember the Titans.

In that movie, Denzel Washington plays Coach Boone who became the first African-American coach of a de-segregated school in Alexandria, Virginia.

The moral of that story was that the black and white players had to put aside their differences in order to achieve the common goal of victory.

When I think of the case of Pacman Jones and now Ben Roethlisberger—all I see is a country divided by hatred, so much so that you’d rather see the country fail than to pursue the common goal of victory.

That’s you Rush Limbaugh and his Dittoheads…and many more.

 

For more on this topic follow this link:
http://bleacherreport.com/articles/223703-why-roger-goodell-should-be-terminated-from-employment

Why Roger Goodell Should Be Terminated from Employment

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As I have determined throughout the past three years of Roger Goodell’s time as commissioner, Roger Goodell does not give a damn about NFL fans (ex, tinkering with NFL Draft, wanting to move Super Bowl to London), or NFL players and Civil Rights (ex, Pacman Jones, Brady Rule), or the integrity of the game (ex, Spygate).

Frankly, I think Goodell should be terminated as commissioner, immediately.

Otherwise, I do believe that we NFL fans should BOYCOTT the NFL until Goodell is terminated from employment.  Otherwise, Goodell and the NFL owners will continue to eviscerate the game you love into an exhibition for greedy sociopaths.

If you have even one decent bone in your body, you will see that this is a moral imperative for all NFL fans, writers, and players that cannot be ignored or rationalized with ideas that, if you get what you want then it does not matter.

What is that you say, Goodell cut his salary?  Ha, that will be nothing when you consider that the NFL will be able to assault the bank accounts of NFL fans and NFL players and continue to wield total dominance over the media—if the NFL defeats American Needle before the US Supreme Court.

 

Positively Roger Goodell: The NFL Draft, the NFL Network, a Super Bowl in London, and Undesirables (Fans and Players)

Positively 4th Street

“I wish that for just one time
You could stand inside my shoes
And just for that one moment
I could be you

Yes, I wish that for just one time
You could stand inside my shoes
You’d know what a drag it is
To see you”

Goodell continues to tinker with the NFL Draft.  Now, Goodell wants to air the first round on Thursday nights, the second round of Friday, and the remaining rounds on Saturday.

Goodell: “Moving the first round to prime time on Thursday night will make the first round of the draft available to fans on what is typically the most-watched night of television.”

Here is the kicker.  What that statement fails to say is that the move is not meant to spread the NFL, but consolidate it…more than likely for the NFL Network.  The truth is in the vagueness.  Just like Spygate.

The intent: move the Draft to primetime on Thursday.  No mention, however, as to whether the Draft would be more accessible.

Thus, any person with two brain cells should conclude that the NFL Draft would now be aired on the NFL Network, as are Thursday Night games, in order to compel fans into buying a channel they did not previously want.

And to watch orchestrated BS with and the de-facto (and increasingly de-juris) racism that reminds me of Plessy v Ferguson in which races are separated by position yet we’re supposed to believe that it is equal.  We know that now, thanks to Spygate and the Brady Rule, and the fact that the henchmen in the media will continually elevate the predominantly white position of quarterback.

Sure, there are some black quarterbacks.  Just as, before Brown v Board of Education, Topeka that some black people had succeeded. 

The fact is, however, that like the laws that stemmed from Plessy v Ferguson—the rules of the NFL under Goodell have been designed to be a detriment to non-white players.

Meanwhile, toothless rules like The Rooney Rule have been just smoke-and-mirrors to dupe idiots into believing that the NFL does not prefer dominance by white people.

Just ask Daunte Culpepper.

Not only that, but Goodell wants to move, “America’s Holiday” of the Super Bowl from the United States to London, England.  If Europe had been interested in the NFL, they had their chance to show it with the now defunct NFL Europe.

Yet, Goodell wants to give the Super Bowl to those who would not appreciate it the way we do in the US.  In other words, Goodell wants to limit the access to the NFL by undesirable fans (such as tailgaters).

In case you have not thought of it, the name Goodell reminds me of Jim Crow.

 

NFL Players

The Roger Goodell policy on suspensions for behavior:

“Conduct that undermines or puts at risk the integrity and reputation of the NFL will be subject to discipline, even if not criminal in nature.”

“League discipline is appealed to the NFL Commissioner or his appointee, and it is not likely that the league is going to disagree with itself when appeals are heard.  It is clear from our ongoing team meetings that players see league discipline as becoming more and more excessive, and that the best way to address the problem is to insist that the next CBA require neutral arbitration for league discipline as well.”

Not only has league discipline been excessive, but also an inordinate detriment to black players such as Pacman Jones and Tank Johnson, and soft on white players such as Jared Allen and Tom Brady.

Michael David Smith wrote that one of the most unreported stories in the NFL is how much resentment the players have towards the commissioner, in regard to how he has handled disciplinary issues.

Moreover, based on Goodell’s policy, I wonder if and when Ben Roethlisberger will be suspended for allegations of rape, and why Matt Leinart was not suspended for dangerously administering alcohol to minors.

And people wonder why idiots would invade the privacy of Erin Andrews and then spread the inappropriate videos on the Internet with moronic comments like “I’d hit that.”

 

Spygate

Spygate Has Shown that the NFL Violated Civil Rights

The Greatest Game Never Played: Oakland Raiders @ New England Patriots

Spygate proved beyond a reasonable doubt that Roger Goodell in fact does not care about the integrity of the NFL.

Like Tom Brady, I always persist.  As Brady was quoted by Judy Battista of the New York Times in 2002, “I just kept challenging him until I beat him.  It is like the tortoise and the hare.  I was the tortoise.”

So am I.  Now Pat fans are the hare.

Thus, I will continue to report until the public at large understands how Spygate conflicted with the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and thus impugned NFL’s anti-trust exemption on media rights.  Moreover, the significance of Spygate can be proved by virtue of, “The Tuck Rule Game.” 

You can read the article about the “Tuck Rule Game” at the included hyperlink, but the gist of that story is, to say that the Patriots did not cheat the Raiders in that game: does not make sense. 

However, it does make sense that Goodell would cover up an issue of anti-trust, when there is a connection to a man who has repeatedly pursued the NFL on anti-trust issues: Al Davis and the Raiders.

In other words, Goodell’s motive to cover up an issue of anti-trust inadvertently violated the Civil Rights of those he pursued in an irresponsible witch-hunt.

Some would like Spygate to be a “dead issue.”  The Civil Rights of others is not a dead issue, and Spygate is a critical piece to a puzzle in which Goodell violated the Civil Rights of others.

Obviously, Patriot fans are going to defend the Patriots, as I will defend the Raiders.  However, the difference is—that caught in the middle of Spygate has been the Civil Rights of others, which is what makes Spygate a significant issue.  Thus, this is not about a sports rivalry but the decisions of Goodell.

 

American Needle vs. NFL

http://www.cbssports.com/columns/story/11976030

“This case could end sports as we know it,” a union official said.  “It could change everything.  We’d be back in the Bronze Age.”

“The leagues would also retain more control over how their games are broadcast. If the NFL is successful in Needle, it might be only a matter of time before networks are told to pack their cameras and bolt and the NFL is charging customers to watch games on free television.”

As you can tell, the NFL has been consolidating its power to the detriment of the consumer and civil rights of fans and players.  The case before the US Supreme Court, will only allow professional sports to create “separate but equal” situations for whatever reason (fill in the blank) that the club so chooses.

If you cannot see that, I do not care what you think.  Plain and simple.

FYI, do not send me your nuisance hate mail—you will never convince me otherwise.

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