Roger Goodell
The NFL lies and it is past time for commissioner Roger Goodell to go. The league has repeatedly claimed that it had not seen the video of Ray Rice knocking out his then-fiancee in a hotel elevator, but now a source has come forward and told the AP he sent the tape to the NFL
back in April:
The person played The Associated Press a 12-second voicemail from an NFL office number on April 9 confirming the video arrived. A female voice expresses thanks and says: "You're right. It's terrible."
The law enforcement official, speaking to the AP on condition of anonymity because of the ongoing investigation, says he had no further communication with any NFL employee and can't confirm anyone watched the video. The person said they were unauthorized to release the video but shared it unsolicited, because they wanted the NFL to have it before deciding on Rice's punishment.
The NFL continues to insist that league officials didn't see the video, but now the question is why they didn't. Given that the tape was in their possession, the only reason not to watch it was not caring, or wanting to be prepared to deny having seen it in case the video was leaked. And their claims that they tried to get the tape before making a decision about Rice's punishment also look a lot like blatant lies. This is not a minor oversight or something that can be fixed by scapegoating a low-level executive. The refusal to confront the evidence and discipline Rice in a meaningful way from the beginning, before the NFL's hand was forced in public, is absolutely on Roger Goodell, and he's the one who has to answer for it. With his resignation or firing, not an apologetic interview or two.