USA TODAY Sports
Commissioner Roger Goodell has the authority to personally handle Deshaun Watson’s appeal hearing. He will not exercise it.
According to a source familiar with the situation, Goodell will not pursue Watson’s appeal. He will assign the matter to someone outside the league office.
We don’t know who this is. A decent guess would be Mary Jo White, given that she has recently handled various “independent investigations” for the NFL, and in light of the fact that she does a very good job of giving her client what they want.
Regardless of the specific name of the person hired to handle Watson’s appeal, the key to getting more such work is to give the customer what they want. Even if the league calls the guy an “independent,” he’s not really. They will have some hope of a continued business relationship with the league and that will affect the decision making process.
A separate source familiar with the process suggested that the candidate for the appeal would likely be Condoleezza Rice, who is scheduled to officially become part owner of the Broncos next week. Again, she would not be truly independent; she is about to become a shareholder in one of the league’s teams. However, her reputation would make it easier for the league to sell the media and fans that she could put other interests aside and make the right decision.
That said, Rice is an avowed Browns fan. Rice recently commented on the disciplinary process, advocating the importance of keeping an open mind but acknowledging the serious nature of the matter.
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