Boomer Esiason Thinks Roger Goodell Should Give Richard Sherman "Heavy Duty Fine" for Ballghazi Remarks

Boomer Esiason, in a video entry for SI.com, said that he believes Roger Goodell should fine Richard Sherman after the Seahawks cornerback insinuated that the Patriots will not face material discipline for Ballghazi because of the commissioner’s close relationship with Robert Kraft. LA Times has the transcription:

It’s hardly a stretch to say that Goodell has a cozier relationship with Kraft than Paul Allen. A recent GQ profile of Goodell painted Kraft as something of a shadow commissioner who’s a close confidant, and lobbied for Goodell to get the job in the first place. Beyond that, fining Sherman would only call more attention — and scrutiny — to his remarks.

That said, Goodell was screwed in this situation the moment we first heard about the deflated balls. What could he do to escape unscathed? Inaction yields further allegations of being Kraft’s patsy, while any material discipline comes down on a powerful, loyal ally in the group of 32 owners. Tim Kawakami of the Mercury News aptly described this dynamic:

It’s premature to speculate on how or whether Kraft will exact his revenge for this circus down the road, but it sure would be ironic if, in some way or another, this winds up being the investigation that costs Goodell his job.