NFL commissioner Roger Goodell doesn't deserve to keep his gig.
If Goodell saw the video of Ray Rice knocking his future wife out with a left-cross to the face in a casino elevator before it was released by TMZ Monday, he should be fired.
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And if Goodell didn't see the video before handing down a paltry two-game suspension for Rice's despicable violent actions, he should be fired.
Either way, Goodell has failed.
He's failed Janay Rice, the victim. He failed all women when it comes to stopping domestic violence. He failed the owners who hired him. He failed the players. He failed the fans. He failed to shield the NFL he supposedly was hired to protect.
It's impossible for Goodell to convince anyone that he did his due diligence. The notion that he did a thorough investigation into this very serious matter is complete nonsense.
He didn't.
He shouldn't have handed down a penalty to Rice without seeing the videotape from the elevator.
Everyone saw the video of Rice dragging her out of the elevator like a caveman. Janay was obviously unconscious. She must have been hit or somehow hit her head. And if there's video outside the elevator, there's a great chance there is video inside the elevator. Especially in a casino, where security is of great importance.
Goodell was wrong to settle for some, failed feeble attempt to get the tape from prosecutors in Atlantic City, as the NFL PR machine is claiming.
The league had to nerve to play victim. "We requested from law enforcement any and all information about the incident, including the video from inside the elevator," the league said in a statement. "The video was not made available to us and no one in our office has seen it until today."
So the NFL couldn't get the video, but TMZ.com could? And let's not be distracted by irrelevant questions about whether or not the gossip website paid for it. That's not what's important now.
Anybody with an ounce of sense knew there was a video to be had. If Goodell didn't, he isn't as smart as most think he is.
Plus, Goodell didn't have to render a decision on Rice, now a former Baltimore Ravens running back, until he saw a tape he knew had to exist.
For anyone to honestly believe that Goodell was shocked to see this video is almost as sad as it is comical.
Even current and former players lashed out at Goodell's handling of this sad situation.
London Fletcher, a former NFL linebacker tweeted:
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The Commish thinks most people are dumb and so long as the games are on every Sunday nothing else matters.
He's wrong.
Fans were outraged by Goodell's initial two-game suspension of Rice. And most weren't impressed when Goodell backtracked a few weeks ago and stiffened the penalties for domestic violence, including a lifetime ban for a second offense.
This isn't the first time he's mishandled an important situation.
Goodell blew it in the New Orleans Saints Bountygate. He had to reduce some suspensions for not having enough evidence.
Goodell also botched the New England Patriots' scandal in 2007 that was dubbed Spygate. The Patriots were caught videotaping New York Jets' defensive coaches' signals during a game. Pats' coach Bill Belichick was fined $500,000 and the team lost its first-round pick.
In that case, Goodell had the tapes in question destroyed so no one could see them.
Here, perhaps, Goodell was hoping for the same thing - no one would see the disgusting, brutal beatdown by one of his players, so he would be able to move it along without further damage to the shield.
Nope. Goodell was caught just like Rice.
Neither should be able to earn a living in the NFL.