WATCH: Jim Jordan Battles NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell Over Del Rio Jan. 6 Comments Fine, Dave Portnoy Ban in Tense Exchange

By Zachary LeemanJun 22nd, 2022, 3:17 pm
 

Rep. Jim Jordan (R-OH) pushed NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell on Wednesday on a six figure fine given to Washington Commanders coach Jack Del Rio, as well as a ban of Barstool Sports founder Dave Portnoy from NFL games, and things got tense rather quickly.

Goodell appeared before the House Oversight Committee on Wednesday to address workplace complaints about the Commanders, but Jordan pivoted things to the topic of free speech when he questioned the controversial commissioner.

“Commissioner, you believe in the First Amendment, don’t you?” Jordan asked.

“I do,” Goodell, who appeared virtually, said.

“I mean, all parts of it. You know, all rights we have. You right to practice your faith, your right to petition the government, right to assemble, freedom of press, freedom of speech. You believe in all that?” Jordan asked.

Goodell affirmed he did, but then faced questions on Portnoy and the Del Rio fine — which was $100,000 for recently referring to the January 6 Capitol riot as a “dust up.”

On the topic of Del Rio, Jordan asked if Goodell agreed with the decision to hit the coach with the fine. While asking, he also referred to the Washington Commanders by their former name, the Washington Redskins, either by mistake or out of protest to the name change, which sparked its own mini-culture war.

“That was a decision that was made by Coach [Ron] Rivera. Again, as I stated earlier, they are responsible for monitoring and managing their own workplace,” Goodell offered back. “He made that decision on his own. I did not speak to him.”

Jordan again asked if he agreed with the decision, to which Goodell again did not offer an answer and said it was not “correct” for him to take a position. At another point, Goodell said there are “consequences for what you do and say,” though he still did not directly comment on the Del Rio incident.

A previous exchange about Portnoy provided similar non-answers, with Goodell claiming he is completely unaware of any ban on Portnoy, who has been heavily critical of the commissioner for years. Barstool Sports even offers a shirt with Goodell on it wearing a clown nose.

“Why do you ban Dave Portnoy from NFL games?” Jordan asked.

Goodell claimed he’s “not familiar with that issue,” but he’d check with his staff on it.

“I think we’re all aware of that,” Jordan said, citing Portnoy as a member of the press who interviewed Donald Trump while he was president.

Portnoy posted a response to Goodell on Twitter, with a statement from “Team Portnoy,” calling Goodell part of the “Mount Rushmore of despicably evil leaders,” along with dictators like Adolf Hitler and Kim Jong-un.

“We’re not sure what the punishment for Goodell lying to the U.S. Government and American people should be. But you have to assume the death penalty is on the table,” the statement reads.

Portnoy also called Goodell a liar in separate posts and posted a number of examples of the apparent ban, which include being denied the chance to watch a game with Goodell after winning an auction, being kicked out of a Super Bowl, and Barstool employees being arrested at a protest against the Deflategate suspension of quarterback Tom Brady.

Watch above via PBS News Hour.

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Zachary Leeman

Zachary Leeman covered pop culture and politics at outlets such as Breitbart, LifeZette, BizPac Review, HollywoodinToto, and others. He is the author of the novel Nigh. He joined Mediaite in 2022.