NFL players have opportunity to force change

NFL players, this is your chance.

For years, the players have chafed at Roger Goodell and his authoritarian ways with little power to do anything about it. But if the league is to have any hope of pulling itself out of the mess that's been created by the recent rash of domestic abuse cases, someone is going to have to show some leadership.

And it certainly isn't going to be Goodell.

"We are always told `Protect the shield' ... What does that actually mean?" Indianapolis Colts long snapper Matt Overton said Friday on Twitter.

It's time they figured that out – for themselves.

Many players, past and present, have expressed horror at the violence committed by Ray Rice, Adrian Peterson, Greg Hardy, and the accusations against Ray McDonald and Jonathan Dwyer, along with frustration that the actions of a few have tarnished all of the NFL. So here is their chance to reclaim the league:

Come up with a conduct policy, a legitimate one that leaves no room for the appalling behavior that has given the league such a bad rap in recent years. Work with the National Organization for Women and other domestic abuse and sexual assault advocacy groups to create education and prevention programs. Establish resources for players and families at risk, and insist that they're utilized.

Yes, this could result in additional restrictions, though only for those who misbehave. But wouldn't it be better to at least try and chart their own course than leave it all to Goodell?

Goodell has been roundly criticized for his evasive and mostly pointless news conference Friday. After being MIA for 10 days, he showed up late and left abruptly. In between, he made empty statements and vague promises instead of laying out a concrete plan on how the NFL will deal with future domestic violence cases.

And unlike a news conference earlier in the day at which President Barack Obama made a point of thanking the many people who are part of his effort to end sexual assaults on college campuses, Goodell ignored the very women whose counsel he claims he's going to value so greatly. He didn't thank them or bring them on stage in what could have been a very powerful statement of how seriously the NFL is taking this issue.

He didn't even acknowledge them.

None of this, however, should come as a surprise.

Goodell's main priority – some might argue his only priority -- is keeping the NFL on the straight and narrow path to his stated goal of $25 billion in annual revenue by 2027. He has made himself judge and jury in his zeal to "protect the shield," and his authoritarian ways have infuriated players. His disciplinary policies are sometimes Draconian and often inconsistent, and seem to be driven as much by his allegiances to particular owners as the offense itself.

And that's not likely to change.

As unhappy as fans and sponsors may be with how Goodell and the league have handled domestic abuse, they're not about to abandon the country's favorite sport. Quite the contrary. Last Sunday night's game between the Chicago Bears and San Francisco 49ers drew the week's highest ratings, followed by the Thursday Night Football premiere, which featured the Baltimore Ravens in their first game since Rice was cut.

The owners aren't about to dump Goodell, either, not with revenues approaching almost $10 billion and the Buffalo Bills fetching a whopping $1.4 billion last week.

All of which means Goodell can continue to act with the stubbornness and arrogance that has marked his tenure as commissioner with little, if any, repercussions. Sure, the league's image may be damaged temporarily but, just as with the concussion crisis, it will eventually recover.

But the NFL is better than that. It deserves better than that.

Stand up for what's right, players, and stand up for your league.