Sure, Roger Goodell can get the best box at any NFL game. His league is printing money. But, then, there’s the growing impression he needs to go on the league’s next injury report (doubtful, broken moral compass).
Protecting the shield and protecting the most basic codes of civilized conduct somehow got to be mutually exclusive goals.
Poor NBA Commissioner Adam Silver. Judging by the headlines lately, the dress at league’s next owners’ meeting is going to be white sheet optional.
Meanwhile, the PGA Tour’s boss was in town this week in advance of the Tour Championship, offering himself up for inspection. One of the big issues Tim Finchem got asked about was his stance on there being too much golf, both over the course of a wraparound season and the compressed playoffs.
Yeah, like there can be too much golf. Just like there can be too much beach time.
No, Finchem’s is not a perfect world. His cash cow, Tiger Woods, is now wandering the back pasture. Television ratings are flat. Golf is going through economic trials. But it could be far worse. Ray Rice could have gotten his Tour card.
Somehow, when Finchem has a problem child, there is no wrenching public debate, no nationwide sociological seminar. Instead, Dustin Johnson just goes away for a while, takes a leave of absence.
The examples of Goodell and Silver and the noisy controversies around them were raised to Finchem. “The Tour has been notoriously tight-lipped on situations not quite similar, but along those lines,” the questioner said. “I wonder if that had any impact on you or if you had any thoughts about the way they conducted themselves and if that shapes how you go forward?”
“Saying not quite similar is probably an understatement,” Finchem began, quickly drawing a distinction between the type of issues the NFL and NBA have encountered and those on the country club circuit.
“They took strong action in very egregious situations and they spoke about it. We’re comfortable with the policies we have right now,” Finchem concluded.
In other words: We’re quite happy here inside the green bubble.
In Finchem’s world nobody gets concussions. There are no owners. No players union. No investigative reporters knocking at his door. And a golfer mug shot is almost as rare as a Honus Wagner baseball card.
Almost makes a person feel for Goodell. Well, almost.
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