Last night, John Oliver took on a new subject: Roger Goodell’s mishandling of the NFL’s domestic violence problem, punctuated by his heavily criticized Friday press conference.
Goodell spoke for 45 minutes, yet managed to say almost nothing of substance, speaking in vague certainties and dodging questions from reporters. Oliver points out one particularly enlightening exchange between Goodell and a reporter from TMZ, the outlet that leaked the tape of Ray Rice assaulting his then-fiancee nearly two weeks ago:
Goodell: “I would have loved to see that tape. Should we do more to get that information in the future? That’s a question I...”
TMZ Reporter: “Mr. Commissioner, we found out by one phone call. You guys have a whole legal department.”
The NFL, never a bastion of morality, has lost plenty of moral standing over the past few weeks. When you’re losing the moral high ground to TMZ, as Oliver notes, you know you have a problem.
