Freeman: Crazy days for Goodell - Goodell's draft: Exercise in interactive contradiction

NEW YORK -- Roger Goodell, as he has done every draft, was in the mezzanine of Radio City, signing autographs and kissing babies. Literally, he was kissing a baby, when a fan, standing nearby, expressed his belief that Goodell shouldn't kiss the baby. Instead, the fan muttered, Goodell should kiss his ass.
Goodell kept signing, seeming like he didn't hear the Jets fan's blunt remark, the fan that smelled like he had been drinking since the lockout began. On and on the signing went. In the 30-minute span I watched, Goodell must have signed 50-75 autographs. My guess is he signed hundreds in all.

Even Peyton Hillis made nice with Roger Goodell while on the stage during Round 1 of the draft. (US Presswire)

When Goodell first walked into the mezzanine he was greeted by some raw anger. The "We want football!" chants erupted immediately. Goodell smiled. "So do I," he said back to some. "Why are you killing our sport?" yelled one fan wearing a Giants jersey. "Roger, we want [expletive] football!"
Then something strange happened. Goodell signed and signed and took picture after picture. Fan anger subsided and the same people who were expressing their rage began to whip out pens, paper and hats for Goodell to sign. After only a few minutes, a situation that could have been truly nasty turned downright pleasant.
It was, in many ways, a remarkable scene. Is it Goodell spinning, is it Goodell reaching for good PR knowing the media is watching? Of course part of this is for public-relations purposes. The league never has missed an opportunity for that, but Goodell still deserves credit for going into the lion's den -- and I don't mean the Detroit Lions' den.
It took some guts for Goodell to make that trek with so many fans infuriated by the lockout. Infuriated, specifically, with him.
This was an interesting moment for what has been a tough draft week -- and nasty few months -- for Goodell. If there's one thing this lockout has exposed it's that the commissioner's office simultaneously possesses both great influence and great impotence.
Goodell is the spokesman for the owners. In this role, he has attempted to sway fan sentiment toward his side and, frankly, that mission has failed. His horrid editorial in the Wall Street Journal, meant to frighten fans to the owners' side, completely backfired.
Yet in moments like the one here at Radio City he has the ability to win fans over.
The reason I've always said Paul Tagliabue is a Hall of Famer is because Tagliabue was able to avoid many of these labor landmines. Tagliabue also saved the owners from themselves. The media hated Tagliabue because he didn't kiss their butts (or any babies) but he was one of the best commissioners in history at keeping the league -- not only the owners -- unified and peaceful.
Now, according to a number of team officials with knowledge of the situation, a smaller group of hawkish owners pushed Goodell to take a hard line with the players for the latest collective bargaining talks and that is why the league started off asking the players to give up billions.
These owners, in effect, want the players to solve the NFL's revenue-sharing problems by giving back more money.
Goodell is the front man and in a brutally tough position. He has to do what the owners want even if he disagrees and has to publicly defend a position with which he might not personally agree.
Back on the mezzanine, Goodell smiled and signed. The earlier hostility had disappeared. People were lined up 10 to 15 deep to get Goodell's autograph. They liked him.
For the moment. They liked him.