NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell promised at a news conference Friday to fix the way the league handles players accused of domestic violence — but he failed to win over some of his fiercest critics.
A women's rights group that flew banners reading "#GoodellMustGo" over fans at weekend games said the "press circus did nothing to change Goodell's long history of inaction on and blatant mishandling of domestic violence in the NFL." In a statement, UltraViolet co-founder Nita Chaudhary said: "We know what happens when no one is watching: Goodell ignores domestic violence." The group has asked the league’s sponsors to drop the NFL until Goodell leaves office.
The National Organization for Women (NOW) blasted Goodell's "formulaic mea culpas and repeated promises that he's going to do better" and called on the chief to step down. In a statement, NOW president Terry O'Neill said Goodell "did nothing to increase confidence in his ability to lead the NFL out of its morass."
Goodell was also pilloried on social media — even by players in his league. Darius Butler, a cornerback for the Indianapolis Colts, tweeted criticisms during the news conference:
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