Why does everyone hate roger goodell

Well, suffice it to say that we have some notions. In fact, we have 10 of them, all of which are meant to argue why Goodell will be viewed as the worst commissioner in sports history when all is said and done. Among the four major sports in America, the NFL has always had the most tyrannical blackout policy, and it has gone totally unchanged ever since it was implemented in Given the recent hard times in our economy, a man with a softer heart and a clear head perhaps would have amended the blackout policy, thus allowing home fans to get the exposure to the home team that they crave so very much.

It sure would. But individual markets mean less to Goodell and the NFL than overall interest in the sport, and the TV ratings suggest that it has not waned one bit. Let's face it: Goodell could care less about the fans as long as we keep throwing our money at the league. If that means that watching a Raiders or Buccaneers home game is a special occasion, then so be it. I totally understand if the whole blackout thing just sounds like the personal gripe of some disgruntled Raiders fan, but such is the typical frame of mind among small-market fans.

If the blackout situation does not concern you, however, let me just ask you one question: Can you honestly think of anything that Roger Goodell has done in his tenure that has improved the whole NFL experience for its legions of fans?

Indeed, it seems like the only changes he's implemented since he was named as commish in have been custom-designed to take away, one by one, the many reasons why we're all in love with the game in the first place. I hinted at this in the introduction to this piece, but I'd like to take the time to discuss it a little further right here. Like I said, Roger Goodell had his work cut out for him if he was going to carry on the legacy of the NFL as established under Paul Tagliabue, who did a fine job expanding on the success that the league enjoyed under Pete Rozelle.

The NFL is still as big a business as it ever was under Tagliabue, but it certainly seems like the progressive spirit of the whole thing has been lost. Instead of expansion and forward thinking and the like, the emphasis now is all about keeping the house in order, and it feels like Goodell's efforts as commissioner are meant to clean up the mess that he inherited from his predecessors.

That would be tricky enough in and of itself, but it gets even worse when you consider how he decided to go about it. I, for one, have no problem with Goodell's personal conduct policy, as I think he's done a good job of punishing certain players who have definitely made the league look bad with their off-the-field actions.

However, the fact that it is now pretty much impossible to spike the ball, leap into the stands or even talk trash without earning a penalty flag is pretty outrageous. Football is not a gentleman's game like, say, golf. It is a very emotional sport, and asking players to bottle up their emotions is pretty unfair. Shoot, you're not even allowed to wear a shirt that says "Why So Serious" on it.

A lovely torch-and-pitchforks moment for us all. Look, we can all agree that part of our pent-up aggression as it pertains to Goodell has to do with some base jealousy. He has a silver spoon quality as the son of a politician and a lifelong NFL employee. He is the suit-iest of suits. He essentially made a million dollars in salary per franchise in , and that was actually a pay cut from his salary a year before.

He is the easy target for any issue you have with the league. You got issues with ticket prices, personal conduct suspensions, drug offenses, your team moving, or your team fleecing your city for a new stadium?

Exorcise that demon right before he announces the pick. He used to do the second round of the draft before he got the big job, and they were booing him then, too. Gary Bettman, for example, has received a similar reception during several of his public NHL draft addresses.

Goodell succeeded retiring commissioner Paul Tagliabue on 1 September, There were five finalists to choose from, and a close vote confirmed Goodell three weeks before he assumed office. He received one more vote than the required two-thirds majority. Goodell was a three-sport star at Bronxville High School in the s.