This has been a bad couple of days for the NFL and commissioner Roger Goodell.

 

That’s actually an understatement. It has been an awful week for football, and its boss.

 

To recap: Ex-Ravens running back Ray Rice was arrested in February for assault after an altercation with his then-fiancé Janay Palmer. In response to these charges, NFL commissioner Roger Goodell suspended Rice for two games. 

 

The story was far from over, however. Earlier this week, TMZ released video footage of the “altercation” between Rice and his then-fiancée.

 

The video shows Rice punching her twice, with the second blow knocking her unconscious. From another camera angle, you can then see Rice dragging her body out of the elevator while another man approaches.

After the video was released, the Ravens cut Rice, and the NFL followed that by suspending him indefinitely.

 

At the age of 27, Ray Rice’s NFL career is over. Sure, the suspension may one day be lifted, but it is my opinion that not one NFL team will take him on, and that’s how it should be.

 

Goodell came out immediately and said the NFL had never seen this video. The Associated Press released a story on Wednesday saying that law enforcement officials sent the NFL the video back in April, and that they had confirmed arrival of the footage as well.

 

Somebody lied. Sure, the NFL will continue to claim ignorance, but someone isn’t being truthful. 

 

There is a whole lot of bad in this Ray Rice situation, but there is still an underlying fact that might be more disturbing than anything else. People will still watch football. In a few months, this story will be brushed under the rug, and Roger Goodell will still have his job.

 

Many sources have already said that Goodell will never resign, and until the NFL owners withdraw their support, he’s keeping the job, and its 44 million dollar salary.

 

We are all a part of it, too. Not on the same scale, but every football fan who tunes in to watch his favorite team this weekend is a part of why Goodell will keep his job as commissioner.

 

According to Forbes, the NFL should earn revenue upwards of 9 billion dollars this season. Goodell has already said that by 2027 he wants those earnings to reach 25 billion dollars. Twenty-five billion dollars! That’s a whole bunch of money.

 

We watch the games, purchase the merchandise, and go to the games. As long as we do this, the NFL will probably reach that goal by 2027.

 

As long as Roger Goodell makes the NFL and its owners money, he will be the commissioner. 

 

I’m not saying you should stop watching the NFL, I know I’ll be watching this Sunday when the Bears play the 49ers. I’m just saying that sports go on, even after stories like these.

 

It’s sad, and it’s times like these that taking a step back would be ideal, but it’s just not realistic, and that’s the truth.