With the stuff that is brown hitting the fan this afternoon, NFL commissioner Roger Goodell has decided to keep his friends from getting splattered with it.
Amid reports that law enforcement officials did provide the Ray Rice video to the league in April — which was followed by a “did not” from the league — Goodell is taking the opportunity to stay out of the spotlight.
According to Michelle Boudin of WCNC in Charlotte, Goodell will not attend a banquet tonight where he was scheduled to present Panthers owner Jerry Richardson with a humanitarian award.
Ironically or coincidentally (depending on your perception) the award Richardson is receiving tonight is from a group dedicated to “human dignity, justice and moral courage.”
Pragmatically, Goodell needs to be making sure his house is in order, and finding out why he didn’t see the thing the cops are now saying he had every reason to see.
But at least he’s not going to allow his presence to be a distraction on a night when one of his biggest supporters is being honored.