Vinny
shiny happy fan
In the "things I can't comprehend" section from Michael Silver of Yahoo Sports
NFL commissioner Roger Goodells assertion, to Foxs Jay Glazer on Saturday, that the alleged incident in which Raiders coach Tom Cable assaulted defensive assistant Randy Hanson is not getting pushed under the rug. Um, really? Look, Im a big Goodell fan, and I have no reason to believe the commissioner is being disingenuous. But in this case, he isnt doing a very convincing job of making people believe that the leagues code of conduct is enforced as aggressively when it comes to coaches as it is with players. Think about it: If Brandon Marshall or Pacman Jones or Chris Henry or Steve Smith had been accused of striking a teammate and sending him to the hospital, do you really believe wed have gone this long without some sort of highly publicized investigation on the leagues part (if the team in question didnt take action first)? In this case, the Napa, Calif., police reportedly have taken statements from Hanson and three other witnesses; has the NFL interviewed any of these people? Considering the apparent (and pathetic) lack of engagement from Cables bosses specifically owner Al Davis shouldnt Goodell be taking it upon himself to get to the bottom of the incident in a suitably conspicuous way? He should be less encumbered than when he deals with players, in fact, because there is no collective bargaining agreement or union limiting his ability to investigate. If I were Goodell, Id have sent someone to the Raiders facility immediately after news broke of Hansons hospitalization and demanded answers from all parties concerned. Anyone who refused to cooperate would have been subject to my discipline, including Davis. But Goodell either hasnt done a thing, or he has done things behind the scenes to which the public isnt privy. Either way, it gives the appearance that this isnt a priority for him that hes, you know, sweeping it under the rug. Ill take his word for it that he isnt, but it would be great if we started getting some answers.