Roger Goodell, The Man who destroyed the Video Game Industry — and everything around him in the process.

Roger Goodell stated by the end of his new five year contract with the owners of the NFL, that he will bring in 27 Billion dollars a year to NFL Ventures (the money making arm of the League).

The way he has done that however, has now come into question with the Ray Rice debacle.

This is not just one incident after the other — this has been a systematic issue going from his first major deal — the 2004 Video Game rights to Electronic Arts.

Madden, for several years before 2005, was the number one game in North America. There were release parties at midnight. But it had competition. Visual Concepts originally was the development group that was going to work on a 3d version of Madden around 2000.

EA dropped Visual Concepts and went to another company for the next Madden.

Sega NFL 2k1 beat Madden that year. EA was stunned. The next three years EA made a effort to get back the audience, and they succeeded depending on who you ask. But the 2k franchise were on their heels.

In 2004, in a effort to get more fans, 2K games (which had a working relationship with Sega at the time) lowered the price of the game to 20 dollars.

When the contract came out — the NFL (in the transition mode between Talibue to Goodell) wanted to have one company to hold the video game license. EA put up the money and got the rights. Many of the video game media was wondering was this deal a good idea. Many fans were rightly pissed.

So pissed in fact, some of the fans sued EA.

But the effect was bigger than people realize. Within weeks, Take 2 made a deal with Major League Baseball. The NBA left things alone.

The rights were renewed again till 2013. But Madden is no longer the king of Video Games. Its Call of Duty, League of Legends and all series of clones.

This was because that EA, with the rights — and its culture of get along to be along sat on its laurels. Because it sat on its laurels — using some of the same tools in building most of their sports games — its problems became glaring. Even one observer on YouTube have stated that the A.I. in the game has not improved since 2010.

In turn, when it came to the NBA, the only league that allows multiple companies to have licenses for video games, EA didn't put out a game in 4 years and still has trouble. There is no NCAA Football anymore, because of a dispute between the NCAA and older players over use of the names.

But the effect on video games was much bigger. Casual fans who could rely on Madden left, some based on how EA promoted games, some because outside forces, some because of economics. But Call of Duty filled the void, and Now Destiny has made more money that Madden has done in several years — in the last 24 hours.

You can blame all that on the head, the money rules over everything — even justice — on Roger Goodell.

But that's not all. Here comes the deal the NFL did with another company: Microsoft. This was mostly to boost the new Game Console, XBOX1.

You should know the issues with the product, the Kinect issues with its targeted advertising and the cameras ability to record voice and video. The DRM practices Microsoft wanted to implement for the console. Gamers were not happy — with the success of the 360 over the PS3 they thought Microsoft was not going to change a thing.

Sony said they will not change a thing, and focus on the gamers.

From that day forward, and for the last eight months to the present day, the PlayStation 4 has won every month in the NPD rankings. XBOX1 to be fair has kept it a close race, but not in the minds of the mainstream, as much as the advertisements would say otherwise.

But it hasn't been only thing — its Windows 8 and its lukewarm reception. Its Windows Phone and its slow reception.

And Roger Goodell, the man who said he will bring the 32 owners, 27 billion a year… Made the deal, knowing all of the issues with XBOX1 and Windows 8.

Oh and to make it clear. The New Madden 15, sold more on PlayStation 4 than it did XBOX1. Even though XBOX1 is the “Official Gaming Console” of the National Football League.

Lets look at the other major issues for Goodell:

On September 10, 2007, Belichick was accused by the Jets of authorizing his staff to film the Jets’ defensive signals from an on-field location, a violation of league rules. NFL Security confiscated the video camera used by video assistant Matt Estrella to film the signals during the game. On September 16, Goodell ordered the Patriots to hand over all notes, tapes, and other materials related to the incident, threatening further discipline if the Patriots did not comply. On September 20, the NFL announced they had received and destroyed the requested materials.

After the Saints defeated the Minnesota Vikings in the NFC Championship Game, several Vikings players and coaches claimed that the Saints were deliberately trying to hurt Vikings quarterback Brett Favre. The Vikings were particularly angered when Saints defensive end Bobby McCray and defensive tackle Remi Ayodele knocked Favre to the ground with a high-low hit. McCray, while falling forward from a block, hit Favre below the knees, briefly knocking Favre out of the game with an ankle injury. No penalty was called on the play, though NFL vice president of officiating Mike Pereira said one should have been called, saying it was “the type of hit we don’t want.” Vikings coach Brad Childress later said that there were at least 13 instances where he felt the Saints deliberately went after Favre…The league found that Payton not only knew about the scheme, but tried to cover it up during both league investigations. During the 2010 investigation, Payton told Williams and Vitt to “make sure our ducks are in a row” when the league interviewed them. Before the start of the 2011 season, Payton received an email from Ornstein detailing the broader lines of the scheme. In that same email, Ornstein offered $5,000 to anyone who knocked Rodgers out of the 2011 season opener. Payton initially denied knowing that this email existed, but subsequently admitted that in fact he had read it…On July 26, 2012, Jonathan Vilma and seven witnesses from the Saints testified in front of a federal judge in New Orleans that NFL commissioner Roger Goodell got his facts wrong in the bounty scandal.”Everybody was sworn in under oath in front of a judge with the risk of perjury and jail time if we were lying, and categorically denied there was a bounty,” Vilma said in a text message to ESPN’s Ed Werder. “Seven people testified, 2 sworn affidavits (one by Drew Brees) all saying the same thing. I ask that you and ESPN report the facts. No more bias or b.s. or hearsay. I gave you facts that you can report if so choose.” Tulane University Sports Law Program Director Gabe Feldman (who attended the hearing in court) said, “Clearly the judge, by her questions, indicated she thinks Goodell overstepped his authority, and this case was always going to be about if he executed his power fairly… The NFL’s retort is that with all due deference, you don’t get to second guess (commissioner Roger Goodell). Judges only have limited jurisdiction over arbitration issues.”

A proposed settlement was reached in the litigation on August 29, 2013. Under the agreement, the NFL will contribute $765 million to provide medical help to more than 18,000 former players. Retired players who suffer severe neurological conditions such as Alzheimer’s and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) diseases in the future will also be eligible to apply for medical help. In addition, $10 million will fund brain injury research as well as safety and education programs.

The settlement says it should not be interpreted as a statement of legal liability on the part of the NFL.

The settlement, which is projected to protect retired players for nearly 65 years, will compensate injured former players who need immediate help and will provide baseline assessments and medical benefits to those who are symptom-free or beginning to show signs of neurological problems.

We had Micheal Vick and his betting and raising dogs in order to fight in a dog fighting ring.

Plaxico Burress and the gun issue — even though his gun was registered in Florida and not New York State, he spends 2 years in prison of a mistake that would have other people would only a citation.

Then the Marijuana suspension of Josh Gorden. The lack of HGH testing.

And now, the issue with Ray Rice.

Think about this.

This whole issue falls on when Goodell knew this, and when did he knew it?

However, these incidents show a massive pattern of questionable decision making in the league office. Goodell has made himself into a President of the United States in a way — using the 32 teams and his deals with 4 major networks (1 cable and 3 networks) to be a paragon of masculine authority in a country many feel lacks much.

But now via his choices, his guile, his my way or no way, his — heads up football — Goodell is much weaker than a certain egg head, running another league who showed via one act, that he was more of a man than anybody else.

And Goodell’s choices since the EA deal with Madden along with many other choices he has made, will come and bite the league and everyone around it in ways we cannot predict.

Its not only time to clean house in the New York Offices of the NFL, its time to look at some of the deals that Goodell has done and any future effects it will have on the rights holders.

Because its time for the fans to feel like they are not lost and have no say anymore in a league that seems to has lost its nerve and its way.

Goodell must step down for all those that have made the league what it is. Before he destroys all the good will built up since the TV era began.

He has already done it, to Video Games.