Jim Jordan, a congressman from Illinois, criticized Roger Goodell as the NFL commissioner for allowing Washington Commanders coach Jack Del Rio to be fined $100,000 for his conservist-leaning political views.
After wondering why so many people were upset by the rioting Jan. 6, when Black Lives Matter-inspired protesters had been ravaging cities for nearly a year, Jack Del Rio became Washington Commanders’ defensive coordinator. He later called the Capitol Hill riot a “riot”. “dust-up,” his team’s head coach fined him $100,000 and forced him to apologize for daring to have his own political opinions.
On Wednesday, during a House Oversight and Reform Committee hearing, Ohio’s Republican Congressman Jim Jordan slammed the NFL for the absurd fine and asked Commissioner Goodell why there is no freedom of speech for conservatives in the NFL.
Jordan asked Goodell to start the exchange. “Commissioner, you believe in the First Amendment, don’t you?”
Jim Jordan asks Roger Goodell questions
“Why do you ban Dave Portnoy from NFL games?”
“Do you agree with the Washington Redskins decision to fine Jack Del Rio 100,000?”It’s not The “Redskins”(Don’t wait). pic.twitter.com/jyRG1ITih6
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) June 22, 2022
“I mean all parts of it, all the rights we have, the right to practice your faith, your right to petition the government, freedom of press, freedom of speech, you believe in all of that?”Goodell also added Jordan “I do. Yes.”
Jordan asked, “Just warming up?” “Do you agree with the Washington Redskins decision to fine Jack Del Rio $100,000?”
“That was a decision that was made by coach [Ron] Rivera,”Goodell stated that he tried to dodge the question. “Again, as I stated earlier, they are responsible for monitoring and managing their own workplace. He made that decision on his own. I did not speak to him. I have great respect for coach Rivera. He made his decision for reasons I’m sure he thought were…”Goodell stated before being cut off.
“I asked you if you agree with the Washington Redskins decision to fine Jack Del Rio $100,000?” Jordan reiterated.
“I don’t think it’s my position to be able to state whether it was the correct decision or not,” Goodell replied.
“Coach Rivera, in his statement when he fined the assistant coach $100,000, he said, Del Rio ‘does have the right to voice his opinion as a citizen of the United States and it’s most certainly his right to do so.’ I don’t think if that’s actually accurate anymore because if you do voice that you end up getting fined and have to write a check for $100,000. Does that concern you?” Jordan explained.
Goodell attempted to get out of the issue by repeating his assertion that he had no involvement in the resolution of the matter.
“I, again, I have great respect for coach Rivera. I presume he had reasons for doing what he did and I’m sure he took a lot of factors into consideration there,”Goodell exclaimed.
You will notice that Goodell has not yet answered the question if he is okay with the fine.
Jordan read Goodell’s proclamation to the NFL encouraging leaguers peacefully to protest and to voice their opinions on all societal issues.
Jordan wanted to know if Goodell stood by that message. Goodell said he did but then got into a snooze by asserting. “There are consequences for what you do and say in life.”
Jordan said that while this statement is accurate, it doesn’t mean that anyone ever suffers. “consequences”In NFL, conservative employees are allowed to speak out about politics.
“The NFL encourages all to speak out unless you’re Dave Portnoy and not allowed to a game, unless you’re Jack Del Rio, you get fined. That is, I think, a concern not only I have but a lot of your fans across this country have, this standard. Does that concern you at all?”Jordan made the observation.
Jordan read out Del Rio’s tweet and asked Goodell to point out what makes the rhetoric deserving of a $100,000 fine.
Goodell stayed with him “speech has consequences”Jordan won the battle of dodgers, however, Jordan declared victory. “No one supports that but we do support the first amendment. And I understand this is a private organization but the chilling impact when speech is curtailed like this and you get fined for a tweet you put out, I think that is a concern to all of us. That’s why I raise it in the committee meeting today.”
Jordan is 100% right. “free speech”The NFL does not allow you to express your opinions on social issues. If you use lefty language, you can be just as anti-American and anti-social as you like. If you speak in a way that is not right-leaning, you can be fined or banged or even fired.
Follow Warner Todd Huston on Facebook at: facebook.com/Warner.Todd.Huston, or Truth Social @WarnerToddHuston
Check out the complete article here
