Goodell building bridges to Mexico, silent on Trump
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[February 02, 2017]
By Steve Keating
HOUSTON (Reuters) - NFL Commissioner
Roger Goodell reaffirmed the league's goal of building bridges, not
walls in announcing a Mexico City game next season but steered clear
of taking a stand on President Donald Trump's immigration policy.
At his annual state of league address on Wednesday, Goodell danced
around questions about Trump's temporary travel ban on citizens from
seven mainly Muslim countries, saying Sunday's Super Bowl is an
event that brings the world together not pull it apart.
"We are aware of the conversations that are going on and as
commissioner of the NFL I am singularly focused on the Super Bowl,"
said Goodell. "We have a unique position to have an event on Sunday
that will bring the world together.
"We feel good about what we're doing."
While many in the sporting world have spoken out against Trump's
controversial travel ban in recent days, the matter has largely been
off limits around the locker rooms of the Super Bowl-bound New
England Patriots and Atlanta Falcons.
When Goodell was asked why transcripts of player interviews supplied
by the NFL had been scrubbed clean of any references to Trump, he
brushed the question aside by saying that handling transcripts was
not one of his job duties.
There was no talk of walls, only building bridges as Goodell
announced the NFL will hold a game in Mexico City for a second
straight season in 2017 with the Oakland Raiders hosting the
Patriots at the Azteca Stadium.
The Mexico games are part of the NFL's increased commitment to
growing the game beyond U.S. borders.
"One of the things we truly believe in our hearts is that the NFL
really does bond communities together and it can be a bridge in that
way and unite people," Goodell told a standing-room-only crowd.
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NFL commissioner Roger Goodell poses for a photo with the Vince
Lombardi Trophy after a press conference in preparation for Super
Bowl LI at the George R. Brown Convention Center. Mandatory Credit:
Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
"By having the Patriots and Raiders play in Mexico next year we hope
that is a very positive experience to show we are reaching out to
our fans in Mexico, reaching out to our Hispanic fans here in the
United States."
Goodell spent a large part of his one-hour news conference defending
his handling of the Deflategate saga and the four-game ban handed to
Patriots quarterback Tom Brady for his role in the scandal that took
place more than two years ago.
Rocky television ratings, Thursday Night Football and the league's
domestic abuse policy, particularly as it concerns an investigation
into Dallas Cowboys running back Ezekiel Elliott, were all fielded
by Goodell.
Noticeably missing were any questions about concussions, a topic
that has become a hot-button subject in recent years and often
dominated Goodell's state of the league address.
(Editing by Frank Pingue)
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