Washington Post's Sally Jenkins Blasts Roger Goodell For Handling Of DeflateGate
BOSTON (CBS) -- If you've followed developments from the media over the past few months, you might have noticed that numerous national and local outlets took the "Tom Brady is a cheater" story and beat it to death. Outside of New England, there weren't too many folks trying to critically assess the NFL's handling of the case, because let's face it -- why would they want to? The scandal sells.
But to poke holes in the 243-page Wells report did not require much legal expertise, and to find flaws in the "reasoning" of Roger Goodell was a simple practice. And while most of the national media might not quite be up to speed on that train, the Washington Post's Sally Jenkins just might be the conductor.
Roughly one month after writing a column titled "In trying to restore his authority through DeflateGate, Roger Goodell undermined his credibility," Jenkins penned a new column, this one titled "As Brady appeal nears, Goodell has trapped himself."
Jenkins takes aim at the commissioner, using last week's AEI report as damning evidence against Goodell, Ted Wells and the NFL's entire investigative process. And she doesn't hold back.
"The math didn't add up. It's a standard principle in science: If you can't replicate a set of results, then there is a problem with them. A flaw or a fraud is at work. Either you made a mistake, or you made it up," Jenkins wrote of the debunked science from the Wells report. "Another plain English phrase possibly applies to all of this: Falsifying results."
That is a most serious charge against the leader of the league's most powerful sports league, but AEI's report last week now lends it validity.
Jenkins contrasted the NFL's Wells report with MLB's Pete Rose investigation, noting that MLB's case was airtight, leaving no recourse for Rose to fight his punishment.
"But lately the NFL has begun turning these special counsel investigations into manipulated campaigns calculated to enhance the commissioner's profile and powers," Jenkins said. "And they seem to be written to fit predetermined conclusions."
Jenkins laid out the options for Goodell, and none are good. Either he stands by his Wells report, thereby ignoring plain facts, or he rescinds the Brady suspension, thereby admitting that his $5 million project was a farce.
"It suggests that this wasn't an investigation; it was a frame job by the commissioner's office desperate to reestablish its authority," Jenkins asserted.
Again, people in New England have been able to see Goodell's duplicitous statements for some time. Now, Jenkins' story stands to push that issue further around the country.
Felger & Massarotti discussed Jenkins' column on Wednesday's show -- listen below: