Plenty left unresolved in NFL's domestic violence talks
Tom Pelissero
NEW YORK -- Commissioner Roger Goodell says he addressed the NFL's failures in the Ray Rice case on Wednesday, when all 32 owners gathered in one place for the first time since that situation exploded a month ago into one of ugliest episodes in league history.
But there wasn't much follow-up from owners on Rice, the video of him punching his then-fiancée or the subsequent blitz of criticism, according to Goodell, whose media conference after the NFL's fall meetings – like the meetings themselves – focused on where things go from here.
"It's my job obviously to admit mistakes," Goodell told reporters at the Conrad New York hotel. "But more importantly, it's my job to go and figure out how we're not going to have those mistakes occur again."
That process is proving to be a complex one, as the NFL navigates a minefield of questions about appropriate methods and standards for self-adjudication with help from experts, a new team of advisors, ex-players and, on Wednesday, the men who write the checks.
Publicly, owners chose their words carefully if they spoke at all Wednesday following the roughly five-hour talk on the league's personal conduct policy and the social responsibility initiative. But Goodell said there "was a very open dialogue" inside the room.
"They were very, very thoughtful and they didn't all have the same opinion," senior advisor Lisa Friel said, "which kind of emphasized how complicated this situation is."
Take the question of when it's appropriate to discipline a player for violating the personal conduct policy – upon arrest, upon being charged or upon the legal process playing out. The process can vary from state to state. And if the NFL strays from its history and begins conducting its own investigations, in essence creating its own parallel justice system, there's no guarantee it'll have access to all the facts before rendering a verdict.
"There were strong feelings" about that among owners, Goodell said. "They obviously understand the balance between the due process and protecting the integrity of the game. Sometimes, that puts you in a difficult position."
There was discussion about an interim step, such as the paid leave afforded recently to Minnesota Vikings running back Adrian Peterson and Carolina Panthers defensive end Greg Hardy, who both remain on the exempt list while their court cases play out.
But Goodell admitted the league isn't even sure how it will deal with the status of Peterson and Hardy, whose cases both could be resolved before the new personal conduct policy is finalized, which Goodell hopes will happen by the Super Bowl.
Would Peterson and Hardy get credit for "time served?" Or would they be subject to the existing personal conduct policy Goodell "enhanced" in August for violations involving domestic violence or sexual assault: six games for a first offense, at least a year for a second?
Several clubs raised that question Wednesday, Goodell said. But he wouldn't even say that'll still be his call under the new policy, repeating that "everything's on the table" but also intimating owners prefer to have him retain authority over matters impacting integrity of the game.
There is another meeting scheduled next week with representatives of the NFL Players Association, which wants to protect its membership's rights and was following reports out of Wednesday's meetings closely.
Rice's appeal of his indefinite suspension is pending. Former FBI director Robert Mueller's "independent" investigation of the NFL's handling and pursuit of evidence in the Rice case isn't expected to be completed for months.
And while Goodell said the league is working on the new personal conduct policy "with the intention to do this as quickly as possible," it certainly appears there are a lot of steps and a lot more conversation ahead before anything is sorted out.
Follow Tom Pelissero on Twitter @TomPelissero.