In a memo obtained by the Washington Post, NFL commissioner Roger Goodell is proposing tougher measures regarding the policing of cheating that woud "preserve the competitive integrity of the game" and "maintain public confidence."
This is a rather obvious response -- and a good one -- to a Patriots film scandal that caught the commissioner flat-footed and led to the biggest blunder of his otherwise successful reign. And while Mark Maske is an excellent reporter and a friend of Hashmarks, I assure this was an intentional memo "leak" by the league office.
Goodell knows he must build consensus, and leaking the memo to the media will go a long way in muting any possible resistance from owners across the league. As Maske points out, Goodell has the power to act unilaterally in some situations, and this appears to be one of those situations. In light of the Patriots scandal, I'm not sure any team wants to be on record saying that Goodell's proposals are too harsh.
The new measures will call for unannounced inspections of locker rooms, press boxes and in-game communications equipment. They would also lower the standard of proof needed to impose penalties on a team or individual caught cheating.
"Too often, competitive violations have gone unpunished because conclusive proof of the violation was lacking," Goodell wrote in the memo. "I believe we should reconsider the standard of proof to be applied in such cases, and make it easier for a competitive violation to be established. And where a violation is shown, I intend to impose more stringent penalties on both the club and the responsible individual(s). I will also be prepared to make greater use of draft choice forfeiture in appropriate cases. I believe this will have the effect of deterring violations and making people more willing to report violations on a timely basis."
Goodell's honeymoon period in the league ended the moment he ordered the Patriots' tapes destroyed. He's stood by his decision, but in my mind, his memo is an acknowledgment that he may have been too soft on Bill Belichick and the Patriots. Yes, it was an unprecedented punishment, but taking away a late first-round draft pick and fining a wealthy coach isn't going to cripple a franchise.
Even though you can question his agenda, Sen. Arlen Specter (R-Pa.) effectively called out the commissioner. I think Goodell's been stung by the criticism and felt the need to come back with a strong response.
From what we can tell at this point, it seems like a very appropriate response. He won't be able to make Spygate go away, but he can help minimize the damage of future scandals.
For Hashmarks, I'm Matt Mosley. Please stay tuned for details on the Great Dallas Ice Storm of 2008.
