Roger Goodell and the NFL Are Extremely Smart

Roger Goodell didn't just get the position of NFL Commissioner because of a friend of a friend or behind the scenes dealings. No, Goodell got the job because he is really, really, really, smart.

And never was his aptitude on greater display than February 13^th, where he went to Capitol Hill to meet with Senator Arlen Specter in rather innocuous fashion and little fanfare.

How does a man of Goodell's stature and the multi-billion dollar industry that he represents go unnoticed when called before a Congressman for detailed questioning?

He does it on the same day that the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform meets with Roger Clemens and Brian McNamee in a hearing over alleged steroid and HGH use.

Obviously, that hearing was the dominant story of the news cycle for the better part of the day and even the days to follow. From "Mike & Mike" to the "Stephen A. Smith" sports talk shows, none of them said more than two sentences about Goodell's meeting with Arlen Specter over the appropriateness of the NFL's decision to destroy the tapes from the New England Patriot's Spygate incident.

I have to tell you, that was an ingenious move. The NFL is not an organization that has a lot black marks on its current reputation, but even when they are the embodiment of a few questionable decisions and actions, they seem to be able to avoid the media fury that generally comes with some of the things they have done.

Just think about it. If at anytime it comes out that a baseball player has been alleged to have used steroids, that player becomes the talk of the sports world for at least 24 hours and generally, their career is a shell of what it once was no matter how prominent they are. But if a football player is not only alleged but also has tested positive for steroids or HGH, then they get a 4-game suspension.

And then there are the NFL's issues with former players and their health care, discriminating coach hiring practices, and lack of minority ownership, and yet they are all pertinent issues with the NFL that go relatively disregarded by the media and amongst supporters of the game of football.

But I can't give all of the credit to Goodell. Former Commissioner Paul Tagliabue did a great job of sweeping things under the rug as well. However, Goodell's ability to schedule a meeting on Congress on the biggest off-field day in recent baseball history, thereby eliminating the possibility of any strong media focus on him and league, has to be one of the greatest moves in the history of sports. Maybe Goodell should suit up at receiver and use some of that illusiveness on the field.