NEW YORK (AP) — NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell said Wednesday he has a high comfort level in the New Orleans Saints and Pittsburgh Steelers safely playing in Paris on Sunday in light of the civil unrest that could include more protests this weekend in the capital and elsewhere around France.
uncertain
that → say → France
Goodell at the end of the annual fall owners meeting said he had spoken with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and that officials are in touch with Parisian and French authorities.
asserted
officials → say → authorities
“We’ve made all the preparations,” Goodell said.
asserted
Goodell → make → preparations
“Protests are not unusual in France, as you know, and that’s something that we will be aware of and make sure that the appropriate arrangements are made.”
asserted
arrangements → know → that
Saints general manager Mickey Loomis said in Versailles that the team’s plans have not been affected by the situation.
asserted
plans → say → situation
They have been in France since Monday after flying directly from the New York area after playing at the Giants, while the Steelers are set to travel Thursday night.
asserted
Steelers → fly → Giants
“We’re continuing to make sure we have all the available information, make sure the appropriate steps are being made,” he said.
asserted
he → continue → information
“We’re guests in the country.
asserted
We → ’re → country
We’re going to be good guests, and we’re going to do our thing.
asserted
we → go → thing
And I’m confident they’re going to do theirs.
asserted
they → ’m → theirs
We look forward to it, and I’m leaving shortly to go myself.”
asserted
I → look → it
New Orleans safety Justin Reid said he and other players are not worried.
asserted
he → say → ?
Goodell defends the presence of Steve Tisch and Jed York
Goodell defended the presence of Steve Tisch of the Giants and Jed York of the San Francisco 49ers, each of whom was in attendance for the two-day meeting.
asserted
each → defend → meeting
Tisch remains executive vice president and chairman of the board after he and his siblings transferred their stakes to their children earlier this year.
asserted
he → remain → children
Tisch’s name was mentioned more than 400 times in Jeffrey Epstein files released in January by the U.S. Justice Department.
asserted
name → mention → Department
After pledging at the Super Bowl there would be a review of Tisch’s association with Epstein, Goodell said Wednesday, “Everything we’ve looked at, we understand and I think we’re comfortable with him participating as the Giants suggest.”
asserted
Giants → pledge → Everything
Asked if the investigation was ongoing, Goodell said: “I think always we’ll look to see if there’s any new information.
asserted
we → ask → ?
We’ll look at it, and we’ll evaluate that.”
asserted
we → look → that
Tisch said he knew Epstein but denied going to his island.
asserted
he → say → island
York returned from his six-game suspension for violating the NFL’s personal conduct policy.
asserted
York → return → policy
He was arrested in a prostitution sting in Ohio in August and pleaded no contest to two misdemeanors but was still punished by the league.
asserted
He → arrest → league
“We went through a full process, obviously, to understand the facts, to understand the issues,” Goodell said.
asserted
Goodell → go → issues
“(We) looked at it under the context of our personal conduct policy, which applies to owners, commissioners, everybody else, players.
asserted
We → look → owners
And it’s something we feel strongly about.
asserted
we → ’ → ?
I think we need to represent ourselves and our organizations properly.
asserted
we → think → ourselves
We saw a violation, and we’ve dealt with it from a discipline standpoint.
asserted
we → see → standpoint
That’s concluded now, and so he’ll be back representing the 49ers.”
asserted
he → conclude → 49ers
Goodell wants accountability from officials
Executive VP of football operations Troy Vincent said the two officials who were suspended for their interactions with players earlier this season “crossed the line.”
asserted
who → want → line
Line judge Jeff Seeman was banned two games for swearing at Arizona tight end Trey McBride, and referee Adrian Hill one game for yelling at Eric Wilson and pointing for him to get away after the Vikings linebacker tried to help him to his feet after a collision knocked him over.
asserted
collision → ban → him
Vincent called the reactions unacceptable, and Goodell said it was a matter of sportsmanship and professional conduct.
asserted
it → call → sportsmanship
“We do want accountability of our officials, but we also want respect between the participants,” Goodell said.
asserted
Goodell → want → participants
“It’s not just player to players.
asserted
It → ’ → players
Officials play an important role out there, and they need to be held to the highest standards.”
asserted
they → play → standards
___
AP Sports Writer Ken Maguire in Versailles, France, contributed to this report.
___
asserted
Maguire → contribute → report
The Aporia
