Jerry Jones threatens to sue Pittsburgh Steelers’ owner Art Rooney II
By Edward Hunt
Pittsburgh Steelers owner, Art Rooney II, has taken heat lately from Dallas Cowboys’ owner, Jerry Jones.
The Steelers ownership group is one of the most storied in NFL history. The Rooney’s bought the Steelers for $2,500 and have turned it into a billion dollar franchise. They are among the winningest franchises in NFL history leading with six Super Bowls.
Over time, they have developed a lot of clout in the NFL. A good example being the Rooney Rule that requires teams to interview one coach of color in every head coaching hire. This clout has lead the Rooney’s to be on the compensation committee for which Jerry Jones is threatening to sue.
Jerry Jones made headlines when he said that he would sue each member of the compensation committee if they extended Roger Goodell’s contract.
The NFL is somewhat at a crossroads with ratings dropping due to anthem protests and the value of the NFL possibly hitting its peak. This is likely Jerry Jones’ response to the league’s court battle of Ezekiel Elliot’s suspension.
Jerry Jones is upset because Roger Goodell under the current Collective Bargaining Agreement can punish players at will. There is little due process. The irony is that the Steelers were the only team to vote against the current Collective Bargaining Agreement.
In this case, Elliott was suspended for six games by the league for allegedly abusing his girlfriend in the offseason. The players association is asking the courts for an injunction so that Ezekiel Elliott can play. The players association side and Jerry Jones believe that he should not be suspended considering he was never charged with a crime.
The position the Goodell has taken is also understandable too. The NFL has garnered a reputation for being too light on violence against women. The biggest criticism was when Ray Rice was caught on tape knocking out his then-fiancee. He was only suspended for two games. This caused an outrage and activists have been calling for the NFL to take a harder stance on violence against women.
Rooney has not said anything as to his view on Roger Goodell’s decision with Ezekiel Elliott. He is likely just in the way of Jerry Jones’ anger at the league. Goodell has made a lot of enemies in NFL fan bases and is often booed when he appears to announce the picks for the draft.
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Likely, the NFL will not extend Goodell’s contract. It would be more politically popular for both sides to find a new face of the NFL.