Roger Goodell

In 2006, a new era of administration began for the National Football League. Lord knows I could talk about Roger Goodell’s tenure as Commissioner of the National Football League for hours without getting bored. His reign as Commissioner has been dominated concussions and offseason arrests.

            Any time I think about Roger Goodell’s past six years of running the NFL, the first thing that comes to mind is physical play. Every week, after all of the Sunday games, its common practice to watch highlights and pick out which big hits will earn the players a fine. Goodell has made it well known that he wants player safety to be his biggest concern. However, he has gone overboard with his insurance of this. At least five times a season it feels like there is a new rule put in place to protect players, which results in a watered down version of the real game. The forefathers of American football would shake their heads at how sensitive Goodell has been towards big hits and player safety.

            It is well-understood how severe concussions are and how they affect the mental health of players after they retire. However, when players are being paid several million dollars per season, how many restrictions do they need to have on the manner in which they play the game? Instead of setting up a system to take the players’ money away, Goodell should be focusing on a health care plan for players for their post-playing days. Under Goodell, quarterbacks have become untouchable and receivers unhittable.

            Another area that Roger Goodell has chosen to focus on during his time as Commissioner is player conduct outside of the playing field. It’s no surprise that Roger Goodell has a history with working in public relations. Every time a player gets into even the slightest trouble off of the field, Goodell is quick to slap the player with either a fine or a suspension. These actions are without a doubt influenced by the media. If the media were not so focused on the gossip in sports, the commissioner would be less inclined to lay down punishment every time a player gets a speeding ticket. With these focuses being the center of Roger Goodell’s time as commissioner, it is no surprise that the NFL lockout lasted as long as it did last season when signing a new collective bargaining agreement.