As the commissioner of America’s most popular sport, Roger Goodell has certain responsibilities. So, it’s big news when he appears to be significantly altering one.
Is our nation’s most famous spokesperson suddenly afraid to tackle tough media questions during Super Bowl week? We don’t know this definitively, but it certainly appears that way.
Late last week, Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio reported that Goodell’s annual state-of-the-NFL press conference, moved from Wednesday to Monday, was going to be by invitation only. This detail means some media members will be unable to attend. Perhaps there is a simple explanation for these changes, but it seems suspicious.
Goodell’s job description includes the following:
- Keep the billions of dollars in revenue flowing
- Make decisions that increase franchise values
- Build a consensus among owners on business matters
- Be the public face of the league.
That last part is extremely important.
The NFL oligarchy doesn’t want to answer questions from the public. It doesn’t want to take the blame when things go wrong. It doesn’t want to speak about player safety. It doesn’t want to be held accountable for pretty much anything. That’s why it employs Goodell. He’s a highly paid PR flack.
Goodell is the piñata who takes all the hits so the owners don’t have to. It’s not pleasant work, but he’s compensated well. Goodell’s exact salary isn’t known, but he signed a contract extension last fall. He reportedly earned $63.9 million for the 2019-20 and 2020-21 seasons.
For that amount of money, Goodell needs to sit in front of the national media and answer hard questions. But with this latest move, the NFL limits his exposure to potentially contentious moments.
Like what happened between Goodell and Jim Trotter in recent years.
In consecutive Super Bowls, Trotter, then a member of NFL Network, questioned the commissioner about the lack of diversity among head coaches, front-office positions, and at NFL Media. Last year’s exchange appeared to catch Goodell off guard.
This is what Roger Goodell came up with after having 80 seconds to think through his response to @JimTrotter_NFL's question about diversity issues at NFL Media (which Trotter also asked him about last year) pic.twitter.com/EQlbrsI0hg
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) February 8, 2023
NFL Network no longer employs Trotter, who is suing the league, claiming his contract was not renewed as retaliation for asking Goodell about the league’s commitment to diversity. Like many businesses, the NFL can be sensitive to public shaming. Having Goodell stumble in front of the world at a signature event reflects poorly on the league.
How do you avoid embarrassing incidents like this in the future? Treat Goodell as if he’s a campaigning politician by putting him in front of friendly faces. Or at least, ones not attempting to rattle him. This new Super Bowl setup limits the pool. Instead of an open and inclusive forum, the NFL can better control the message by weeding out certain undesirables.
If you know media members who harp on the negative, don’t invite them. Also, since the NFL owns NFL Media and no longer employs a perceived rabble-rouser like Trotter, the league can plant questions and have Goodell read scripted answers in response.
To be clear, this is pure speculation, but it’s also a reasonable assumption. Goodell doesn’t seem to be equipped to go off-script and improvise. He needs to be prepared. He needs a hand-picked audience.
The timing of all this is curious. Goodell signed his extension in October. Many things can be negotiated into a contract, including public appearances. It’s possible that certain conditions were included that gave Goodell more control over his Super Bowl week appearances. Maybe the league decided to do Goodell a favor.
Goodell has been a valuable commissioner for the owners. They are making more money than ever before. They want to keep him happy because it’s a difficult job. But shielding Goodell from hostile questions comes at a price. It’s a terrible look for Goodell in a sport that dominates the sports and entertainment worlds.
NFL players risk their long-term health every snap. Comparatively, Goodell isn’t risking much by facing the media.
