Seahawks cornerback Richard Sherman ripped NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell last week, saying Goodell’s rule proposal of ejecting a player for two unsportsmanlike conduct penalties show that Goodell never played the game. Today, after the NFL implemented that rule, Goodell responded.
Asked what he thinks about Sherman’s comments, Goodell pointed out that NFL players have a simple way to avoid ejections: Don’t commit two unsportsmanlike conduct penalties.
“This is all within their control,” Goodell said. “Sportsmanship is important to the membership. We all have standards. They have two unsportsmanlike conduct penalties before they’re ejected. The message from the membership, our clubs and the coaches is they’re going to be held to those high standards.”
Sherman and some other players may not like it, but this rule is unlikely to make a big difference: Last year, only two players had two unsportsmanlike conduct penalties in a game. And now that this rule is in place, and players are aware of it, it’s entirely possible that there won’t be any players who get two unsportsmanlike conduct penalties in a game.