Roger Goodell’s Time Has Come...... To Be Replaced!

The worst commissioner in recent NFL history, is currently in negotiations with the NFL for a contract extension. Goodell has taken a league that was once a cash cow that could not fail, and turned into one controversy after the other. The man sits atop his position and makes decisions that have cost the NFL money, ratings and most important the fans. What further proves that he is no long welcome or wanted in professional football, is more than half of the leagues owners are not in favor of giving the extension right now. The best thing that could happen to the NFL and football as a whole, is for Goodell to go back to bartending or garbage collecting or whatever his skills qualify him for. He is the worst thing about football and a league that once was the crown jewel of the sporting world!

What Goodell Wants

Reports all over the country are releasing Goodell’s extension demands. He reportedly wants $49.5 million, health insurance for life, and a private jet for life. The league is already over paying Goodell to the tune of $31.7 million. Under performing at his job and destroying the brand makes him feel he is entitled to 17.8 million dollar raise? In the real world it wouldn’t be a question of giving him an extension and a raise he would be gone. Jerry Jones is one of the owners leading that charge saying, “if the NFL wants to move past its multiple serious problems, the owners should not only refuse to extend Goodell and just replace him.” Jones has gone so far as to seek council to block and fight the commissioner getting an extension. The private jet request is just dumb, so I’m not even going to say anything about it. Lastly, this man wants health insurance for life, he doesn’t put his body on the line week in and week out but wants health insurance for life. To put that in perspective the players that play week in and week out, do not get health insurance for life, so tell me why Rodger Goodell deserves that privilege. The answer is, he does not, in fact the Players Union should take that from him and work it into the next collective bargaining agreement, then maybe the commissioner can be considered. You know, after the players that have potential health risks based on their profession.

League Issues Under

It seems since Goodell took over the control of the league in 2006 it has been one issue or controversy after another. The first big issue came when he went after the New England Patriots the first time in 2007 for “SpyGate,” where the Patriots were caught filming defensive signals from division rival New York Jets, the punishment was $500,000 fine for head coach Bill Belichick, a $250,000 fine for the team, and loss of 2008 first round draft pick. As we know New England is going to come up again later for air and footballs. The came “BountyGate,” where New Orleans Saints, players and coaches, were supposedly paying Saints players for taking opposing players out of games. Players and coaches were suspended and then reinstated by Goodell’s predecessor Paul Tagliabue.

Having the guy that had your job before you did change a decision that you made clearly showed how unqualified Roger Goodell was at his job. If that was let bad enough, the summer of 2014 ensured the entire country how bad Goodell was at his job. Ray Rice, who got in trouble for beating his then girlfriend in an elevator, the league reviewed it and deemed a fine and two game suspension was good enough, then a video surfaced a from the elevator that showed how bad the situation was. Goodell claimed that he had never seen the tape before, but the hotel staff, police, and Ray Rice all stated that Goodell had all the evidence in front of him when he made his initial punishment. After the tape surfaced, Rice and his contract with the Ravens, was terminated and he was suspended from the NFL indefinitely.

Then came “deflategate” once again Goodell was after Tom Brady and the New England Patriots. In 2015 he suspended Brady for 4 games for deflated football in the previous playoffs. Although the suspension was inevitably upheld, the whole entire situation was dragged out clear into 2016 and pretty much cemented the fact that Goodell is awful to be the commissioner of the NFL.

I do not know Roger Goodell personally, he might be a great guy outside of football. As a football commissioner, he is the worst thing to be in a leadership role in the NFL. It is time the owners do what’s best for the brand and for the league and just remove the stain of Mr. Goodell from the league. In closing, Roger do us all a favor and just go away find an island that has never heard of football, take enough food and water and never think speak or look at a football game for the at least one year. You sir are suspended from the NFL per the fans until further notice.

Written By
Carlo Guadagnino

Edited By:
Anna Riddle

References:
https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.cnbc.com/amp/2017/11/14/nfls-roger-goodell-seeks-50-millionyear-contract-extension-sources.html
https://www.google.com/amp/s/amp.detroitnews.com/amp/107720186
https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.cnbc.com/amp/2017/11/15/nfls-roger-goodell-doesnt-deserve-raise-he-should-be-fired-commentary.html

Houston You Have a World Series!

Before the 2012 season, The Houston Astros where in a complete rebuild phase. Five years later, they sit on top of the Baseball world. The Astros built their team around young talent, and additional pieces at this year’s trade deadline. They showed they were all in this season, and it worked.  With the tragedy this past summer, this Championship is a bright spot, for a city that needed one. Beating a team that spent $93,676,188 more than you is sign that a shift is happening in Major League Baseball and the Astros are at the forefront. You don’t have to spend ridiculous amounts of money to compete, but you have to be willing to improve the 25-man roster when the opportunity presents itself.

The Road to The Championship

Ending the regular season, winning 6 of 7 games and cruising into the Divisional Round matchup with Boston.  Once the Astros defeated the Boston Red Sox’s 3-1, winning those games got them a date with the New York Yankees, what a series that would turn out to be. A back and fourth battle that saw the Astros come within one game away from elimination. Having to win game 6 and 7 to punch their ticket to the big dance, they would handle that task by a combined score of 11-1 over those two games. Then it was off to Los Angeles for a date with the Dodgers, another series for the ages, that would need 7 games to decide a Championship. The Dodgers looking for their first title since 1988 and the Astros who had never won a title in franchise history.  Charlie Morton who normally is in the starting rotation, came out of the bullpen in game seven for 4 innings of good work to get the victory 5-1, final score, franchise history made, and a city still working out of a natural disaster, had something to celebrate.

The Money Trail

The road to the World Series for the Astros saw the beat the three teams that spent the most money in 2017. The Red Sox’s end of the season payroll was $146,271,428 when the season was over the Red Sox’s saw a quick exit to the post season and parted ways with their Manager. Next up, the New York Yankees who spent $116,999,999. They came within one game of making it to the World Series, but also parted ways with their manager but have a young core group of players that make them a contender next year. Last stop on the road to the Championship was the biggest spender of 2017, the Los Angeles Dodgers spent $179,701,188 time will tell what the offseason will bring from LA but if the $2.8 billion that they have spent since 1988, the assumption has to be that they will spend more money and to build on this year’s performance.

The Pieces

This Houston team has the pieces to be a strong team for a long time, with the majority of the teams core being under the age of 29 things are looking good in Huston. They had 3 players with 20 or more home runs led by George Springers 34 dingers, the Astros could put up runs. José Altuve led the way with hits 204, batting average.346, and on base percentage .410. On the defensive side of the diamond, the team went out and made a big splash at the trade deadline, Justin Verlander went 5-0 in his role in the rotation for the Astros to end the regular season, and 4-1 in the postseason. Charlie Morton led the team with 14 wins and 163 strikeouts and of course the most important 4 innings of his career to close out game seven of the World Series.

The Houston Astros were pushed to the the brink of elimination and took down the finical giants of the baseball world to become champions. Just five short years ago the Astros were moving from the National League to the American League and completely rebuilding the team. This team when you watch them reminds you of why you watch sports, the players on the field look like little leaguers having a blast playing the game that they love. This team seems to be the new mold for Major League, using analytics instead of money they were able to develop a winning formula and turn it into a championship in just five years.
So, celebrate Houston go nuts, your team is the 2017 World Series Champion!



Written By:
Carlo Guadagnino

Edited by
Anna Riddle