Adam Schefter on Thursday came as close as you can possibly come to calling Roger Goodel a liar without actually using the word.
As you may know, the New England Patriots and the NFL have been going back and forth for months over the suspensions of equipment managers John Jastremski and Jim McNally. The two team employees were suspended after damning text messages that were exchanged between them were published in the Ted Wells report. The Patriots insist the NFL asked them to suspend McNally and Jastremski. The NFL has vehemently denied that.
On Wednesday, the Patriots sent a request to the league asking for McNally and Jastremski to be reinstated. In an interview with ESPN Radio, Goodell reiterated once again that the NFL “absolutely” did not ask the Patriots to suspend the two staffers.
Schefter, who was the first to report that the NFL asked the Patriots to issue the suspensions, said on ESPN Radio’s “Mike and Mike in the Morning” show Thursday that Goodell is lying.
“It’s odd to me why if the Patriots suspended them, why they would have to go to the league to ask permission to reinstate them,” Schefter said, per Ryan Hannable of WEEI.com. “Again, I’m not not here to debate anybody, I reported over two months ago, in the beginning of May, that the league asked the Patriots to suspend those two employees, which is in fact what happened. Anybody can say what they want, I’m not trying to make anyone look bad, it’s not the goal, I’m just telling exactly what I was told from people that I trust from people that understand and know the situation. Why else would the Patriots have suspended them?
“Just think about it logically. It makes very little sense for the Patriots to go ahead when they believe in their innocence when they accepted the findings to go ahead and do this. And they did it. That’s it. That’s the deal.”
So what exactly are you saying, Adam?
“As forcefully as others say that the league did not do that, I’m telling you as forcefully the league did do that,” Schefter added.
Schefter is easily one of the best NFL reporters in the business, so he must be very certain about his sources to continue beating the drum. Stories we have shared with you like this one have to make you wonder if ESPN is uncomfortable with the way Schefter basically called out Goodell.
