Hines Ward Says Players Empowered Roger Goodell With CBA Vote

[SteveRobWhatever]

Hines Ward has some advice for the active players who have come to terms with the fact NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell wields great power when it come to disciplining them: You got what you voted for. The retired Pittsburgh wide receiver, about a year after he joined his Steelers teammates in voting against the league's current collective bargaining agreement, told Charlotte radio station WFNZ-AM that those players need to live with the consequences. "Roger Goodell, even though a lot of players don't like having him in charge, the NFLPA, we signed off on the collective bargaining agreement," Ward said in the interview. "It should be noted that we were the only team who voted against it, and that was a major factor because of how we are fined on our team. "In order to go to the appeal committee, we had to go right back to Roger Goddell. So that was one of the big things that we voted no against because we just felt like it was going to be unfair." Although Ward can see how league's handling of the Saints bounty investigation and subsequent suspensions may seem unfair, he also told WFNZ it's just part of the new rules the players must accept. "To the rest of the teams that did vote for the CBA, he's in charge, and those are the rules, and that's what you have to abide by because that's what you signed up for."

Source: Sporting News