HOUSTON — No regrets. No apologies. Nothing personal.
NFL commissioner Roger Goodell will accept an invitation to visit Foxborough one day, but in the meantime, he had this post-Deflategate message for Robert Kraft, Tom Brady, Patriots Nation and all of New England at his Super Bowl LI press conference Wednesday:
Deal with it, and let’s all move on with our lives.
There was no dodging the Boston media on this day, which asked four of the five Deflategate questions during the 28-question Q&A.
Goodell, who claims it would be an honor to hand the Lombardi Trophy to Brady in the event the Patriots beat the Falcons, was asked whether the hostilities towards him in Patriots Country are awkward for him.
“I would tell you that it’s not awkward at all,” Goodell said. “We have a job to do. It was a violation. … We came to a conclusion that it was supported by the facts İmajbet and by the courts. So from our standpoint, we understand the fans who are loyal and passionate for a team object and don’t like the outcome. I totally understand that.
“And I was in Boston two seasons ago for two consecutive playoff games, the same way I was in Atlanta this year. That happens.
“So from our standpoint, this is just about making sure we take care of business and do it the way that is right to uphold the integrity of our teams and our rules for all 32 teams.
“If I’m invited back to Foxborough, I’ll come.”
Robert and Jonathan Kraft were seated in the front row to his right.
“I have no doubt that if I wanted to come up to a Patriots game and I asked Mr. Kraft, he would welcome me back,” Goodell said. “That’s up to him, though.”
Goodell would not divulge whether he has spoken to Brady this season (outside the courtroom, of course). Brady’s image was tarnished during Deflategate, and Goodell is hated in the Boston area for his obsession with fighting in the midst of a flawed investigation to keep his almighty powers as judge, jury and executioner at the expense of his league’s marquee player.
“I never talk about when I have conversations, who I have conversations with the players. If they want to disclose that, that’s their prerogative,” Goodell said. “I think people, when we communicate, expect a level of confidence that I am not gonna take that outside of the circle, and then they can call or communicate, and I can do the same with them without having to read in the newspapers every time. I get a lot of tremendous input from our players. I respect our players and their views, and anytime they call or anytime that they contact me, I listen carefully.”
Goodell was asked how his relationship with the Patriots had changed over the past two years. He isn’t as buddy-buddy with Robert Kraft as he once was, though the Patriots owner always has acted in the best interests of the league.
“Listen, we have a disagreement about what occurred,” Goodell began. “We have been very transparent about what we think the violation was. We went through a lengthy process. We disagree about that. But I continue to respect and admire Robert, Jonathan, the entire organization. They are an extraordinary organization. And they’re extraordinary people. So I have a very deep and close relationship with them. But that doesn’t change that we have to compartmentalize things that we disagree on… I’ll be honest with you, I have disagreements with probably all 32 of our teams.
“I’m not afraid of disagreement. I don’t think disagreement leads to distrust or hatred … it’s just a disagreement. You take your disagreements, you find a common place, you move forward. It’s not all personal in nature, which I know people like to make it. But for us, it’s about making sure that we do what’s right for the league long-term.”
Another Boston writer asked Goodell if he acknowledged the erosion of public trust in him and his office.
“The thing you have to always do every day is earn that trust, earn that credibility, and it’s by how you act and how you do things,” Goodell said. “Be transparent. Making sure people understand the decisions you make.
“I don’t expect for one second people to agree with every decision I make, or we make as a league. Those are always difficult, sometimes contentious and less-than-perfect decisions. But you do them in the best interests of the long-term health of the game and the NFL.
“We always seek to do things better, I will always seek to do things better. … If we can do it differently, we’ll do it differently.”
Goodell was asked if he had gotten bad advice during the Deflategate investigation.
“We had a violation. … We went through a process. We applied the discipline in accordance with our process,” he said. “It was litigated, as you know extensively, and validated by the Second Circuit Court of Appeals. So we’re moving on from that. That’s part of our history, but it’s something that we’re comfortable with the process, the decision, and we’re focusing on the game now.”
Only seconds after the press conference ended, the Krafts bolted out of the room faster than Usain Bolt.
No invitation to Foxborough just yet. Though Robert Kraft later told a Boston writer that Goodell would be welcomed on opening night next season should the Patriots win the title.
“The perfect opportunity,” Kraft said.
To deflate the hate, once and for all.
Our editors found this article on this site using Google and regenerated it for our readers.
