Seriously.... What's up with Roger Goodell?

I have never liked Roger Goodell, I have always thought the whole Mike Vick Dogfighting story was overblown. If you can hunt deer with a high powered semi-automatic rifle is dogfighting really that much different? This debate seems to be like abortion, no one changes sides and nothing ever gets settled.

Let's discuss Roger Goodell though. What is it about this guy that honestly makes me believe he enjoys punishing professional athletes? I wish an investigative reporter would figure out what happened in Goodell's life that has made him such a power hungry vindictive commissioner. Roger Goodell has made so much more of the NFL about him. Get arrested and you have to go meet with the commisioner. Commisioner thinks you have been involved in questionable behavior you need to go visit him, even though law enforcement isn't involved and the visit to the commissioner makes more "bad" publicity than whatever the player did. People complain about Ocho Cinco and T.O. making everything about them, damnit look at the commissioner. Paul Tagliabue knew his place, in the background.

Goodell's latest reality show, How Many Hoops Can I Make Michael Vick Jump Through To Play After 5 Games, is a damn joke. Vick has not been reinstated. Goodell is allowing him to participate in the last 2 preseason games and will determine if and when he can play after Week 5. To the simple-minded that may not seem like a problem. To me it sounds like collusion, which of course sounds like a conspiracy theory because collusion is illegal and you can't acknowledge it.

Many owners don't want to touch Vick even though their current QBs couldn't start for USC, and let's not talk about backups. Goodell doesn't want protests the weekend the season kicks off. So how do you avoid major protests and give owners an excuse to completely disregard Michael Vick? You make it unclear when he will be able to play. It makes sense that no team wants to sign an athlete and invest time in him when they have no idea when he will be able to play. They won't get an exemption for his roster spot either. So Roger Goodell has protected his league from protests from the freaks at PETA who aren't watching football anyway and given his Good Ol Boy owners their excuse to disregard Vick.

I think 18 months in federal prison is enough punishment. Making him jump through hoops is a vindictive way to punish Vick because he lied to Goodell. As much money as Vick earned the NFL and Arthur Blank, he quite honestly earned the right to lie to any and everybody in the NFL. It's not right, but they would all happily go through it to make that money again.

I have found 1 article that takes exception to this "reinstatement"