((Ed Note--This was written before the breaking news late Wednesday that Law Enforcement officials tell the Associated Press they sent the NFL a copy of the video in question back in April. Source is not yet apparent, but this does not look good))
So, we can now add the National Organization for Women to the list of outside the NFL groups and writers calling for the resignation of NFL commissioner Roger Goodell in the wake of the Ray Rice scandal.
And they make a fairly good argument quite honestly.
The group (NOW) issued a press release on their website stalking about the issues currently facing the league.
---The arrest of 49ers DT Ray McDonald who is playing while facing domestic violence charges.
---Greg Hardy of the Panthers, who is playing after being convicted of choking his ex-girlfriend and threatening to kill her
--The latest circus surrounding Cowboys owner Jerry Jones who is being accused of sexually assaulting a woman.
NOW says "The only workable solution is for Roger Goodell to resign, and for his successor to appoint an independent investigator with full authority to gather factual data about domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault and stalking within the NFL community and to recommend real and lasting reforms."
Read the entire release from NOW RIGHT HERE
Multiple Sports columnists in TV, Newspaper and on the web have been highly critical of the commissioner who essentially has pled innocence to knowing about the TMZ/Casino elevator tape showing Ray Race sucker punching his now wife Janay.
We won't get to the tape anymore, because the story is now what did the NFL know? And did they just pretend this issue would go away?
For their part, the NFL Owners have come out and said Goodell is safe. But how will they react the next time a big issue comes up?
Everyone brings up the line Goodell used on the New Orleans Saints last year "Ignorance of what's going on within your organization is no excuse". How does he stand now issuing the same line?
Not well. In the grand scheme of things, yeah, sure, most people are appalled about what happened with the Rice incident and they should be. And you can argue there's a segment of the population that is tired of Athletes, mostly pros, getting preferential treatment when they do something stupid. Which happens in the NFL, a lot.
But to make the argument there's an overwhelming public outcry is probably an overstatement. The guy giving up 6-months of pay for seasons tickets doesn't care as long as his team wins. And as long as the TV ratings continue skyrocketing while the revenue pot grows every year, the league won't be in a hurry to do something drastic.
That being said, to a lot of people who do pay attention to such things, they (The NFL) are running out of "Get out of Jail Free" cards. Right, wrong or otherwise, the perception is they have a crime problem and now are willing to overlook things.
At some point, maybe not today, but soon...it's going to catch up to them.
((NOTE--The Ravens, albeit a little late, admitted on Tuesday that they made a big mistake not pursuing the video harder than they did and taking Rice at his word. Again, it's late, but at least the team and owner Steve Bisciotti are willing to fess up to it. Still waiting on you NFL...))
In case you missed it, here again is the Jolly Roger defending himself by pleading ignorance on the CBS Morning show...who in a fortuitous bit of timing, just happen to start broadcasting Thursday night NFL games this week, with the now Rice-less Ravens playing.
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