Wednesday, July 25, 2007
Sports columnist Aaron McFarling: Bad week to be the big cheese
Aaron McFarling
Recent columns
Being the commissioner of a major pro sports league usually seems like such a sweet job.
Really, what's there to do? Tweak a couple of rules now and then. Preside over a few meetings. Then spend the rest of the time sitting in the best seats at the biggest games, collecting a healthy salary while hobnobbing with other members of our nation's sports royalty.
All in all, a super deal. Unless ... well, unless you're talking about this week.
This week, being commish ranks right up there with being the associate vice-poop shoveler at the Roanoke Valley Horse Show. You didn't make the mess, but it's on you to clean it up.
NFL commissioner Roger Goodell has one of his league's most visible stars indicted on felony charges.
NBA commissioner David Stern sees one of his veteran referees investigated by the FBI for betting on games, including some he officiated.
And baseball commissioner Bud Selig has his game's most controversial figure, the symbol of his sport's damaged credibility, closing in on a revered record.
Grab those shovels, boys!
But such trying times do create opportunity. And each of these men has affected his legacy, positively or negatively, by his response. The grades for each so far:
Goodell: A-plus.
Wow. The guy said he was going to be tough when he took this job last September, and it's as if every malcontent in the league lined up to see if he was serious.
Well, he was.
On Monday, when he told Michael Vick not to report to Atlanta Falcons training camp, Goodell did the right thing for everybody involved -- including Vick.
Let's address this whole innocent-until-proven-guilty thing real quick. Virginia Tech coach Frank Beamer, when asked about his former star at the ACC Football Kickoff this week, said he knows Vick only as a kind, good person, and his opinion on that won't change until the case is settled in court. I've got no problems with that. The presumption of innocence -- particularly from our allies -- is what we would all hope for if we ever faced such charges.
But ordering Vick off the football field (with pay) is not a presumption of guilt on Goodell's part. It is an acknowledgement of the serious nature of the charges Vick faces in connection with dogfighting.
If people think these charges aren't serious, they haven't read the indictment. And if people think the NFL doesn't need to make a clear statement about its stance on dogfighting, they obviously didn't hear Redskins running back Clinton Portis ramble on in May about how "it's [Vick's] dog" and "if that's what [Vick] wants to do, do it," hinting that this could be a more widespread problem than originally thought.
Vick, who has professed his innocence, will be able to concentrate on his defense while still collecting a paycheck. The Falcons will be spared greater humiliation than they've already endured. And whatever the final outcome of the case, Goodell will have made his point to current and future players that this sort of behavior cannot go on. Excellent move.
Stern: B-plus.
You'd really like for every league to have enough checks and balances to prevent what allegedly happened with veteran referee Tim Donaghy, but that might be unrealistic. What you can do is be transparent and apologetic to your league's fans and critics, and that's what Stern has tried to do.
In a news conference Tuesday, Stern acknowledged the FBI's investigation of Donaghy for allegedly gambling on games he officiated was the "worst situation" in his 23 years as commissioner.
He said Donaghy appears to be an isolated case, and if that changed, he would let everybody know. Stern also explained why Donaghy wasn't forced to resign sooner -- the FBI had told the league it could hurt the investigation, he said -- and pledged to make any procedural changes necessary to prevent a similar situation from happening again.
Somber and contrite, yet regal and reassuring. Well done.
Selig: D-plus.
A D-plus is the second most awesome grade ever. It's like the steaming sack of garbage with just a hint of Febreze -- but you can only smell it when the wind blows just so.
Selig added that Febreze Tuesday afternoon, when he announced -- finally -- that he would attempt to be present when Barry Bonds hits home run No. 756 to break Hank Aaron's career record.
Do I think he should be there?
Heck no. But the fact that he finally made a decision, as opposed to slinking around so noncommittal as he has for the past few weeks, gives him a bump up in grade.
Too bad, though. Because Selig was so close to achieving the most awesome grade ever: The elusive, mysterious, how-is-that-even-possible F-minus.
Try again next year, Bud.
