GQ’s Goodell Piece Is Not Flattering

Style magazine GQ just released a long-form piece called “Roger Goodell’s Season From Hell,” detailing the commissioner’s turbulent 2014 season. And not only is Ol’ Rog not shown in the best light, most of the league and even CBS isn’t. For example:

• As the controversy following the TMZ tape leak swirled, Patriots owner Robert Kraft appeared on “CBS This Morning.” After that interview, CBS president Les Moonves met with Kraft to discuss Goodell needing to do an interview – and suggests it should be a woman. Two days later, Goodell does an interview with CBS’ Norah O’Donnell, where he makes his infamous claim that Ray Rice was ambiguous.
• There’s a good reason to believe Kraft could convince Goodell to do that. Kraft is one of Goodell’s closest confidants, and is often referred to in league circles as “assistant commissioner.” It’s a relationship that bothers other team owners like the Jets’ Woody Johnson and (reportedly) the Saints’ Tom Benson.
• One of Goodell’s defenders is Texans owner Bob McNair, who blames the league’s problems on a “liberal agenda.” He also spoke of the concussion settlement that Goodell negotiated: “It was about protecting the brand. Do we want the brand attacked on this for the next ten years? Or do we want to go ahead and take the high road? In effect, we don’t think most of these concussions referenced even occurred in the NFL, but we’re not going to complain about it.”
• Profit is Goodell’sprimary focus, which some feel is too much. He also reportedly demands loyalty from his staff, and shames them for making too much money.
• Following the disastrous 2007 “Dr. No” interview of Dr. Ira Casson by “Real Sports,” Goodell called HBO’s president to complain: Ross Greenburg reportedly wrote a letter of apology to the league.

GQ also reveals a new stat concerning football’s popularity: besides the previously-reported polls that suggest half of parents wouldn’t let their kids play football, there’s also a study that claims the league has lost 10% of it’s under-50 audience. But the factoid that most of the media will focus on will be from his childhood: he was a Redskins fan.

Read the full piece at GQ.

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