Roger Goodell has two words for Harvey Weinstein, Roy Moore, Al Franken, Louis C.K., Kevin Spacey and Ben Affleck.
“Thank you.”
Seven weeks ago, the NFL was in the crosshairs of Donald Trump’s Twitter feed. Players across the league opted to #TakeAKnee during the national anthem to protest the president’s attacks and a buffet line of social and political injustices — very few of which have ever been articulated with a unified voice.
As is the case with everything else in America these days, one’s opinion about those players who took a knee during the anthem became all about Trump. Those who backed the players were generally opposed to all that is Trump and/or want him jailed for treason. Those who were outraged by the protests, including many active duty and retired military, were written off as racist morons by the usual suspects in the press and across social media.
But now Hollywood, Washington and nearly every other institution in between is facing an Old Testament-style reckoning after decades of debauchery, abuse of women, assault, rape, countless incidents of sexual harassment and all-around vile behavior.
Hollywood’s box office is off 5.3 percent this year — with the entire summer season having come and gone before Weinstein’s proclivity for feeding plants became national knowledge.
“Justice League” premieres today, and “Batman” Ben Affleck is no longer that film’s biggest draw. The lasting image of Affleck of late has become that MTV clip from 2003 of him groping a then-21-year-old Hilarie Burton.
The irony here is that “Wonder Woman” may save “Justice League” and perhaps the rest of Hollywood from itself. Gal Gadot has gotten off to a great start by purging producer Brett Ratner from any future “Wonder Woman” sequels. Ratner was accused of rape and has since sued his accuser for libel.
Actress, singer, New England native and diehard Patriots fan Kerry O’Malley put it best yesterday.
“It will take a long time to truly change. It is in every culture, every level of earnings, every religion, every profession. It runs deep,” she told me.
Amazingly, the NFL has been spared … this time.
The NFL has a fully-hydrated and pliable version of Captain America on its side. He’s been practicing all week at the Air Force Academy and leads the 7-2 Patriots against the Raiders Sunday in Mexico City. Where Goodell suspended Tom Brady over weird science a year ago, the NFL cannot embrace him enough now.
Pro football’s woes have quietly faded from the headlines, though they remain very real.
Colin Kaepernick was lauded as “Citizen of the Year” by GQ magazine as NFL viewership tumbled 18 percent from Week 10 last season. The NFL’s season-to-date TV audience has fallen about 7 percent from 2016’s tepid numbers.
Indeed, a Pro Bowl-level list of stars have been lost to injury this preseason/season, including Aaron Rodgers, Richard Sherman, Dont’a Hightower, Julian Edelman, Deshaun Watson, J.J. Watt, Odell Beckham Jr. and Andrew Luck.
No one in NFL State Run Media will dare risk condemnation from their peers by acknowledging that this year’s decline could be due, at least in part, to fans walking away over the anthem flap.
Injury concerns, cord-cutting and competition from other forms of digital entertainment have been chipping away at ratings for years. The league-wide #TakeAKnee phenomenon is the only new twist in 2017.
Even Jerry Jones’ attempted coup against Goodell has sputtered worse than the New York Giants’ offense.
Entering Week 11 of the 2017 season, Goodell appears stronger than ever. After botching the Ray Rice scandal in 2014, Goodell is on the side of the angels after successfully suspending Dallas star running back Ezekiel Elliott for six games over a domestic violence accusation.
It appears not even “Wonder Woman” can stop Goodell now.
Thanks, guys.
Bill Speros (aka Obnoxious Boston Fan) Tweets at @RealOBF and can be reached at bsperos1@gmail.com.