Roger Goodell preparing for 9-figure fine against Jerry Jones - report
Rivalries are just one of many things that make sports great.
The NFL has plenty of great rivalries. The New England Patriots and Indianapolis Colts share a mutual disdain for each other over a matter of deflated footballs. The NFC East teams all despise each other. The Pittsburgh Steelers and Baltimore Ravens hate each other, while the Steelers and Cincinnati Bengals might actually try to hurt each other.
But now, Roger Goodell versus Jerry Jones might need to be added to that list.
Goodell, the beleaguered NFL commissioner, made a very powerful enemy out of the Dallas Cowboys owner by going after Cowboys star Ezekiel Elliott. The league ultimately handed Elliot a six-game suspension, citing a violation of the league’s personal conduct policy in lieu of any actual domestic violence charges being levied.
Jones then became a massive thorn in the side of Goodell, repeatedly trying to impede the commissioner’s contract extension. Jones even tried to stage a coup and at one point attempted to usurp the NFL Compensation Committee.
Things became heated enough that Jones threatened to sue the committee. In response, several of the owners reportedly discussed the “nuclear option” of removing Jones as the Cowboys owner under the premise that his actions were detrimental to the league.
Jones claims that Goodell’s punishment of Elliott had nothing to do with his grandstanding impediments, which is curious considering that Jones offered Goodell unwavering support when the league offices were targeting New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady with a similar multi-game suspension in 2016. The timing of it all certainly raises eyebrows.
That being said, Jones ultimately failed to stop Goodell from being commissioner for another five years.
The issue was resolved, as Goodell got his ridiculously lucrative contract and there was relative silence about the simmering feud between him and Jones.
That is until Monday, when The New York Times dropped a stunning report claiming that Goodell is preparing to hit back at Jones for making his contract extension negotiations so miserable.
The Times’ Ken Belson reported that Goodell has the full support of other NFL owners to make an example out of Jones with an unprecedented fine.
Goodell originally did not want to take action against Jones, feeling it would be a PR nightmare that many would see as a revenge move. Other owners, however, urged Goodell to drop the hammer on Jones after the outspoken Cowboys owner broke an unwritten rule by threatening other team owners with legal action.
Now, Goodell is reportedly prepared to fine Jones “millions of dollars,” which would easily be the biggest fine ever doled out by the league.
When the NFL punished the Patriots for their role in “Deflategate,” the team lost draft picks and was fined $1 million. At the time, that was the biggest fine the NFL has ever handed out.
The fine will reportedly cover the expenses other owners incurred defending themselves in court, as well as the legal fees the NFL racked up defending its decision to suspend Elliott. That’s going to be a hefty total.
Neither the league nor the Cowboys have made an official statement about the matter yet.
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