Jenkins: Roger Goodell’s insistence on acting as emperor makes the NFL vulnerable to a legal smackdown

In DeflateGate there has been a weird inversion: NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell set out to expose Tom Brady, and instead he has exposed himself and the entire league. It was at first baffling to watch Goodell commit such acts of overreach. It has since become merely revealing of a catastrophic arrogance. In going after Brady and the New England Patriots on such a flimsy premise as the inflation of footballs, Goodell has steadily etched out his real character and attitudes, and in doing so he has bared himself and the league to searing judicial review.More Sally Jenkins columns on DeflateGate:A scandal that’s losing airThe NFL’s weak attempt to right its own wrongsRoger Goodell chooses authority over credibilityRoger Goodell has painted himself into a cornerRead full article >>