Goodell to Address Media; NFL's Roger Goodell to Address Media
BLITZER: We're just moments away now from hearing from the National Football League commissioner, Roger Goodell. He's scheduled to give his so-called state of the NFL address and then answer reporters' questions. Rachel Nichols is in the room. She's joining us on the phone. So what do we expect, Rachel? Set the scene a little bit for us. What's it like in there?</s>RACHEL NICHOLS, CNN SPORTS (via telephone): Well, I've been to a lot of these over the years and I've got to tell you, this is the biggest room and biggest set-up I have ever seen. There are more than 800 chairs in this auditorium for Roger Goodell's press conference. And most of them are filled. And there are still people streaming in. So you remember that press conference, that very controversial press conference that he gave in September where he was not able to answer a lot of the media's questions in the league's handling of the domestic violence incidents that they had had. That was a relatively small group of press because it was an impromptu press conference, just got called a few hours earlier. Roger Goodell did not have time to prepare for that the same way. This is a press conference where there is media from all over the globe. And Goodell and his staff have been prepping for this for weeks. So it's going to have a very different tone.</s>BLITZER: All right, stand by, Rachel. I know you're going to be -- hopefully asking some questions of the commissioner. He's come under a lot of fire several times this season. First, there was the Ray Rice affair, the Baltimore Ravens player who was caught on camera beating his then-fiance. The NFL fumbled the investigation, eventually suspending Rice indefinitely. Several other stars, including the running back, Adrian Peterson, was - were suspended for off-field violence and now what's called deflate-gate, the must less heinous act of deflating footballs, engulfing one of the league's most popular teams, the New England Patriots, and most well-known players, Tom Brady. It's been an unwelcomed distraction for the league during the lead-up to the premier sporting event, the Super Bowl this Sunday. Remember, this is a game that last year was seen by more than 111 million people worldwide, was broadcast in 198 countries in more than 25 languages. And the National Football League is the world's number one league. It generates more than $10 billion a year in revenue. That dwarfs the top European football league, the English Premier League, which makes around $4 billion. It's that financial success that also earned Roger Goodell more than $44 million last year alone. Joining us now, our CNN Sports analyst, the "USA Today" columnist Christine Brennan, our CNN commentator, ESPN's senior writer, LZ Granderson, and Gabriel Sherman, who's written an excellent article about Goodell for "GQ" magazine. Christine, what's the biggest challenge facing the commissioner right now?</s>CHRISTINE BRENNAN, CNN SPORTS ANALYST: Wolf, I think it is as sounding honest, sounding truthful, sounding like he cares and like there are results coming. And I think that's, as Rachel pointed out, that's what didn't happen in September. He has had all this time now to prepare. My sense is he will come out here and be stronger and more forceful. He will be facing a lot of tough questions. And I hope it's not all about deflate-gate, as you alluded to. So much of a minor story, even though it's important, compared to domestic violence, the personal conduct policies. There are huge issues involving the NFL. In many ways, the NFL is a mirror of our society and I think that's what --</s>BLITZER: All right, all right, hold on. Christine, hold on.