Roger Goodell’s bad Wednesday has extended into Thursday.
Last night, the appeal officer jointly selected by the NFL and the NFL Players Association to handle the Ray Rice appeal hearing determined that the Commissioner will be required to testify. PFT later learned that there are no pre-set limits on the questioning, and that the interrogator will be longtime NFL nemesis Jeffrey Kessler.
Per a source with knowledge of the situation, more recent NFL nemesis Peter Ginsberg also intends to question Goodell.
Ginsberg, who was retained directly by Rice, has handled several cases in recent years against the NFL, including the StarCaps litigation that delayed for many months the suspensions of former Vikings defensive tackles Pat and Kevin Williams. Ginsberg also represented former Saints linebacker Jonathan Vilma in the bounty case, which ultimately resulted in former Commissioner Paul Tagliabue overturning all player suspensions — including Vilma’s one-year banishment from the sport.
Ginsberg’s intent to interrogate Goodell doesn’t mean it will be open season on the Commissioner, with Kessler and Ginsberg flailing away at the witness like a WWE tag-team wrestling combo. The NFL’s lawyers will be protecting Goodell with the right to object to any and all questions, and former U.S. Judge Barbara S. Jones surely won’t allow the witness to be asked the same questions repeatedly or to be badgered by either or both lawyers.
Regardless, the challenge gets a little more challenging if Goodell has to answer questions from both Kessler and Ginsberg.