The NFL deserves to be called out on one particularly ridiculous and disingenuous reason they cite for the penalty: protecting the league’s “integrity.” In NFL Executive Vice President of Football Operations Troy Vincent’s
letter toTom Brady explaining his penalty he wrote: “Your actions as set forth in the report clearly constitute conduct detrimental to the integrity of and public confidence in the game of professional football. The integrity of the game is of paramount importance to everyone in our league...”
That’s a hell of a phrase. Let’s look at the integrity of the game. The term’s usage here bears no relation to principle but rather to maintenance of the barrier between real life and the league’s hermetically sealed brand asylum. Vincent states another reason for Brady’s punishment: “[his] failure to cooperate fully and candidly with the investigation.” Goodell must be able to command compliance at all times — even if it means punishing Brady for failing to volunteer personal information he had no obligation to disclose in order to aid a circumstantial case against him — otherwise the bubble could burst, and law,
context and
perspective might come rushing in.
...
Even his boobery serves a purpose. As
SB Nation’s Spencer Hall pointed out, every public relations disaster committed by Roger Goodell focuses fan ire on an optimal target. Like WWE’s Vince McMahon, he represents the ultimate theatrical heel that everyone can root against while ignoring systemic labor issues, broken bodies and dumbfounding mismanagement. Every moment spent castigating him is a moment you’re not paying attention to another billionaire sitting on his cottage-cheesed ass, collecting millions in profits, threatening labor lockouts while feasting on the athlete carcasses that generate their revenue.
