Presented with a chance to live up to the image he thinks he sees when he looks into the mirror, that of commissioner of a league that is equal parts American sports monolith and cultural force for good, Roger Goodell failed miserably — again.
The commissioner’s statement Saturday perfectly encapsulates where the NFL is on social issues: It was tone-deaf, vague, uninspiring and cowardly. As protesters around the country expressed their anger at the death in police custody of George Floyd, who was unarmed and handcuffed, Goodell and the NFL cowered when they had a chance to meet the moment.
Instead, there was no mention in the 150-word statement of how Floyd died, no mention that Breonna Taylor was shot by Louisville police officers after they mistakenly entered her home during a no-knock raid and no mention of Ahmaud Arbery being killed in broad daylight by armed white assailants. There was no mention of the fact that all three victims were black.
Goodell wrote about the NFL’s “commitment” and “ongoing efforts” and of an “urgent need for action.” Yet absent from the statement was anything about police brutality or racism. Instead, “tragic events” was trotted out as a toothless catch-all term.
