NFL commissioner Roger Goodell was peppered with questions about the ongoing investigation in to the deflation of balls in the AFC championship game and franchise relocation during his annual “State of the League” address before the Super Bowl on Friday.
Domestic violence, which was a major topic this season, was also discussed.
Goodell said the investigation, which is being directed by NFL executive vice president Jeff Pash and Ted Wells, an attorney from the Paul Weiss law firm, will focus on why the balls were deflated and if they were deliberated deflated.
He promised a “serious” and “thorough” investigation, but said that no judgments have been made against the New England Patriots.
“We don’t know enough in this case to know who is responsible or if there was an infraction,” Goodell said.
Wells also conducted the league’s investigation concerning allegations of workplace misconduct by the Miami Dolphins in November 2013.
Goodell acknowledged the ongoing St. Louis effort to build a second NFL stadium in 20 years in a bid to keep the Rams.
“We want all of our franchises to stay in their current markets,” Goodell said. “That’s a shared responsibility. That’s something we all have to work together on. The league has programs, including stadium-funding programs, that we make available. And we will work and have worked in communities including St. Louis.”
It was noted that the Rams ownership group appears very interested in moving to Los Angeles. Some contend Rams owner Stan Kroenke will try to move after the 2015 season.
Goodell said the league hasn’t focused on a specific team for a possible move to Los Angeles, and any move will be subject to the league’s relocation policy.
The Rams, San Diego Chargers and Oakland Raiders are possible candidates to move to the country’s second-largest city, which has been without a team since the 1994 season.
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