In the NFL, the inmates ARE running the asylum

So it’s come to this: I defend Roger Goodell.

A few weeks ago, Houston Texan’s owner Robert McNair made headlines when it was revealed that he said that the NFL should be tougher in dealing with protesters because they couldn’t have “inmates running the prison.”  There was some initial debate if he misspoke and meant to say “inmates running the asylum” because supposedly comparing NFL players to insane people was less insulting than comparing them to convicted criminals. 

I don’t think it really makes a difference, either sentiment displays the attitude of many owners that the team owners don’t just own the teams, they own the players just like slaveholders in the Old South owned their slaves.  The players and the owners are supposed to be partners, but some of the rich White men who own the teams have a contemptuous opinion of their supposed “partners.”

Then last week Dallas Cowboy’s owner Jerry Jones threatened to individually sue any fellow owner who approved a contract extension for Roger Goodell, an obvious response to Goodell finally being allowed to impose a 6-game suspension of Cowboy’s star (pun not intended) running back Ezekiel Elliot.  Jones has been dismissive of the entre process, opining that the penalty was an excessive response to the allegations that Elliot merely physically assaulted his girlfriend.  I guess Jones’ opinion is that if a man can’t smack his girlfriend around, what is this country coming to?

Jones is now saying the NFL penalty mechanism is so unfair he will sue if it is enforced against his team.  Of course, he said nothing against the decision to suspend Patriot’s quarterback Tom Brady for four games, so his outrage is selective.

If the other owners are smart they will ignore his threats a go ahead and give Goodell the extension he probably doesn’t deserve.  Al Davis occasionally challenged the NFL, but that was about marketing his team, not on-the-field advantage.  If the owners cave, then Goodell will be loath to impose any future penalties on a Cowboys player, lest he face the wrath of Jerry Jones.

Of course, the other owners could take this as an opportunity to strip the Commissioner’s office of all authority to impose suspensions, but given the public outrage over many of Goodell’s decisions to impose mild penalties for perceived faults (most notably the Ray Rice case, lest Jerry Jones think that no one cares about domestic violence cases) I think the owners would recognize that having some sort of figurehead is a good idea.  Especially since Goodell has proven effective as being a punching bag for public outrage.

Can Jones make good on his threat to sue the other owners?  Sure, in America anyone can sue anybody for anything.  The deal to extend Goodell’s contract was approved unanimously, meaning Jones supported it.  And Jones agreed to participate in the NFL and abide by its rules, including the method of determining Goodell’s salary, so it is a little late in the game for him to decide the rules aren’t fair.  And as noted above, he never had any problem with the NFL’s suspension process until his star player was suspended. Given that he agreed to everything, and has never said anything about how the process has worked in the past, it is hard to see how a lawyer could make a case that Jones’ suit is anything but a self-serving attempt to give his team an on-field advantage by being allowed to play players despite their breaking NFL rules.

I think Goodell has been largely incompetent in the penalty aspect of his job, botching the Ray Rice investigation, the deflate-gate situation (Brady was guilty, but even I think a four-game suspension was too harsh), and also not responding quickly enough to concussion concerns, the anthem situation, and the blackballing of Colin Kaepernick.  The contrary argument is that he’s made a lot of money for the owners (including Jerry Jones), but I am in the camp that believes a trained bonobo as Commissioner could have overseen the economic boom of the NFL.  The American appetite for violence is insatiable, and the NFL is the country’s primary distributor.

By the way, this is why I dismiss any claim that people aren’t watching NFL games because of anthem protests.  The anthem is usually not telecast, and besides, where are these people going to get their weekly dose of violence?  Watch soccer?  NASCAR?  If people aren’t watching the NFL it is because overextension has diluted the product, and because major athletes are getting injured at an increasing level because safety concerns have been ignored for years.

Looking at the disarray among the NFL owners over Roger Goodell’s contract extension, one can only conclude that Robert McNair was correct; the inmates are running the asylum.