Goodell and the NFL have already won.
The NFL wants to keep the majority of its fans happy and paying to see games and Goodell wants to strengthen his hand against other players in the future.
If one assumes that the NFL wanted to level the playing filed by crippling the Pats, delaying this as long as possible is the best strategy. When would be the worst time for Goodell to announce his decision to keep the suspension?
What if he waited until the last few weeks of the regular season? This would really distract the Pats for a long time and BB would have to keep his quarterbacks up to speed and therefore not able to practice plays as much as they could.
Goodell's handling of this and other NFL player penalties will help him keep control in the future.
Fear and intimidation goes a long way and his handling of this and the other cases promote fear and is intimidating because:
1. No player can predict what penalty Goodell will administer for what ever penalty.
2. Since 4 of the Colt's footballs were also under inflated and this was ignored by Goodell, no one can predict what penalties he will or will not enforce.
3. Since he changes his mind on penalty enforcement based on the reaction of the crowd, no one can predict what the penalty will be until he has tested the fan base.
4. He now knows that more than enough people will not investigate his methods, actions and judgements so he can continue doing and acting as he has been.
This it is great for him.
What team or player would want to try to argue with the one man that can control information flow, knows people will not check him and is judge, jury, executioner?
If he loses in court it has not hurt him before and it will not hurt him this time either.
No matter what happens with this event both the NFL and Goodell win.
