ATLANTA – NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell gave his annual state of the league address Wednesday and provided a reminder that his job title is completely different from his job description.
His title implies power. His duty is to please 32 billionaire owners who pay him ridiculous sums of money to please and defend them.
Goodell was asked about the unemployment of former 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick. Kaepernick led the 49ers to a Super Bowl, and came within one last-second pass of winning it. He has a career postseason record of 4-2 and a career touchdown-to-interception ratio of 72-30.
He has not played since the end of the 2016 season, during which he knelt during the national anthem to protest the shooting of unarmed black men by police officers.
Goodell said this: "I think if a team decides that Colin Kaepernick or any other player can help their team win, that's what they'll do. They want to win, and they make those decisions individually in the best interest of their club.''
This is not true. NFL owners and general managers did not blackball Kaepernick because of ability but because they disagreed with his protest, or because they believed their fan bases would be offended by his presence, or because they believe that his activism would be a distraction for them.
What is funny about this is that the reigning Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles had a locker room filled with activists.
Kaepernick has accused the league of collusion, which is difficult to prove. In the court of public opinion, his case could be made with a list of quarterbacks who have been employed since he was banned.
That list would include Nathan Peterman, Josh Johnson, Taylor Heineke, David Fales, E.J. Manuel, Paxton Lynch, Kevin Hogan, T.J. Yates, Bryce Petty, Blaine Gabbert, Tom Savage and Brett Hundley, and teams have inquired about the availability of quarterbacks who have been retired for years.
Goodell makes dozens of millions of dollars a year. This is how he earns it — by telling us obvious lies.
