Fact-checking Donald Trump on Roger Goodell

That’s about all the direct thought put forth from those involved about the president.

Tom Brady, Bill Belichick, and later Roger Goodell brushed aside questions about Trump. The NFL even went as far as to scrub any mention of Trump from transcripts of media sessions during Opening Night. When asked about that, Goodell said he didn’t know why since transcripts weren’t his responsibility.

Whereas the NFL is mostly afraid to share its thoughts on Trump, the president is seldom one to let anything stand in the way of him airing his stream of consciousness. And so Donald opened up about Brady, Belichick, Kraft, and Goodell to The New York Times, a newspaper he doesn’t even like.

“The commissioner is a weak guy,” Trump said. “When he made the Ray Rice deal, everybody said: You’re stupid. You’re weak. And it was such a weak deal. So now he’s going overboard with their star, Brady.”

He added: “The commissioner is a dope. He’s a stupid guy.”

Beyond running down the commissioner, Trump reiterated that he and Brady are good friends, even if the quarterback remains reticent on the subject. He also mentioned that he got a kiss from Belichick when Trump was on the Pats sideline during a game last year.

As with most things, Trump plays a little fast and loose with the facts about Goodell. Most of the ad hominem is on point, and maybe even a little enjoyable, except the part on what led to Deflategate. The Ray Rice scandal might have made Goodell vulnerable for a few months in the fall of 2014, but it had little to do with the crusade against the Pats.

If anything, it was Goodell’s former coziness with the franchise that forced the commissioner’s hand. It’s easy to forget now with all the ugliness that transpired with Deflategate, but a lot of teams felt beforehand that the Patriots got preferential treatment from the league. Sure, there were punishments for Spygate, but it’s hard to tell if they were proportionate to the offense when the league destroyed all the evidence of the espionage.

Had Goodell treated another perceived example of cheating lightly, it could have compromised him further. In that sense, the issues with domestic violence might have only played a role in the off chance that upset owners could have moved to replace a shaky commissioner. Even with some of the sour grapes held for the Patriots that seems highly unlikely. Not that the NFL is always mindful of great optics, but getting rid of Goodell for going easy on the Pats would have looked extremely foolish after the league kept him around after so many high-profile screwups that brought national scorn on the league.

Trump is always mindful of what moves the needle. Even if ratings have dipped a small fraction, the NFL still most definitely does that. Which is exactly why Trump more than a few times made trolling statements about the NFL going soft in its attempts to make the game more safe. It’s a antagonism with the league that can be traced back to the ‘80s when Trump tried to take on the NFL through his participation in the USFL, though some claim he did as much to sink that league as anyone.

Rancor only last so long when there’s money to be made. Only a few years ago, just before there was any public acknowledgement of a presidential bid, Trump expressed interest in joining the ranks of NFL owners with the purchase of the Buffalo Bills following the passing of Ralph Wilson. Trump balked at the asking price, and Terry Pegula won out with a $1.4 billion purchase.

Perhaps the day-to-day toils of NFL franchise ownership would have kept Trump sufficiently occupied so that he wouldn’t have bothered with politics. Given that he hasn’t fully removed himself from his other business ventures since winning the presidency, it’s fair to say it’s unlikely.

Still, it’s entertaining to think of what would become of the Trump/Kraft/Belichick/Brady love nest had that Bills purchase gone his way. At least the way least you could have counted on Rex Ryan lasting longer than two seasons in Buffalo. Losing to your friends twice a year gets old fast, and Trump’s loyalty only goes so far.

In the meantime, we know win or lose, Trump will find a way to insert himself into Super Bowl Sunday, even if only by another incendiary tweet. Goodell may find himself chagrined at the end of the night by handing the Lombardi over to the Pats. He still managed to exact a preemptive strike against the Patriots this week with the news that Trump’s team is headed to Mexico City for a game next season.

NFL Bad Lip Reading has lost a step

Keeping a bit fresh for four years is no easy task. Since that’s also roughly the length of an NFL career, I could draw a parallel to the fleeting nature of professional football, but now that I’ve already gone halfway there, I’m going to double back Barry Sanders-like and say they aren’t all that related. 

Anyway, the point here is NFL Bad Lip Reading ain’t what it used to be. This year’s edition provides a few chuckles. The inspiration isn’t there, though. A lot of it seems real forced, and at nearly six minutes, it’s as bloated as Trump’s neck waddle. Compare that to the first installment, which checks in at a lean, mean, and deeply hilarious 2:48. Maybe shed some of those minutes in the offseason and come back strong next winter, NFLBLR.

It’s good to make sure they know the stakes