After Further Review: Analyzing NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell's First Two Years

We're fast coming up on the second anniversary of Roger Goodell's succession to the NFL commissioner's job, so it seems as good a time as any to review his tenure.

Unfortunately, I'd rate Goodell's performance thus far as poor, for the following reasons.

Possible labor troubles ahead

Goodell inherited an NFL with the coziest labor-management situation in its history. Indeed, few sports leagues have enjoyed such a long period of relative peace, and this can partly explain the NFL's place at the top of American sport.

Now, however, the league's situation is uncertain. The owners have bowed out of a collective-bargaining agreement that seemed beneficial to both sides. The players union, after the death of Gene Upshaw, has taken a more hard-line stance than in recent years.

The stage seems set for a significant problem.

Truly, some of these circumstances are beyond Goodell's control, but as nominal leader of the league, he must shoulder the responsibility of righting the ship. Should he fail, the league faces the uncertainty of an uncapped year and a possibly disastrous work stoppage.

Given the stakes of this problem and the apparent lack of progress thus far, Goodell cannot be rated highly in this department.

Player conduct

Goodell's major issue when he first took the job was policing player conduct better. Certain fans felt the behavior of players had been lawless and urged the league to deal with violations more harshly.

Goodell has definitely done so, but the question remains if such an approach is right.

Many fans have an almost sadistic desire that sports leagues "get tough" on players, ignoring the fact that they would not like to work under such conditions. Should someone's livelihood be threatened by a mere arrest?

This problem is exemplified by the Michael Vick decision. The idea that a six-game suspension could accomplish what a two-year prison sentence could not is laughable.

To be sure, Vick's crimes were horrible, but what does the suspension do besides hinder his attempt at a comeback?

This is not to say the commissioner's power to censure players should be revoked. Instead, I believe it should be applied to protect the integrity of the game, not as a supplement to the country's legal system.

If, though, Goodell wishes to continue to use his power to punish lawbreakers, it would at least be beneficial for him to set down guidelines for punishment. Currently, players are caught in a kind of limbo—they have no idea how the league will punish them for their infractions.

Draft woes

Goodell has altered the way the NFL draft functions, and most believe the changes are not for the better.

The league recently announced it would change the draft's format, moving it to prime time on a Thursday and extending the event to three days.

I believe this decision is a big mistake.

The league's selection meeting has long been the envy of other sports leagues. It has become an event unto itself—it's covered live by two networks, and seemingly the entire Internet spends the preceding months speculating as to possible selections.

The draft is uniquely suited to take advantage of the breezy nature of weekends: Casual viewers can tune in and out at their own pace, able to follow the event at their leisure (and between other activities). Die-hard fans can follow all the action, as they have both days off.

However, the event is not exactly action-packed and pales in comparison to other prime time programs. As the time offers more options than weekend television, ratings for the draft will likely suffer.

Should interest in the draft wane, a key part of the league's power will be lost.

"No Fun League" continues

Goodell has continued in the footsteps of his predecessor (Paul Tagliabue) in fining players who engage in "excessive celebration."

I by no means want sportsmanship in the NFL to suffer, but we must remember that the NFL is, at heart, entertainment.

Are Chad Johnson's (sorry, Ochocinco's) celebrations a vital threat to the heart of the sport?

Is Wes Welker's snow angel celebration (yes, he got fined for that) showing up an opponent?

There are occasions when such actions go beyond what is acceptable (Keyshawn Johnson's "throat slashing" comes to mind), but that is precisely why the commissioner is given discretion in such matters—so he can determine when a celebration is fine-worthy and when it is not.

The NFL remains incredibly popular, to be sure, but I feel it has made a series of missteps that severely hinder the product on the field. Should the league continue down this road, I believe it could be overtaken by other sports.