Other Ray Rice - Woman Basher

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The river thru all that article is how tight the boys club is. That's Goodell and his buddy nfl owners. Goodell just a figure head true, paid by the owners to make them money and so as commish part of that as a former lawyer is making bad things disappear under a rug. But still also helps out a certain number of owners who are closest.

Oh what I would give for a young AL Davis again.
 
GG said:
The river thru all that article is how tight the boys club is. That's Goodell and his buddy nfl owners. Goodell just a figure head true, paid by the owners to make them money and so as commish part of that as a former lawyer is making bad things disappear under a rug. But still also helps out a certain number of owners who are closest.

Oh what I would give for a young AL Davis again.
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Prefer a younger Tagliabue
 

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Seriously beginning to re-consider my support for the Ravens after this debacle - especially after reading that OTL report

If it is true, it makes a lot of the higher-ups in the Ravens organisation look really bad

1. Bisciotti and Cass come off looking really bad - a lot of what they did seems to have been motivated by optics (and presumably the salary cap) and not morals/ethics or what would be best for the team long term

2. Ozzie's reputation is going to take a pretty big hit, but I think it comes across that a lot of what he did was due to his personal feelings about Rice

3. It just re-affirms how poorly the judicial system has handled the entire case

4. This doesn't really make make Rice look any better - especially if you read into the end of the article (i.e. all the stuff "his trainer" said). He clearly doesn't seem to understand that regardless of what happens, he won't be playing in the NFL any time soon because of the current social climate.

5. Harbaugh comes out of this well and will probably get a fair bit of sympathy for how he was trotted out for the 1st press conference after Rice was cut and made to tow the company line
 
NFL fans struggle with love of game, revulsion at violence off the field

By Elliott Almond
Posted: 09/20/2014 06:04:18 PM PDT


Once the whistle blows, football overshadows all else.

On Sunday, Americans once again will gather inside palatial stadiums and around big-screen televisions to worship at the altar of the country's most popular sport.

But despite full houses and record ratings, soul-searching football fans say the Sunday ritual no longer comes guilt-free. Many are wrestling with conflicted feelings about their love of the game and their revulsion over the recent spate of domestic violence and child abuse cases.

"I haven't walked away, but my attitude certainly has changed," said Rob Orme, a respiratory therapist from Campbell. "I've been a Niners fan for a long time. But now if I miss a game, I really don't care much."

More than a dozen fans interviewed for this story shared internal struggles about enjoying the sport of pro football at a time when it has been marred by a series of ugly incidents off the field -- most prominently the horrific video of Baltimore running back Ray Rice punching his then-fiancee in an Atlantic City elevator. Just how deep, many wonder, should their allegiance to the game be?

"It's just been embarrassing," said Chris Shaw, 25, a lifelong 49ers fans and corporate recruiter from Pleasanton. "The league clearly has acted in a hypocritical way. But I also love the sport so much that I just can't turn away from it. For me, it's about the on-the-field product."

New father Dan Pack said his 4-month-old daughter has made him re-evaluate his rabid interest in the Raiders, 49ers and his own fantasy football team.

"Having a daughter makes you really think about everything that a woman is going to face in life," said Pack, 39, of Sacramento. "And these last few weeks have been a complete wake-up call. How can I look at my daughter and think, 'Well, now I'm going to watch these guys who beat their wives and children'?"
Rice, Minnesota's Adrian Peterson, Carolina's Greg Hardy and Arizona's Jonathan Dwyer all have been either cut or deactivated by their teams amid family violence convictions and allegations. But the 49ers' Ray McDonald continues to play and practice despite his Aug. 31 arrest on suspicion of domestic violence against his pregnant fiancee.

Fans say it's wrong to taint all pro football players with the bad behavior of a few. However, those interviewed also add they are appalled at how poorly football officials have reacted -- doling out lenient and inconsistent punishment.

"NFL players are role models," said Sarah Schrag, 32, a Seattle resident who is an assistant vice president of a brokerage firm. "If my boss hit his wife, no, it would not be on gossip websites. But if it's public knowledge, it still represents my company. There are no excuses for all the excuses being made about all of this."

Schrag is a Seattle Seahawks and San Diego Chargers fan. And yes, she will be watching the games Sunday.

Sport, of course, long has exuded an air of dominance and aggression, manifesting in a jocular locker room vocabulary that can foster misguided attitudes toward women. NFL players are paid exorbitant sums to create mayhem on the field to the glee of millions. Yet those same fans are disgusted when players act violently off the field.

Domestic abuse is not new to the NFL. In 2012, Kansas City Chiefs player Jovan Belcher murdered his girlfriend before committing suicide. But that case, and others before and after, did not lead to policies on how the league deals with crimes toward women. NFL executives have seemed utterly unprepared to handle the five incidents currently in the spotlight.

"I laugh at them, at their idiotic, misguided and misogynistic policies," Campbell's Orme said of NFL leaders.

The league has touted in recent years how women have grown to represent an estimated 45 percent of its fan base. Rep. Jackie Speier, D-San Mateo, is among them. But she stood on the House floor Wednesday and called for the 49ers to bench McDonald.

"I'm an avid 49er fan, but this is disgusting," Speier said. "I expect more from my 49ers."

Yet just days after Baltimore's Rice was suspended indefinitely when the video surfaced that showed him hitting his now-wife, some female Ravens fans attended a game proudly wearing his jersey.

Fans can be very good at compartmentalizing their rooting interests and off-the-field issues. For example, Santa Clara's Kashina Lee said she is capable of separating the fact that she is a football fan and also has been a victim of domestic violence.

"All in all, I wish we could just get back to football and let the courts take care of any criminal investigations and trials," Lee said.

There is no denying that the game itself remains intrinsically alluring.

Dave Romer, 40, of Denver, jokingly said his blood is Broncos orange and he follows the NFL closely because "that is what everyone in America does." But he is weaning himself from the game.

"Ray Rice was the first of the last straws," said Romer, who works in medical robotics. "They (initially) gave him two games. Seriously? It shows their priorities are completely wrong and they are all about the profits."

Chris Eaton, a retired Brawley Police Department sergeant and founder of the Imperial Valley Raiders Booster Club, is equally disappointed with the NFL. But Eaton said while the behavior of those few athletes shouldn't be condoned, walking away from the game is not the answer.

"I'm not going to stop watching football because Ray Rice punched his wife," said Eaton, who is such a Raiders fan that he drives silver-and-black cars. "Otherwise, I'd have to stop going to the grocery store because people did something there."

On Friday, Goodell promised at a news conference that "we will get our house in order" and that he wants the league to implement new personal conduct policies by the Super Bowl.

But John Comiskey, 61, a recently retired software engineer from San Jose, hopes for changes that go beyond the NFL.

"The important question is not, 'What is Roger Goodell going to do about domestic violence?' " said Comiskey, a Raiders season-ticket holder. "The important question is, 'What are we, as a society, going to do about domestic violence?' "
 
In Rice case, what does “accountable” really mean?
Posted by Mike Florio on September 20, 2014, 2:46 PM EDT
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AP
Commissioner Roger Goodell has said on multiple occasions that he’s accountable for the many problems with the Ray Rice investigation and ultimate suspension. But what does it really mean to be accountable?

For players, coaches, team executives, and owners who break the rules, it means fines and suspensions. For teams, it means fines and the potential loss of draft picks or salary cap space.

For folks in the league office, accountability looks to be simply a word.

To confirm that, look no farther that the deposition given by Goodell in the Super Bowl ticket fiasco lawsuit. PFT has obtained a copy of the 317-page document, and an intriguing exchange between Goodell and lawyer Michael Avenatti begins at page 119. It appears below.

Q. Who has been held accountable, if anyone, with the NFL with regard to what happened with the temporary seats?

Attorney Thad Behrens: Objection, vague.

Goodell: What do you mean, accountable?

Q. Have you ever used the word accountable?

Goodell: Yes, sir.

Q. All right. What do you understand the word accountable to mean?

Goodell: You’ve asked me in the beginning that you wanted me to make sure that I understand the question. I’m trying to understand your question.

Q. That’s not my question. My question is what do you generally — what have you generally understood the word accountability to mean when you’ve used it.

Goodell: Is that the first question that you asked or — I’m asking for a clarification on your question.

Q. I’m going to strike the question and I’m going to ask you another question.

Goodell: Okay.

Q. All right. What have you generally understood the word accountable to mean when you’ve used it?

Goodell: That you are responsible, and that you take responsibility.

Q. And that you make good on your failure, right?

Attorney Thad Behrens: Objection. It mischaracterizes his testimony.

Goodell: I think I answered your question.

Q. Have you held anyone with the NFL accountable for the failures relating to the temporary seats at Super Bowl 45?

Attorney Thad Behrens: Objection, vague. You can answer.

Goodell: Again, I’ve been very clear. We’re all accountable for this. Our staff has worked hard to contact those fans to make the offer. We continue to still make good on those offers, and we will do so. So yes, we’re all accountable for that.

Q. Have you caused anyone to be disciplined in connection with their — the failures relating to the temporary seat issues at Super Bowl 45?

Goodell: To be disciplined?

Q. Yeah. You’re familiar — you’re familiar with the word disciplined, right?

Goodell: Yes.

Q. Okay. I mean you hand out discipline on a consistent basis, in connection with being the leader of the NFL, in an effort to protect the shield, right?

Attorney Thad Behrens: Objection. You’re badgering the witness.

Goodell: (Laughing).

Q. No, I’m stating a fact. I mean he — it’s well known that he does that. Right, Mr. Goodell?

Attorney Thad Behrens: Objection. This is outside the scope.

Goodell: I apply discipline –

Q. Okay.

Goodell: — in the context of violation of our policies.

Q. All right.

Goodell: — when a team violates policies, lawyer or other individuals involved with the NFL.

Q. Have you applied any discipline whatsoever in connection with the failures surrounding the temporary seating issues at Super Bowl 45?

Goodell: Discipline wouldn’t be the word I would use. There are people that recognize our responsibility, and there was an impact for that, for all of us.

Q. Have you caused anyone to lose their job over the failures in connection with the Super Bowl 45 temporary seats?

Goodell: No, I have not.

The questioning then focused on whether any employee has suffered a consequence to his or her job because of the Super Bowl ticket fiasco. Goodell explained that, generally, it can affect bonus payments and promotions. Pressed for the name of any person affected by the situation, Goodell did not provide one.

Many have assumed that, in the Rice case, one or more key employees of the league office will be held accountable with the loss of their jobs. Based on the Super Bowl ticket fiasco, however, that assumption could be erroneous.

After all, if anyone in the upper reaches of the NFL loses his job now, it could become very hard to explain why the axe of accountability didn’t fall one level higher.
 
Bill Simmons goes all in against Roger Goodell
Posted by Mike Florio on September 24, 2014, 7:11 AM EDT
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Getty Images
On Friday, Tedy Bruschi of ESPN made the case for a new Commissioner in a clear and passionate way. On Monday, Bill Simmons of ESPN opted for something equally passionate, but also more than a little profane.

“Goodell, if he didn’t know what was on that tape, he’s a liar,” Simmons said Monday on his podcast, via Mediaite.com. “I’m just saying it. He is lying. I think that dude is lying. If you put him up on a lie detector test that guy would fail. For all these people to pretend they didn’t know is such f–king bullsh-t. It really is. It’s such f–king bullsh-t. And for him to go in that press conference and pretend otherwise, I was so insulted. I really was.”

Simmons later reiterated his belief that Goodell is a liar, and then Simmons dared ESPN to tell him to tone it down.

“I really hope somebody calls me or emails me and says I’m in trouble for anything I say about Roger Goodell,” Simmons said. “Because if one person says that to me, I’m going public. You leave me alone. The Commissioner’s a liar and I get to talk about that on my podcast. . . . Please, call me and say I’m in trouble. I dare you.”

With so many voices so aggressively attacking Goodell and the Ravens, ESPN seems to be daring the league to retaliate. Which has prompted some in the media to wonder whether, if Goodell ultimately survives, he’ll hold a grudge against the network that once canceled Playmakers at the insistence of his predecessor. (The league thought Playmakers unfairly depicted pro football players . . . and the story lines from the last two weeks would have been rejected at the time as way too far fetched.)

On one hand, it would be easier at this point for Goodell to list those who haven’t called him out in the last two weeks. On the other hand, ESPN has been the loudest and the most blunt in its attacks on the Commissioner.

Throw in the quickly eroding report about the Ravens’ mishandling of the case and, yeah, it makes sense for ESPN to be a little nervous about coexisting with the league office and the Ravens if the dust settles with the key players still in place in both Baltimore and Manhattan.
 
ESPN addresses text-message mishap in Ravens story
Posted by Mike Florio on September 23, 2014, 11:04 PM EDT
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One of the more glaring problems with ESPN’s story regarding the Ravens’ mishandling of the Ray Rice investigation relates to the text messages sent by owner Steve Bisciotti to Rice after the team cut him.

In the story, ESPN presents the text messages in italics. While quotes weren’t used, the technique created the clear impression that the text messages were being quoted verbatim. The surrounding context reinforced the idea that exact quotes were being shared.

The first, from the ESPN report: “Hey Ray, just want to let you know, we loved you as a player, it was great having you here. Hopefully all these things are going to die down. I wish the best for you and Janay.

The second: “When you’re done with football, I’d like you to know you have a job waiting for you with the Ravens helping young guys getting acclimated to the league.”

As it turns out, the text messages weren’t quoted verbatim. The statement released Monday by the team included the exact language of the text messages.

The first: “I’m sorry we had to do this. I still love you and believe that you will be a great husband and father If you ever need to talk just call.”

The second: “I just spent two hours talking to Ozzie. It was all about you. We love you and we will always figure out a way to keep you in our lives. When you are done with football I will hire you to help me raise Great young men. I still love you!!!”

ESPN’s story also creates the impression that Bisciotti texted Rice without prompting. According to the Ravens, Rice contacted Bisciotti first, saying: “I understand the decision but I am thankful for what you have done for me and my family. Me and my wife will continue to work on us and being better but I just wanted to say thank you for giving me a chance.”

ESPN has acknowledged that the italicized text messages did not reflect actual quotes.

“We understand the confusion surrounding our use of italics and recognize we could have been more clear,” ESPN said Tuesday in a statement. “Most importantly, the information in our story about the contents of the texts was consistent with what the team released.”

While the contents were consistent, the clear and obvious error in the presentation invites fair questions regarding whether other aspects of the story are incorrect, especially in light of the strong (albeit belated) written response the Ravens provided to 15 different aspects of the report.

This specific flaw also carries with it some irony. At a time when the Ravens fairly have been hammered for failing to ask for the notorious elevator video, ESPN didn’t ask the Ravens to confirm the precise contents of the text messages sent by Bisciotti. Instead, ESPN asked only if Bisciotti sent two text messages to Rice.

The story from ESPN doesn’t disclose that ESPN asked the Ravens only to confirm that Bisciotti sent two text messages and not to confirm the contents of the text messages. But the words selected by the authors invite a perception that the Ravens were informed of the alleged language of the text messages: “Asked about the text messages Friday, the team did not deny Bisciotti had sent them: ‘His text messages to Ray reflect his belief that everyone is capable of redemption and that others, including players, can learn from Ray’s experience.'”

Moving forward, it’s up to the reader to decide whether to overlook ESPN’s mishandling of the text messages, or whether to treat this specific wrinkle as the proverbial bite of bad beef in a pot of stew. Do you keep on eating, or do you throw out the whole thing?
 

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GG said:
He said "come at me bro" and they came at him. But good on him for the grilling he gave Goodell. Prick of the highest order.
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That won't be the end of it though, if the NFL thought they could silence him.

NB go to the NFL site and you'd swear there was no issue with Ray Rice and Goodell:)
 
Excerpt from the New York Times

"
On a podcast on Grantland, a website owned by ESPN, Simmons sharply criticized Goodell’s handling of the Ray Rice domestic violence case and called him a liar.
“I just think not enough is being made out of the fact that they knew about the tape and they knew what was on it,” Simmons said. “Goodell, if he didn’t know what was on that tape, he’s a liar. I’m just saying it. He is lying. I think that dude is lying. If you put him up on a lie-detector test that guy would fail.”
He added: “And for him to go in that press conference and pretend otherwise, I was so insulted. I really was.”
Simmons challenged ESPN to discipline him for his words: “You leave me alone. The commissioner is a liar, and I get to talk about that on my podcast.”
In a statement about the suspension, ESPN said: “Every employee must be accountable to ESPN, and those engaged in our editorial operations must also operate within ESPN’s journalistic standards. We have worked hard to ensure that our recent N.F.L. coverage has met that criteria. Bill Simmons did not meet those obligations in a recent podcast, and as a result we have suspended him for three weeks.”
ESPN suspended its commentator Stephen A. Smith in July for a week after he suggested that Rice’s wife, Janay Palmer, could have provoked his attack on her"

So you get three weeks suspension from ESPN for calling Goodell a liar but 1 week for suggesting that a woman who got hit provoked it.....
 
Interestingly, this article got a run on ESPN ( so maybe they are running both sides)

"Drew Brees was critical Wednesday of the way NFL commissioner Roger Goodell has handled disciplinary issues in recent years - including the New Orleans Saints' bounty investigation.
And Brees said he hopes the NFL's latest controversies will finally lead to a new disciplinary system that is fair, transparent and includes the NFL Players Association and independent experts instead of the "unilateral" system that has been in place with "no checks and balances."
"Too many times, I'd say especially over the last few years, a punishment's been handed down and nobody has really seen the evidence except for those in the league office - supposedly," Brees said. "So decisions were made in kind of a, 'Hey, trust us.' But did the public see any of the facts? Did the accused see any of the facts? In most cases, no."
Those were the biggest complaints among Saints players and the NFL Players Association during the drawn-out fight over bounty suspensions in 2012 - which ultimately led to former NFL commissioner Paul Tagliabue vacating all of Goodell's player punishments.
Drew Brees said the current disciplinary system lacks 'checks and balances.'
Saints leaders such as coach Sean Payton and general manager Mickey Loomis, however, had no such recourse with which to fight against Goodell's severe punishments since Goodell handed out the discipline and heard the appeal.
"That's why you have multiple parties to make sure everyone comes together, cooler heads prevail. The decision isn't just based on emotion at the time, which I can say I believe has happened in the past in regards to commissioner discipline. It's been based upon emotion as opposed to maybe the facts," Brees said. "And (a new disciplinary policy would) prevent that from ever happening again."
Brees also echoed the sentiment of many former Saints players and media analysts who have pointed out that Goodell has not been held accountable for mistakes made during the investigation of Ray Rice's domestic violence incident. And Goodell is not holding himself to the same standard to which he held Saints leaders to in the bounty punishments.
"I think it's a great tie-in because obviously the same things that I've heard, the same things that I feel (about Goodell) are the quotes that were thrown out at members of the Saints organization in regards to why they were being punished," Brees said. "Things such as, 'Ignorance is no excuse,' and, 'if you didn't know you should've known,' are things that would absolutely apply in this case, except the roles are reversed and it's going back at Commisioner Goodell and the league office."
When asked if he feels that Goodell should step down after the way he's handled such issues as the Rice investigation, Brees said, "That's not up to me. I'm more focused on the solution, as far as creating and then maintaining policies that you can be consistent with and open with and transparent with, and bringing together all parties that should be involved. The players association, the NFL league office and independent experts."
Offensive tackle Zach Strief, who serves as the Saints' union rep, told reporters that he doesn't believe Goodell should lose his job. But he suggested that a season-long suspension would be a fitting punishment for Goodell since that's what Goodell handed Payton.
"What is the precedent for making a colossal mistake?" Strief told reporters. "The precedent has been you missed a season. It's very simple. The exact situation has already happened, and it happened here. There was a punishment and that was the punishment.
"Unfortunately for Roger, he set the precedent. He said, 'You made a big mistake, it cost the league, it's harmed the shield.' Here's what it was before. To me, that's the only fair thing. Not that that matters."
Strief also agreed with Brees on the need for a more transparent disciplinary process.
"That's why the players have forever wanted an independent appeal process or arbiter, because at the end of the day Roger is not perfect. And the system is now in place with that assumption - that Roger is going to know exactly what to do in every situation, and it clearly is incorrect," Strief said. "It's been proven many times over, and to be honest with you, I don't necessarily think that Roger is trying to do the wrong stuff. But he's a human. And saying that he's the end-all, be-all no matter what in any situation is saying that he is always going to be right. It's silly.
"So there needs to be a system of checks and balances in place, and I think there needs to be transparency in how that all goes down. I'm tired of this veil of secrecy behind it. You get stuck in a situation where nobody has a clue what's going on, you deal with assumptions, and it's a circus."
Brees, who recently stepped down after years spent as a member of the NFLPA executive committee, said this has long been an issue with players. Former Saints linebacker Scott Fujita, also a former NFLPA executive committee member, has made similar comments in the past week.
"I think that this has been a long time coming," Brees said. "It's really unfortunate that all of this had to happen in order for this to transpire or for this to become evident.
"But now the public knows, certainly the fan community knows, and it seems like that's gonna happen, which is a very good thing. And it's the right thing."

Revenge is a b***h
 
Goodell on Bountygate

"Goodell said in a statement Wednesday that “in assessing player discipline, I focused on players who were in leadership positions at the Saints; contributed a particularly large sum of money toward the program; specifically contributed to a bounty on an opposing player; demonstrated a clear intent to participate in a program that potentially injured opposing players; sought rewards for doing so; and/or obstructed the 2010 investigation.”
 
Goodell is in a bit of a bind, if he didn't know what was on the tape he is incompetent and maybe he shouldn't be in charge of the league.

But if he did know what was on the tape and still handed out just a 2 game suspension he is incompetent and maybe he shouldn't be in charge of the league.

If he is serious about changing the time-honoured "as many dickheads as we can" policy of the NFL then he might have to start with himself.


edit: 2 game
 
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From the Baltimore Sun Newspaper today:

"
Meanwhile, the NFL Players Association announced Wednesday that it will conduct its own investigation into how the league and the Ravens handled the Rice situation. It will run parallel to the NFLPA's appeal on behalf of the indefinitely suspended former Ravens running back.
That probe will be led by federal prosecutor Richard Craig Smith, head of regulatory and governmental investigation at the firm of Norton Rose Fulbright. That law firm also assisted the union in its investigation of the New Orleans Saints' bounty scandal two years ago and with the Miami Dolphins' bullying scandal last year involving Jonathan Martin and Richie Incognito.
"As a former federal prosecutor, Mr. Smith brings tremendous experience and expertise," the NFLPA said in a statement. "The NFLPA will request that the NFL and the Baltimore Ravens cooperate in the interest of transparency."
Rice has hired veteran attorney Peter Ginsberg to represent him in his legal matters involving the NFL, according to a source.
Ginsberg previously represented former Saints linebacker Jonathan Vilma in the bounty scandal. He also represented Maryland men's basketball star Dez Wells in his case against Xavier University.
Ginsberg did not respond to messages seeking comment Wednesday.
Initially suspended for two games for violating the NFL's personal-conduct policy, Rice's suspension was increased after a video surfaced of him knocking out his then-fiancee, Janay, whom he later married.
NFL commissioner Roger Goodell wrote in a disciplinary letter that the video constituted new evidence that didn't mesh with the version of events Rice told him. Rice will contend that he told the truth to the Ravens and the NFL in his meetings with them, according to sources.
The NFLPA is expected to focus a large part of its argument on Article 46 of the NFL collective bargaining agreement dealing with "One Punishment," which prohibits the NFL and teams from punishing a player multiple times for the same offense, according to sources. They'll also argue that the NFL based its punishment of Rice on a video that was edited by TMZ, the celebrity gossip website.
The Ravens terminated Rice's contract the day that video emerged.
Ravens defensive end Chris Canty, the team's player union representative, said Wednesday that the NFLPA hopes to preserve Rice's rights.
"I think we have to address the process of what's going on," Canty said. "Obviously, we don't approve of the act, and it was definitely a situation where there was poor judgment involved. At the same time, you have to go about the process the right way when enforcing discipline. And that's something that the union is going to make sure that Ray has the opportunity to have due process. He has rights."
Monday, Steve Bisciotti called the Rice situation the biggest crisis during his ownership of the team as he refuted an ESPN report that he and his top managers misrepresented what they knew about Rice hitting his fiancee at Revel Casino Hotel in Atlantic City in February.
In a letter to stakeholders and fans sent Sept. 9, the day after Rice was released, Bisciotti explained that Ravens officials attempted but failed to obtain the video from Atlantic City police, prosecutors and casino officials.
Monday, in response to the ESPN report, the team released a detailed statement with new information: its director of security, Darren Sanders, spoke to an Atlantic City police officer days after the Feb. 15 incident and was given a description of what the entire video showed.
Sanders was quoted as saying in the team's statement that the officer "could not tell from the video whether Ray slapped or punched her, but Ray told me very clearly that he did not punch her."
Byrne said he believes the new information does not contradict the team's Sept. 9 letter that summarized what Ravens officials knew at the end of February, even though it did not say anything about Sanders' conversation."

Note the highlighted section.
 
I think the owners may keep Goodell if they can because they will have him under their thumb and a tame Goodell is better than someone else who may seek to take power from them......unless of course Goodell becomes too much of a publicity liability
 
From MSN today:

"
The video of Ray Rice punching his fiancee inside a casino elevator was sent to NFL headquarters to the attention of league security chief Jeffrey Miller in April, a law enforcement official says.
The NFL has repeatedly said no one with the league saw the violent images until TMZ Sports released the video earlier this month. Miller said Thursday through an NFL spokesman that he never received the video.
The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because he wasn't authorized to release details of the case, said he doesn't know if Miller ever saw the DVD or opened the package. His only communication with the NFL was a 12-second voicemail on April 9 from league offices confirming receipt of the package, in which a woman says, "You're right. It's terrible."
The official told the AP two weeks ago that he sent the video to the NFL, but asked the AP not to report that he had addressed the package to Miller. He eliminated that restriction Thursday.
"Since the NFLPA and NFL have launched separate investigations into the league and the Ravens' handling of Ray Rice's case, I want to make a few things clear. No one from the NFL ever asked me for the inside-elevator video," the official said Thursday. "I mailed it anonymously to Jeff Miller because he's their head of security. I attached a note saying: `Ray Rice elevator video. You have to see it. It's terrible.' I provided a number for a disposable cellphone and asked for confirmation that it was received. I knew there was a possibility Mr. Miller may not get the video, but I hoped it would land in the right hands."
Miller, in London preparing for the Raiders-Dolphins game Sunday, issued a statement to the AP Thursday night through an NFL spokesman.
"I unequivocally deny that I received at any time a copy of the video, and I had not watched it until it was made public on September 8," he said.
Miller joined the league in 2008 as director of strategic security and was promoted to chief security officer in April 2011. Before joining the NFL, Miller spent nearly six years as the commissioner of the Pennsylvania State Police. He worked for the state police for 24 years.
At the NFL, Miller's responsibilities include overseeing investigative programs and services. He is also in charge of event security and game integrity. When players get arrested, the NFL's corps of investigators rarely get involved, leaving that to local law enforcement. The league's security operatives gather court documents and police reports available to the public, but don't ordinarily interview witnesses or gather evidence independently.

It remains unclear what happened to the video once it arrived at league offices. There are two NFL executives named Jeffrey Miller, but the law enforcement official didn't know that, and intended it to go to the chief of security. The official said he wanted to make sure the NFL had the video before deciding on Rice's punishment.
"My intention wasn't to bring down Commissioner Goodell or anyone else at the NFL," he said.
He said he didn't know the identity of the woman who left him the voicemail. He said he chose Miller because of his law enforcement background, even though he didn't know him personally.
Rice, a former Pro Bowl running back for the Baltimore Ravens, was arrested in Atlantic City on an assault charge for hitting Janay Palmer in February. A police summons stated that Rice had struck Palmer with his hand, knocking her unconscious. Rice has been accepted into New Jersey's pretrial intervention program, which enabled him to avoid jail time and could result in having the charge expunged from his record.
Initially, Goodell suspended Rice -- who has since married Palmer -- for two games. After criticism, Goodell announced new stiffer penalties for future domestic violence cases. After video of the punch in the casino elevator was released, the Ravens cut Rice and Goodell suspended him indefinitely.
League and Ravens officials said they requested the video from law enforcement but were denied. ESPN and others have reported that the Ravens had a detailed description of the video shortly after Rice was arrested.
After the AP reported that the video was sent to NFL headquarters, Goodell announced that former FBI Director Robert Mueller would lead an internal investigation. That probe is ongoing, and there is no timetable for its completion.
The law enforcement official said he does not want to speak to NFL investigators, and Mueller, who is now in private practice with a Washington law firm with deep ties to the NFL, has no subpoena power. "I know nothing else about this case," the official said.
Former FBI Chief of Staff Aaron Zebley, who is working with Mueller on the investigation, didn't immediately return a call seeking comment"

Joe the cameraman is firming as the fallguy
 
Goodell says it’s not his decision whether he’ll testify in Rice appeal
Posted by Mike Florio on October 8, 2014, 9:07 PM EDT
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AP
One of the questions we suggested for Commissioner Roger Goodell’s press conference focused on whether he’ll testify at the Ray Rice appeal hearing.

Goodell was asked that question. And his answer didn’t really answer it.

“I don’t think that’s my decision,” Goodell said, via the Associated Press. “I think Judge Jones is the one who ultimately is going to make the rules and determinations. I’ve been in meetings all day. That isn’t something that I’ve addressed.”

At a time when the NFL should be hoping to be as transparent as possible when it comes to the various off-field issues it confronts, that may not be the best position to take.

Indeed, Goodell’s answer suggests that the NFL’s lawyers will try to shield him from testifying under oath, which the lawyers representing a large business almost always do when the boss is asked to submit to authority other than his own. By saying that Judge Jones will make the decision, Goodell implies that there will be a dispute that she must resolve regarding whether he should testify.

There shouldn’t be. The question before Judge Jones will be whether the NFL knew or should have known what Rice did to his then-fiancée in an Atlantic City elevator on February 15. Goodell’s public comments and his letter to Rice suspending him indefinitely express a belief that Rice painted a picture far different in meetings with the team and the league than the video released 30 days ago did. Goodell, who ultimately processed the information and determined that Rice’s story wasn’t consistent with the visual evidence, isn’t simply an essential witness — he and Rice will be the key witnesses in determining what Rice said and what the NFL otherwise knew or should have known.

Ultimately, it would be shocking if Judge Jones doesn’t compel Goodell to testify. And it would be a much better look for Goodell and the league if Goodell simply said, “I’ll be there. And I’ll bring the Bible.”
 
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