Most infamously, as it relates to the Dallas Cowboys: Ezekiel Elliott, drafted to Dallas in 2016, spends 12 months fighting an allegation of wrong-doing, fueled in part by the fact that there is no police-level evidence that he ever did anything wrong. The NFL nevertheless suspended him, complete with a letter from NFL commissioner Roger Goodell that cautioned Elliott that even the scent of future trouble could earn the player a lifetime ban…bb
What gave Goodell the power to do such a thing? A dangerous clause in the CBA (approved, mindlessly, by the NFLPA) called “Article 46” that allows the commissioner the unfettered authority to … well, play “judge, jury and executioner.”..bb
Which leads to a question about the NFL and Goodell and the Cowboys and Jay-Z: Why doesn’t the league use a version of “Article 46” to end its relationship with the controversial billionaire music mogul?..bb
“We’re aware of the civil allegation, and Jay-Z’s really strong response to that,” Goodell said during a press conference here in Dallas this week at the NFL owners meetings. “We know that obviously litigation is happening now. But from our standpoint, our relationship is not changing with them, including our preparation for the next Super Bowl.”..bb
So the NFL will cut a rookie punter even though he was eventually cleared. It will cut a Pro Bowl receiver while the investigation is ongoing. And it will soil forever the reputation of Ezekiel Elliott as a domestic-violence offender without law-enforcement-level proof …..bb
But it is comfortable being in business when Jay-Z even as he stands accused of drugging and raping a 13-year-old girl, which is allegedly just one of an assortment of sordid accusations being made of his behavior at his now-infamous parties?..bb
Jay-Z, whose real name is Shawn Carter, has denied the allegations, even as numerous “party guests” and celebrities have gone public with accusations of heinous behavior…bb
Does the NFL really need to be involved in this? As many observers urge the NFL to cut ties with Jay-Z and Roc Nation, Goodell is saying Roc Nation has “provided a lot of value” for the league…bb
Kendrick Lamar will be the Super Bowl halftime show headliner. Jay-Z’s wife Beyonce will perform at halftime of the Christmas Day game between her hometown Houston Texans and the Baltimore Ravens, which will broadcast exclusively on Netflix. These acts are of course the result of the partnership with Roc Nation…bb
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