Amani Toomer: Roger Goodell Deals With Players Like Gestapo

UPDATE: Amani Toomer apologized for his controversial comments made on Thursday.

“Obviously I didn’t fully understand the meaning of what I said. I do now. It was a stupid, inappropriate and offensive thing to say. I apologize for my choice of words, and I apologize to Commissioner Goodell for the offensive characterization.”

EARLIER:

NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell has been receiving plenty of criticism from NFL players and former players, but ex-New York Giant Amani Toomer took it to a new level on Thursday morning.

Michael David Smith of ProFootballTalk reported that Toomer compared the way Goodell deals with players to the police of Nazi Germany.

"I think the way Mr. Goodell has handled this, the way he's kind of using his power, is like the kind of a Gestapo-type situation, controlling the players, not letting the judicial system do its work," he said.

On Wednesday, Pittsburgh Steelers safety Ryan Clark ripped Goodell for the 2011 NFL schedule release, claiming that it was a PR stunt.

Earlier in April, Baltimore Ravens receiver Derrick Mason called Goodell "a joke," saying that he needs to "stop crying about blood tests and HGH" and work on getting a new labor deal done.

Comments

[Mr Nightlinger]

04:16 AM on 04/23/2011

That was a full apology by Toomer. The man spoke his mind and he apologized for any damage done. A non-story.

[Don Treadwell]

05:08 PM on 04/22/2011

He's kind of right, I mean, if you think about it. Anytime you see Roger Goodell on the street, he is always walking around, goose stepping, and wearing his SS uniform.

[ydrittmann]

11:33 AM on 04/22/2011

He should be checked by a neurologist for a brain toomer.

[Six Gator]

10:42 AM on 04/22/2011

The players are doing a good job of making idiots of themselves...that should help get a deal done!
The players talk like this, and (for the most part) all is well...The owners or RG says ANYthing, and they are blasted for not being a "Pro"fessionals....Cementing further, the College game as #1.
I could live with the NFL never playing another game!.....take the nba too...and any Sport where multi-millions a year isn't enough.

[Clevelandinwi]

11:18 AM on 04/23/2011

Interestingly, they've been right on everything so far.

[Floridafish]

10:45 PM on 04/23/2011

Multi-millions aren't enough but multi-billions are I suppose. For the owners anyway. It's another labor battle where billionaires are trying to shut down unions to benefit other billionaires. You're either for Labor or you're for the Mega Rich. The salaries are secondary in the owner veiw, the important thing is to destroy the Players Union to shut them up.

[Oliver R]

10:19 AM on 04/22/2011

Of course. What would a proper, thoughtful, proportioned debate about the business of sports be without a reference to Nazi Germany!

[Gigity]

08:48 AM on 04/22/2011

Looks like someone with more intelligence talked some sense into him. He issued an apology for his poor choice of words today. You can accuse someone of being a dictator without invoking the Nazis. It's not difficult.

[Don Treadwell]

05:44 PM on 04/22/2011

Actually, I would disagree with you, Glen. Resisting the urge to label someone a Nazi while also labeling them a dictator is not as easy as you might think it is.

[butchcliff]

07:18 AM on 04/22/2011

Another inane statement from a player. Comments like this don't help their side at all.

[triplettam]

03:02 AM on 04/22/2011

I guess those Nazis were a bunch of creampuffs the way people like Goodell and so many others are JUST like them.

[OhManOhMan]

11:47 PM on 04/21/2011

Goodell is a nazi? ha

look how many NFL players actually rape females and get away with it.. Many criminal charges by NFL players are absurd.

[ErichK]

11:20 PM on 04/21/2011

I think it might be more accurate to say that Roger Goodell is the Granny Clampett to the Player's Jethroe and Ellie May

[PeaceLove69]

11:01 PM on 04/21/2011

Ugh, adults feigning ignorance of what an anology is makes my head hurt. He's capricious and tyrannical in Amani's opinion and he has every right to express that as he so chooses. People like to manufacture controversy where there is none, but ignore real controversy.

[ydrittmann]

11:35 AM on 04/22/2011

ANALogy.

[DanoX]

10:19 PM on 04/21/2011

Yet another misleading headline on the front page." Gestapo-type situation" is hardly calling someone a Nazi. What if he had said Stasi or KGB? Would that make everyone feel better? Or has fox noise forever ruined, by over and improper use, any references to Nazi Germany and anything contained there in??

[horsey]

12:03 AM on 04/22/2011

well what do you think of when you hear the word Gestapo?

[ydrittmann]

11:35 AM on 04/22/2011

Sharp uniforms and the fear in Colonel Klink's eyes?

[scmucas2001]

10:05 PM on 04/21/2011

Once Nazis enter the argument, you've automatically lost.

[kamact]

10:01 PM on 04/21/2011

Pay me $10+ million,...and you can be authoritian with me,..no worries

[Six Gator]

10:43 AM on 04/22/2011

unions!...

[shag11]

09:31 PM on 04/21/2011

That's just stupid, period.