We turned the ball over a little bit more than we

Phoenix, AZ (SportsNetwork.com) - It didnt take Nostradamus to predict what was going to happen Friday when Roger Goodell finally met the media for his annual state of the league address two days prior to Super Bowl XLIX. The sharks were swimming, lambasting the commissioner for what can only be described as his dismal job performance over the past year, which now has the league he pilots perpetually stuck in the mud. It doesnt matter what the controversy or scandal is these days, Goodells past ineptitude has robbed him of any credibility, and the default setting for most of the general public is to now assume the NFL is going to get it wrong because the guy at the top has proven to be ineffective time and time again. Goodell admitted that the 2014 season, during which hes endured heavy criticism for his handling of a number of league matters -- most notably the domestic violence case involving former Baltimore Ravens running back Ray Rice -- has been a tough year on me personally. Its been a year of humility and learning, he stated. We obviously as an organization have gone through adversity. We take it seriously, Its an opportunity for us to get better. So weve all done a lot of soul searching, starting with yours truly. That lip service has been heard before and didnt stop the onslaught with one reporter asking point blank if there were any set of circumstances that would lead him to resign. To no surprise the guy who gets the $44 million stipend and still has the backing of the only 32 people who really matter -- the NFL owners -- almost laughed it off. No, I cant (imagine resigning), he said. Does that surprise you? It shouldnt take anyone off guard. Lack of self awareness is a tangible Goodell trait as he is seemingly immune to the fact he has become the story. For instance, on the surface Deflategate is about the New England Patriots but no matter the outcome, the result is going to be questioned because the guy in charge is no longer trustworthy. One reporter asked the commissioner if his close relationship with New England owner Robert Kraft could potentially impact the leagues investigation over the Pats use of improperly deflated footballs in the AFC Championship Game. I admire, respect and think very highly of him on a personal level. Theres no hiding from that point, said Goodell of Kraft. Since he knows me so well and knows that Im not going to do anything to compromise the integrity of the league, I think he has no doubt that I will do the right thing. Kraft may have no doubt but plenty of others do. Theres an adage that says if you find yourself in a hole, stop digging but neither the NFL nor Goodell has figured that out. A lot of the concerns that we had back in August where we didnt have a policy that addressed a very complex issue (domestic violence), Goodell said. We didnt have answers for that. We didnt fully understand those issues. Now we have experts in the field. Theyre in our office. Theyre helping us understand this. Talk about disingenuous. First off the league certainly had a personal-conduct policy in place to address those kinds of matters and Goodell used his power to punish Rice poorly. Claiming there was no policy for a complex issue is moving the goal posts to hoodwink the low-information crowd. And perhaps more importantly does anyone other than Goodell really need help understanding what Rice did? On its surface, Goodells dodge-and-parry routine is insulting as is his insistence that a new personal-conduct policy unilaterally approved by the owners without collectively bargaining with the players is some kind of panacea. We set out to create a new personal conduct policy, which was unanimously approved by our 32 owners in December, Goodell said. We made enormous progress. The things we didnt know and where we were in August, are not where we are today. Were in a good place in knowing and learning and having a lot more humility. Trust me, humility is the last adjective most would use to describe Goodell. Hubris is a better one as evidenced by this declarative statement: This is my job. Its my responsibility to protect the integrity of the game, Goodell said. By your own standards, youve failed miserably Mr. Commissioner, and thats why Fridays state of the league address was nothing more than a state of denial. Jared Veldheer Jersey . -- Fantasy football owners and Denver Broncos fans can rest easy: Peyton Manning is back. Royce Freeman Jersey . 1 Caroline Wozniacki and three-time champion Serena Williams cruised into the semifinals, while last years runner-up Vera Zvonareva succumbed to Aussie Samantha Stosur in Thursdays womens quarterfinal action at the U. http://www.authenticshopbroncos.com/bron...vy-blue-jersey/. The Mavericks were not going to let San Antonio beat them with 3-pointers, and they did not want Tony Parker using the lane as his personal playground. Case Keenum Jersey . "Thank you for the warm welcome," Beckham said on an 80-degree February morning. In this case, it was soccer weather. The sport moved a step closer to returning to South Florida on Wednesday, when Beckham confirmed he has exercised his option to purchase a Major League Soccer expansion franchise in Miami. Courtland Sutton Jersey . -- Kenneth Faried made a turnaround hook shot over Draymond Green with a half-second remaining, and the Denver Nuggets made Golden State wait at least one more game to secure a playoff berth with a stunning 100-99 win over the Warriors on Thursday night.(SportsNetwork.com) - The San Antonio Spurs welcomed a familiar face back and will try to continue their momentum Sunday night when the Utah Jazz come to AT&T Center. Kawhi Leonard, the reigning NBA Finals MVP, returned after a 15-game absence due to a torn ligament in his right hand and scored 20 points Friday night to lead the Spurs to a 110-96 home victory over the Portland Trail Blazers. Hes going to play aggressive and create stuff for us, Spurs guard Tony Parker, who finished with 17 points and seven assists, said of Leonard. Danny Green deposited 19 points and Patty Mills added 18 points off the bench for San Antonio, which has won two in a row and four of its last five. Manu Ginobili had 13 off the bench and Tim Duncan recorded a double-double with 11 points and 12 rebounds. San Antonio led by as many as 12 in the second quarter before taking a 60-52 lead at the break. Then it took over in the third and cruised to the victory in the fourth. The Spurs will visit the Denver Nuggets and Chicago Bulls, starting Tuesday. The Jazz halted a three-game slide with a 94-85 home victory over the Los Angeles Lakers on Friday. The triumph not only ended the rut, but it also put the brakes on a three-game home losing streak. Gordon Hayward tallied 31 points and seven assists to lead the Jazz past the Kobe Bryant-less Lakers. Hayward shot 12-for-18 from thhe floor, 4-for-7 from behind the arc and made all three of his free throws.dddddddddddd The Jazz finished 10- for-10 from the stripe as a team. Trey Burke added 20 points and Derrick Favors posted 18 and 10 rebounds for Utah. We turned the ball over a little bit more than we wanted to, but for the most part we played really good on defense, which allowed us to get some easy buckets in transition, Hayward said. Were athletic and we can finish on the break so anytime we can get going in transition that is a good thing. The Jazz led by three late in the fourth quarter when a technical foul led to six straight Utah points. Nick Young was handed the violation, and Hayward hit the ensuing free throw. Favors turned it into a three-point possession with his reverse layup, and Hayward potted a 3-pointer on the next trip. Utah then locked in on defense, forcing a shot clock violation. Just under two minutes later, Hayward put the game away with his short bank shot. The Jazz beat the Spurs by four in Salt Lake City on Dec. 9. That win stopped a five-game series losing streak, but the Spurs have taken nine straight as the host in this series, including the postseason. In fact, the defending NBA champions are 32-2 versus the Jazz in San Antonio. Utah won both meetings in the Alamo City in the 2009-10 season, but hadnt won there prior since Feb. 28, 1999. 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