Roddy White’s tweets about Goodell’s salary go viral
Falcons wide receiver Roddy White will probably do a flip when he finds out that he won't be fined for his comments about commissioner Roger Goodell's salary.
Falcons wide receiver Roddy White’s tweet about NFL commissioner Roger Goodell’s salary caused a firestorm nationally.
On Monday, White, who goes by @RoddyWhiteTV on Twitter.com, sent out a tweet with a link to a ProFootballTalk.com note which referenced the Sports Business Journal’s report on Goodell’s pending salary increase.
White’s tweet: “Roger Goodell is getting over never seen anything like it 20 million for looking over the league with tremendous help I guess the NFL is banking. The NFL is not a company it’s a nonprofit organization that makes a lot of profit.”
The commentators on ESPN’s Around the Horn fired some shots at White. Bill Plaschke pointed out that Goodell is the most powerful man in sports. Tim Cowlishaw ripped White and noted that he led the league in drops last season. (He also led the league in receptions in 2010.)
On Pardon the Interruption, Tony Kornheiser stated that the Goodell was worth every penny of his salary.
“I hope he saves his money,” Kornheiser said of White. “He’s probably not going to rise in the hierarchy of the league office at this point. Players come and go. People root for the uniform. That’s the way it works in the NFL.”
Kornheiser’s partner, Michael Wilbon basically described the NFL player as highly-paid help.
“While he makes a lot of money, the people who make the most money in the United States of America, they don’t run, tackle or throw or block,” Wilbon said. “They don’t dribble. They don’t switch hit. . . .they are making decisions [while] sitting in a office in a suit. Roddy White. . . what he doesn’t understand is that all of those guys make a hell of lot more money than he does for a lot longer time. He doesn’t get that.”
White didn’t buy the argument that the decision-makers are worthy of such high salaries after one of his followers made that point.
“Thats the stupidest thing i have ever heard the players make this league dont ever forget that,” White wrote.
White, who was in Chicago on Tuesday celebrating Valentine’s Day with his girlfriend, didn’t want his tweets to go published for fear of being fined. Other players who have been critical of Goodell have not been fined, but Pittsburgh’s James Harrison apologized after calling Goodell “the devil” in a magazine article.
NFL spokeman Greg Aiello, in an e-mail to The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, wrote that White could not be fined.
White signed a six-year, $50 million extension with the Falcons in 2009.
–D. Orlando Ledbetter, The Atlanta Falcons beat blog
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171 comments Add your comment
evil empire
February 15th, 2012
9:38 am
rumor has it that roddy dropped his blackberry twice while writing his tweet…
Contractor
February 15th, 2012
9:53 am
Roddy White is an idiot. He needs to shut up and do what apparently he is only half decent at, catching a football and running away from tacklers. The problem lies in the fact that maybe 10% of NFL players actually have brains and can do something besides catch, throw, run, and kick. I am a die hard football fan, played growing up, but I am sick and tired of society today that trashes the brains of the operation, and the fact that people like Roddy White and Kim Kardashian can make millions upon millions, and still have beef with people like Goodell that make it possible for football to even be on the level it is, and so Roddy White can make his millions. Only added Kardashian because she is someone that makes a ton of money for having no talents or intelligence at all, and that there is someone else behind the scenes making it all possible. We all know this moron and half of the other dumb rocks in the league couldn’t make the NFL run, or couldn’t cut it in the real world. So just shut your dang mouth and continue doing what you love for a living and collect your check. You’re not paid to run your yapper, especially about things you have no clue about.
megan
February 15th, 2012
9:53 am
Here’s a thought for Mr. White, how about the NFL pay you $50K per catch, $25K for a good block… how much do you think you would make a year?
JeanE
February 15th, 2012
9:57 am
Finn had it right when he tweeted that Roddy has diarrhea of the mouth and should shut it! He just makes himself look more stupid and infantile. Worry about yourself Roddy and leave Roger to run the league, which he has done very well.
Jimmy Crack
February 15th, 2012
9:58 am
Get rid of this clown.
Victor Cruz showed that gems are to be found anywhere and Harry Douglas can always get more looks. Free agent WRs like Colston and others are out there every year for teams like Atlanta to pick up, unlike Roddy’s next contract.
Contractor
February 15th, 2012
10:04 am
Jimmy Crack,
You are exactly right. I would love for us to trade Roddy White to the Saints for Colston. The guy always performs and you never hear of any off the field problems. He’s a guy that is just happy to have arrived and to be doing what he is doing. I’ll take that all day long. Work up the trade Falcons front office.
Mr. Mustartd
February 15th, 2012
10:19 am
No Blue – If the Republicons maintained control what is yours would be the bank’s, in China and you would be homeless, without healthcare and begging a church for a meal.
But the billionaires would get more tax cuts.
Frankie
February 15th, 2012
10:25 am
Roddy take a lesson from Andre Johnson and Calvin Johnson….they play, catch the ball, score TD’s and don’t open their mouths in order to stick their foot in.
THose are elite players and clavin has been in the NFL 2 years shorter than you. what gives…Catch the Darn ball and STFU
PMC
February 15th, 2012
10:25 am
Roddy is a fantastic WR, let’s get that strait. It’s hilarious media members would rip him for dropping passes when criticising Roger Goodells salary, that’s JUST AS STUPID and NONSENSICAL Tim Cowlishaw.
The problem here is that Roddy is doing what we all do so much when discussing pro athletes…. discussing salary. It’s really not relevant. The league is compensating him how they want to compensate him, I don’t begrudge Goodell anymore than I would begrudge Roddy for earning all they can. It’s a different skill set, but it’s a skill set all the same.
There is only one pro football commish and he’s leading an incredibly prosperous league, so he gets the bennies.
Roddy, is one of the best receivers in the league so he gets the bennies, that’s about the end of it.
Much like in baseball, if you’re leading the league in drops or losses, you must be doing something else very very right.
PMC
February 15th, 2012
10:29 am
Roddy is NOT an idiot, he’s simply typing out an opinion based on his instant assessment of a fact he was told. It was an unfiltered opinion like so many non famous people do all the time.
People are wrong all the time. Opinions are generally based on your own experience and knowledge.
He’s not an idiot for expressing an opinion, he’s just not thinking broadly in his assessment.
jw
February 15th, 2012
10:29 am
Hey Roddy – how about dropping the showboat clown act and put your talents to use on the football field. You get a bucket full of money to catch a football and score touchdowns – how about doing that next season and stop trying to be the new TO, Ochocinco, Randy Moss – just be an Atlanta Falcons wide receiver worthy of his pay. Leave the clown act to Ringling Brothers.
PMC
February 15th, 2012
10:34 am
If the players were all it took to make a great league, they would have broken off years ago. There is a reason both groups here are highly paid.
Jimmy Crack
February 15th, 2012
10:41 am
PMC, what the media is telling him in a roundabout way is STFU, because millionaires bitching about some other millionaire making money is a loser all day with the American public.
PMC
February 15th, 2012
10:50 am
I get it Jimmy you’re absolutely right, but what you said is a much better thought out response than Tim Cowlishaw provided and you aren’t even getting paid for it.
michael
February 15th, 2012
11:31 am
No you guys have it all wrong ..Roddy is right , why does godall need 20 million. does he run block or catch .. does he even do accounting, how about manage personell, does he even check his email ????? someone else does all of the real things that keep the league running. Godall like everyother CEO of a very large firm .. really do nothing but set a vision, direction and tell everyone to work toward that vision. the real work is done by everyone else. Would godall be the commish if he was a women with the same attributes and skills, how about an ethnic Inuit, Or butt ugly, disfugured.. the answer is NO, so my point is its not a skill set that gets Godall the 20 million job, its some intangible equation of charisma, skin color, gender, and attractivness. So Roddy is truly right. Atheletes have a true skill and talent, which is dimishing everyyear they play. this talent pays for that 20million job. At least owners have to manage a team a make tough decisions and have real responsibility.. not the commish. Atheletes are independent contractors with a team NOT with the NFL..he can say whatever he wants about the NFL commish. he isn’t an indentured servent who can’t talk bad about “Massa” . Let the Man voice his opinion.
aj
February 15th, 2012
11:34 am
Hmmm…Hey,lets all bash Art Shell,he wears a suit and makes lots of money! Damn that Art Shell! No? Well,Rappers and Basketball players make insane amounts of money,too! Surely they must be bad,just like the bad,bad Goodell,right? No,not them either? Im confused-what could it be about Goodell that makes him so very very BAD? Ohhhhhhh…its……the color of his SKIN! What a racist bunch of Bullsh*t!
michael
February 15th, 2012
11:38 am
and yes JImmy is right neither of those folks “deserve” millions for what they do. my prob is why is it acceptable for godall to make 20 million , but we condemn football players for wanting more? Lets pay teachers, researchers, and pubic servants more.
Jim
February 15th, 2012
11:40 am
Roddy should spend more time learning to catch passes which hit him in the hands since he drops more than anyone in the entire NFL and not worry about what Roger G makes.
michael
February 15th, 2012
11:43 am
aj… what have u been under a rock? Those folks u listed ALWAYS get bashed for the amount of money they make. ALWAYS ,, rarely does some dude in suit get criticized for making insane amounts of money on OTHER PEOPLES skill and hard work. and don’t be confused Rappers have no money, its an illusion. they owe all of their money to once again the talentless suits.
Jimmy Crack
February 15th, 2012
11:58 am
“…and yes JImmy is right neither of those folks “deserve” millions for what they do.”
I did not say that, michael. Quite the opposite, I think both White and Goodell deserve every penny they make. After all the NFL is HUGELY successful, but people that make this kind of money should never publicly discuss their displeasure with others making theirs. It is low class and appears to seek some kind of empathy to where there is none.
Falcon Fan
February 15th, 2012
12:10 pm
Keep this idiot away from Julio, PLEASE!!!
HERE COMES THE JUDGE
February 15th, 2012
12:17 pm
Earl…you couldn’t be more wrong with your “Roddy needs to get a grip” comment…you didn’t finish your comment…RODDY NEEDS TO GET A GRIP…ON THE BALL & HIS LIP!!! Too much trash talking and too many drops. Maybe reading too many of his press clippings from 2010 when he led the league in receiptions…RODDY, PLEASE GET A GRIP…MAYBE YOU NEED TO LOOSEN SOME OF THOSE CORN ROW BRAIDS…PRESSURING YOUR BRAIN AND MEANINGFUL THINKING…YOU THINK?
abby normal
February 15th, 2012
12:19 pm
Roddy White needs to engage his brain (?) before he starts to run his mouth. I’ve seen him interviewed dozens of times and if he has ever uttered an intelligent sentence, it’s escaped me. What White obviously fails to realize is that if it were not for men like Goodall and his predecessors he (White) would be lucky to get job flipping burgers.
kappellmeister
February 15th, 2012
12:36 pm
Ok, so I know Roddy has had his share of drops, BUT . . . I am coming to the man’s defense here, at least in his game. Many of you seem to forget he single-handedly saved the Birds from defeat last year in the San Fran game with his crazy hustle play to knock the ball out of a would-be scorers hands after the turnover. Criticize his statements, ok, but don’t criticize the man’s heart and desire.
Disgusted
February 15th, 2012
12:37 pm
I cannot disagree with Roddy on this one, Goddell has been anti-player since daye one and he runs a tenure of terror and fear toward these guys.
The only thing Goddell has accomplished is taking $$$$$ out of the players pockets and suspending guys for jsut playing the game.
I am no fan of Roger Go To H Goddell. but the owners love him and that is why the fans and players are stuck with this arrogant dictator.
No other sport would let one person rule like an ayatollah.
Disgusted
February 15th, 2012
12:43 pm
“So just shut your dang mouth and continue doing what you love for a living and collect your check. You’re not paid to run your yapper, especially about things you have no clue about”
@Contractor—Have a problem with free speech???? Goddell has been notorious about muzzling the players and I am glad one is comming out as doing something drastic like expressing his opinion.
Just because he makes good $$$$$ means he cannot have an opinion?
Someone actually involved in the game has as much right to run his yapper as anyone out there who is not even connected to the league.
Disgusted
February 15th, 2012
12:48 pm
“Those folks u listed ALWAYS get bashed for the amount of money they make. ALWAYS ,, rarely does some dude in suit get criticized for making insane amounts of money on OTHER PEOPLES skill and hard work. and don’t be confused Rappers have no money, its an illusion. they owe all of their money to once again the talentless suits.”
Good point Micheal, but the establishment supporters don’t want to hear that.
Bigg Don
February 15th, 2012
12:53 pm
Never been a RW fan. Yes, never. I say trade him, cut him get rid of him. He’s a silly idiot.
We don’t need his garbage in ATL. He might want to learn how to catch.
Falcon James
February 15th, 2012
12:55 pm
There Roddy “the mouth” White go spouting off again. He becoming one of those undesirable people that the Falcon try to avoid. He need to work on catching the ball and earning the money he be paid. I am starting to get real tired of this guy and he going to wind up on my Dunta list!
aj
February 15th, 2012
1:03 pm
Micheal,I have not heard Art Shell’s relative salary vs.his skill,talent and hard work discussed at all.On the contrary,Shell and the NFL as an organization have consistently displayed a god awful and truly evil attitude toward the health and welfare of aging and hurting former players-black,white,purple or green.The truth is its about CLASS,not RACE.As long as they can convince each other that the ‘other side’ are the ‘bad ones’ we remain in perpetual conflict and we all keep getting screwed over.
Matty
February 15th, 2012
1:13 pm
Funny, a guy who held out for more $’s and then proceeeded to lead the league in drops last year is criticizing someone for the $’s they make. Let’s keep it Tweet world, #GETAGRIPRODDY
mark
February 15th, 2012
1:22 pm
this dude is going crazy diva attitude drop passes a bad season and a worst mouth i would love to trade him he is over
gb5684
February 15th, 2012
2:03 pm
stop hating on roddy last 4yrs only one player has better numbers andre johnson and he the best in the game right now so stop hating cause a black man got an opinion he cant help he was born with talent maybe if some of yall would put on a suit and go out in that 100 degree heat or 20 degrees weather you could see. you guys making this big money in the suits aint got the balls to be out there stop trying to live through others. just like you put your opinions on here to express them so can he. so keep talking roddy just not in games you are getting to many personal fouls.
Paddy O
February 15th, 2012
2:04 pm
the kindergardeners here ripping our all pro WR is what gives the ATL its rep as a lousy sports city. no wonder Murphy finished his career elsewhere. Pathetic bunch of corporate lemmings.
Falconer
February 15th, 2012
2:14 pm
And some people want to add randy moss to the falcons as well? maybe we can get deangelo hall back and instead of gatorade the falcons can have purple drank on the sidelines.
Gimmee a break
February 15th, 2012
2:19 pm
I knew Roddy wasnt the sharpest tool in the shed, but D*A*M*N……..there’s dumb, and then there’s Roddy.
Westicles
February 15th, 2012
2:49 pm
Guess what, Roddy. The NFL needs Roger Goodell a heck of lot more than it needs you, or ten more players just like you.
Westicles
February 15th, 2012
2:59 pm
Punctuation isn’t painful to use, and it doesn’t cost anything. Don’t be afraid to use it.
Zoomie
February 15th, 2012
3:02 pm
Roddy, you don’t get it. You are entertainment. You’re paid from our (the fans’) disposable funds. When those funds are no longer disposable, you are. You play a game for a living; one would think you’d appreciate that. You’re the 21st century version of a gladiator. CHECK. In your case, it’s starting to look like you’re the 21st century version of the court jester.
I know the Falcons are rethinking the whole thing about character players. Hopefully, in the future, they’ll adopt some sort of policy against hiring fools.
Gregory Moundine
February 15th, 2012
3:19 pm
…and you say no to my suggestion of T.O. Well, how about Randy Moss now> Go get one of these guys! Roddy, I love you like a brother, but you must keep your mouth shut and catch the darn balls!
Mikey
February 15th, 2012
3:20 pm
Love ya Roddy but you’re starting to remind me of T.O.
AlanFalcon
February 15th, 2012
3:35 pm
Someone needs to tell Roddy that when he no longer leads the NFL in drop passes that he might be in more of a position to speak out, otherwise he needs to shut up and go improve his reception ability.
wisemule
February 15th, 2012
3:42 pm
You rip someone for making a statement about an over paid executive. You’re the same
folk that diidn’t give a crap if big banks were bailed out and continued to reward each other with
lucative salaries and bonuses… Nothing wrong with that either. Vote Republican.
jambro
February 15th, 2012
3:48 pm
Shut up Roddy and catch the ball
Black Atlanta is racist.
February 15th, 2012
4:11 pm
I am black – lets clear this up now….can black people ever bring up something without playing the race/slavery excuse? I continue to see these comments about how this roddy situation is like slavery and “keep plowing that mule boy”…. really? Its NOT AT ALL like slvery. No one is forcing Roddy to play football with a whip and chain. In fact, Roddy makes a good wage. This isnt like slavery, nor is race in any way, shape, or form part of this… Roddy makes more money than most white people… how is this like slavery? Black people from the south are so freaking ignorant. Go to NYC or Philly and you will hear non of this garbage talk.
marc
February 15th, 2012
4:14 pm
Why would anyone be surprised at this kind of comment from today’s NFL player?? I only wish Roger would tweet about Roddy’s drops. Ouch.
Mark
February 15th, 2012
4:26 pm
@ Black Atlanta is racist.
February 15th, 2012
4:11 pm
I am black – lets clear this up now….can black people ever bring up something without playing the race/slavery excuse? I continue to see these comments about how this roddy situation is like slavery and “keep plowing that mule boy”…. really? Its NOT AT ALL like slvery. No one is forcing Roddy to play football with a whip and chain. In fact, Roddy makes a good wage. This isnt like slavery, nor is race in any way, shape, or form part of this… Roddy makes more money than most white people… how is this like slavery? Black people from the south are so freaking ignorant. Go to NYC or Philly and you will hear non of this garbage talk.
You just generalized an entire group of people. Sounds like you are one of those ignorant Black People….just saying
LKW4
February 15th, 2012
4:29 pm
White – you really showed how stupid you are. You don’t make the team and you don’t make the NFL. The fans you had are leaving by the dozen because you forgot how to catch a darn ball. You sure didn’t forget how to wrap it up when playing with the river rats! Keep in mind that baby and baby’s mama want you to show them the money! Maybe the Falcons will let you go after the stupidity you just showed. I am from Atlanta and really hate it when you ignorant ball players prove that your degree in college is underwater basket weaving. You sure don’t have enough life intelligence to get a J O B when your done pulling hamstrings, breaking knees and ribs. And if I remember correctly your not even smart enough to manage your own finances. Your mama had to do that cause you were bankrupt the first year you were a pro!
rellis
February 15th, 2012
4:34 pm
Wait, Isn’t this still America. Don’t he have a right to said what he thinks, be it right or wrong?? If thats what he believes, that’s he believe……
GA-USMC
February 15th, 2012
4:35 pm
I always say we could use more money in the military!!! Any takers? You? You? You? Cricket cricket…