Roger Goodell: Majority Leader?

Congressional leaders, particularly the party leaders and whips, are known for counting votes and then releasing rank and file members from their voting obligations - to "vote their district" and not the party line - if the final winning tally is assured near the end of the roll call.

Did Roger Goodell, whose father was U.S. Senator, channel his inner Nancy Pelosi on the league vote on whether to allow defensive players to use a radio set in their helmets like their quarterback counterparts? That's the question I have in looking at the team yeas and nays on the rule change that passed by a vote of 25-7 (24 teams needed to sign off on the change so Goodell had a two team winning margin). Or perhaps Goodell didn't release teams from a commitment so much as pressure some teams to vote against the measure for public relations sake.

The defensive communication proposal is, of course, all wrapped up in the Patriots Spygate scandal. So it is more than a little curious that of the seven teams who voted against allowing a defender the use of a radio receiver,  one was actually a known victim of the Patriots - the Packers - and two other teams - the Eagles and Rams - are suspected of having their signals illegally stolen either during or in the run-up to their super bowl contests with the Patriots. (Seattle, Oakland, Tampa and Washington rounded out the opposition).

Then again, maybe we give Goodell too much credit. Considering how much of a hash he has made of this entire "investigation," including the ludicrous decision to destroy all the evidence so quickly, Goodell has shown an inability to organize a one car caravan much less maneuver to ensure that enough teams - and the right teams - all voted for and against the proposal. Maybe it's just that the seven teams in opposition all employ head coaches who fancy themselves offensive gurus and thus disinclined to support any plan to level the playing field for the defense.